New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo drew fire from New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams for his gun disaster emergency executive order, with the mayoral hopeful arguing the governor’s actions were too little, too late.
When asked about Cuomo’s seven-step executive order announced on Tuesday to curb gun violence in the state by declaring a disaster emergency, Adams accused the governor of taking too long to pull the trigger.
“My first question is, ‘What took so long, and why has it taken us so long?'” he said Wednesday on CBS This Morning. “We’re watching these babies die year after year after year, and no one seems to care.”
NEW YORK FIRST STATE TO DECLARE DISASTER EMERGENCY ON GUN VIOLENCE
The Democratic nominee noted he still needs to “really look into” Cuomo’s proposal because “it’s so new,” echoing Cuomo’s language that gun violence amounted to a “public health emergency.”
“This is not just a criminal justice issue. It’s a public health issue, it’s a jobs issue, [and] it’s a substance abuse issue, and we have to coordinate them all together, and that’s what we’re going to do in New York state,” Cuomo said on Tuesday.
Adams, a former police chief who campaigned heavily on an anti-crime agenda, argued the root cause of many cities’ uptick in crime is a lack of education.
“It’s more than gun violence. If we don’t educate, we will incarcerate,” he said.
Though New York City’s mayoral primary was held on June 22, the new ranked-choice voting system meant the contest results were not known until Tuesday night. Adams, who remained the front-runner throughout the tabulation process by varying margins, drew praise from the governor while the votes were counted.
“I like him very much … I think he is a competent, confident individual,” Cuomo said of Adams on June 23, when early results showed Adams with a sizable lead.
Despite their differences, current Mayor Bill de Blasio also praised Adams for his “outer borough focused, working-class focused strategy,” likening it to his own successful 2013 mayoral bid.
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Rising crime rates in New York City are widely believed to have propelled Adams’s ascension to the Democratic nomination. The city has experienced 217 murders year-to-date as of Sunday, an 8.5% change from last year’s year-to-date figure and a 42.8% change from 2019, according to the New York Police Department. Adams alluded to the public safety aspect of the campaign when declaring victory Tuesday night.
“Now, we must focus on winning in November so that we can deliver on the promise of this great city for those who are struggling, who are underserved, and who are committed to a safe, fair, affordable future for all New Yorkers,” he said.
