Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s strategy to wait out his scandals seems to be working.
The embattled New York governor has receded from national headlines after dominating the news for much of March. His two dominant scandals, allegations of sexual harassment and mounting evidence of mismanaging the coronavirus pandemic, early this month prompted Democratic lawmakers of all stripes to call for his resignation. Cuomo refused, arguing that he could ride the bad press out — and time may prove him right.
Of course, Cuomo still faces a team of state Democrats leading an impeachment investigation against him and a separate investigation from state Attorney General Letitia James. But even those may turn out in his favor. State Democrats are slow-walking their investigation, saying this week that it may be “months” before they decide whether or not to impeach the governor.
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The legislative slowdown has state Republicans worried that Democrats are using a “stall tactic” to protect the governor. Republican Rep. Will Barclay, the state Assembly’s minority leader, told the Washington Examiner that if Cuomo is going to be held accountable, the investigation needs to move more “expeditiously.”
“We hope our colleagues are acting in good faith,” he said of state Democrats. “Time will tell.”
Cuomo, for his part, has focused on moving past his scandals. The governor, in his recent televised coronavirus briefings, has focused on the state’s budget and the rollout of coronavirus vaccines. And he has explicitly shied away from reporters eager to skewer him about the sexual harassment allegations.
At a press briefing last Wednesday, Cuomo spoke at length about his love for both the New York Yankees and the Mets before announcing that he would allow fans in the stands at the beginning of baseball season. He made no mention of any of his scandals and ended the briefing without taking questions.
And when the press has managed to get through to the governor, Cuomo has brushed aside his scandals. Cuomo told reporters during a press briefing this week that he is equipped to handle “multiple situations” at once.
“The nature of being governor, always, is multiple situations to deal with,” Cuomo said. “I had to deal with Trump as president. Talk about distractions — that was a distraction.”
The Cuomo administration did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Cuomo’s popularity among New Yorkers has stopped plummeting. A Morning Consult poll released Thursday found that, among Democrats, the governor’s approval rating is at 75%, down from his all-time highs last summer — but still higher than New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s popularity ratings. That same poll found that among all New Yorkers, Cuomo’s approval rating is just above 50%, where it has been hovering for most of the month.
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Cuomo may still face further backlash. The investigations are not concluded, and President Joe Biden, who is seen as a lifeline to the governor, has reserved judgment until all the evidence is on the table. But for now, it looks like the governor will at least fight through to the end of his term.
“You can be flawed and graceless and still survive — if you have the support of your constituents,” said Eric Dezenhall, a Washington, D.C.-based crisis management consultant, when Cuomo faced down calls for his ouster.
