The media coverage of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over the past year and a half has been like a rollercoaster ride: up, down, twisting and turning.
A year ago, he was breathlessly described by some as “America’s Governor.” He gave daily COVID-19 updates that were aired nationwide on cable news networks such as CNN and MSNBC. His straight talk about the coronavirus was applauded, especially when compared to the messages coming out of Donald Trump’s White House. In fact, speaking of presidents, there were even whispers that Cuomo might someday trade in the title of governor for president or that he would go work for President Joe Biden.
Cuomo would go on the CNN show hosted by his brother, Chris, and the two would yuk it up. And the governor was given a pretty big microphone to share his response to the pandemic.
The news then turned to a scandal about how Cuomo and his office were reporting nursing home deaths due to COVID-19.
Then stories that Gov. Cuomo had sexually harassed women with inappropriate touching and comments came to light. Accusers came forward. And not just one or two. The New York Times and Times Union of Albany published blockbuster reports about Cuomo’s behavior.
That all led to Tuesday’s explosive report from New York state Attorney General Letitia James. The 165-page report included interviews with 179 people and determined that Cuomo had harassed multiple women, including current and former staffers, from 2013 to 2020. The report also stated that Cuomo and his aides, through intimidation and other tactics, helped enable “harassment to occur and created a hostile work environment.” (Here is the entire attorney general’s report.)
Cuomo put out a defiant video response in which he said he never touched anyone inappropriately and that on occasions when he did touch someone’s face or kissed them, it was a sign of affection learned in his upbringing. He said it was meant to “convey warmth, nothing more.”
Cuomo’s speech sounded like a campaign speech, and certainly nowhere close to being a precursor to a possible resignation.
Bizarrely, while Cuomo was talking, a slideshow of Cuomo touching and kissing various people (and photos of his mom and dad kissing him) was shown. Who put that thing together?
Nothing Cuomo said in his video played well in most media circles. Cuomo has gone from media darling to media outcast.
And a political outcast, too. Even President Biden said Tuesday that Cuomo should resign.
CNN’s Chris Cillizza wrote a column with the headline: “35 words that almost certainly will end Andrew Cuomo's political career.”
Those 35 words?
“We, the investigators appointed to conduct an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, conclude that the Governor engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment under federal and New York State law.”
Cillizza wrote, “The last six years in politics have taught me — and should teach all of us — not to make any definitive predictions about how the public will react to allegations of this sort against a politician. But it's extremely hard to see any sort of path — today at least — for Cuomo to stay in office beyond 2022. If he even makes it that long.”
Twitter media reaction
Here are just some of the media tweets that I found interesting from Tuesday’s Cuomo news and his subsequent video response.
Regarding the attorney general’s news conference, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted, “This press conference and the report are way, way, way more detailed and damning that many in press and among Dem operatives expected.”
About Cuomo’s response, New York Times national political correspondent Alex Burns tweeted: “who are you going to believe, me or a 168-page report by multiple highly experienced investigators who interviewed 179 people.”
Washington Post White House bureau chief Ashley Parker tweeted, “‘I do it with everyone,’ is an interesting defense of sexually inappropriate behavior.”
CNN’s Chris Cillizza tweeted, “Anyone who knows Andrew Cuomo knows he is not the resigning sort. But this video statement is not helping him make the case he can survive this. Like, at all.”
HuffPost Washington bureau chief Amanda Terkel tweeted, “So Cuomo, instead of apologizing or resigning, is holding himself up as a champion of women who have been victims of sexual harassment and assault. Unreal.”
The Washington Post’s Philip Bump tweeted, “Everything about this often-cringey statement suggests that Cuomo thinks this is survivable.”
CNN’s S.E. Cupp tweeted, “That was, to put it politely, a master class in sociopathic gaslighting by Cuomo: You didn’t see what you saw. You are confused and biased. It’s YOU who have explaining to do. I was actually HELPING these people. My lack of accountability proves I’m doing my job right.”
Powerful interview
“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell had an exclusive interview Tuesday evening with Charlotte Bennett, a former aide to Cuomo. The New York attorney general found Bennett’s claims of being sexually harassed by Cuomo to be credible. Bennett said Cuomo had asked her questions about being a survivor of sexual assault.
During the interview Tuesday, O’Donnell asked Bennett, “The governor admitted that he asked you questions that he doesn’t normally ask people because you told him you’re a survivor of sexual assault. Do you think he’s gaslighting you?”
Bennett said, “Absolutely. He’s trying to justify himself by making him out to be someone who can’t tell the difference between sexual harassment and mentorship, and I think that’s absolutely absurd. We have the report. We have the facts. The governor broke federal and state law when he sexually harassed me, and current and former staffers, and we have a responsibility to take the set of facts. And if he’s not willing to step down, then we have a responsibility to act and impeach him.”
CNN’s big problem
