Cuomo harassment allegations leave Democrats grappling with response
Democrats across the country celebrated New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the face of governing competence as President Donald Trump fumbled his administration’s response to the exploding pandemic last year.
Now, the Democratic governor is struggling through a sexual harassment scandal that’s testing the limits of his party’s support as Democrats grapple with one of the first political headaches of the postTrump era.
So far, few Democrats have come to Cuomo’s rescue. But they haven’t explicitly condemned him, either.
Both of New York’s Democratic U.S. senators have publicly embraced the state attorney general’s nascent investigation into Cuomo’s behavior. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday described the allegations as “deeply troubling and deeply concerning.”
And on Monday, President Joe Biden, a longtime Cuomo ally, declined to stand behind the embattled governor.
White House press secretary Jenn Psaki said the president supports the state attorney general’s probe. She noted that Biden requires people to be treated with civility and respect in his administration.
“The president’s view has
been consistent and clear,” Psaki said when asked about Cuomo. “Every woman coming forward should be treated with dignity and respect.”
The scrutiny of Cuomo comes at a delicate moment as Democrats work to project unity and competence in contrast to four years of nearconstant scandal and normshattering behavior under Trump. Cuomo’s scandal also threatens the moral high ground Democrats have
sought on issues related to gender and sexual harassment — which are top of mind to many women who abandoned Republicans in droves last fall to help fuel Biden’s victory.
While Democrats across the country are not rallying behind Cuomo, few are calling for him to step down. That’s in contrast to the treatment of former Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, who ultimately bowed to pressure from within his own party to step down in
2018 after facing accusations of sexual impropriety from several women.
At that time, New York Sen. Kisten Gillibrand was the first Democrat to call on Franken to resign.
Republicans highlighted the relatively cautious response from some Democrats, although the GOP’s criticism of Cuomo directly was somewhat muted given the long list of sexual harassment allegations against Trump.