Gov: I’m not looking to be Joe’s AG
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo insisted Monday that rumors about his interest in becoming attorney general under a potential President Joe Biden are coming from those who want to get him “out of New York.”
In an interview on NBC’s “Today,” the governor tamped down the idea of joining a future Biden administration, saying he remains solely focused on running the Empire State.
“I’m a New Yorker. I said I would serve as governor,” he said. “And those rumors … those are only from people who want to get me out of New York. I don’t know why, but that’s where that’s coming from.”
Cuomo’s comments come after Axios reported Sunday that he is on Biden’s short list for the top law enforcement spot.
Cuomo has maintained a close relationship with the former vice president for years and supported his bid for the White House early on.
The governor, who served as housing and urban development secretary under President Bill Clinton, has repeatedly tamped down speculations that he would be interested in heading to Washington should Biden unseat President Trump next month.
At the height of the coronavirus outbreak as Cuomo and New York were thrust onto the national stage, rumors swirled that he could potentially replace Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket or mount an 11th-hour candidacy.
According to Axios, Democratic donors close to the governor support the idea of him heading up the Justice Department.
Pushed Monday as to what he would say if Biden offered him the gig, Cuomo was coy.
“I would say, ’ You are an old friend. You are a good friend. You’re going to win this election. You’re going to be the president. I’ll help you any way I can,’” he told NBC.
The governor has brushed off interest in running for president himself in the past and is currently eyeing a fourth term in Albany.
Cuomo is in the national spotlight again this week as he promotes his new book about managing the COVID-19 outbreak in New York. The tome, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic,” is due to be released on Tuesday.