New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said America “was never that great” at an event on Wednesday in what was meant to be a swipe at President Trump’s “Make America great again” slogan.
“We’re not going to make America great again. It was never that great,” Cuomo said, to an awkward blend of gasps and chuckles.
“We have not reached greatness,” he continued at an event in which he signed anti sex-trafficking bills into law. “We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged. We will reach greatness when discrimination and stereotyping against women, 51 percent of our population, is gone, and every woman’s full potential is realized and unleashed and every woman is making her full contribution. When that happens, this nation is going to be taken even higher.”
Cuomo’s press secretary Dani Lever issued a statement later on Wednesday, attempting to clarify what the governor meant.
“Governor Cuomo disagrees with the President. The Governor believes America is great and that her full greatness will be fully realized when every man, woman, and child has full equality. America has not yet reached its maximum potential,” Lever said. “When the President speaks about making America great again – going back in time – he ignores the pain so many endured and that we suffered from slavery, discrimination, segregation, sexism and marginalized women’s contributions. The Governor believes that when everyone is fully included and everyone is contributing to their maximum potential, that is when America will achieve maximum greatness.”
Cuomo’s remark was met with a sharp rebuke by Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro.
“America, with its imperfections, has always been great,” Molinaro said in a statement. “Our people, our principles, and our promises have been a beacon light to the world for 242 years and counting.”
Cuomo is headed into a gubernatorial primary battle against Cynthia Nixon on Sept. 13 and agreed Tuesday to a debate at the end of the month.
