New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was given the Edward M. Kennedy Institute Award for Inspired Leadership following his controversial response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“You try the best you can with communication, and then you have to set — you know, leadership is sometimes doing what’s unpopular and setting restrictions for society that you know are in their best interest even though they are not popular,” Cuomo said as he accepted the leadership award Wednesday night, along with Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. “And they are not popular right now. You know, people want to be able to go to a restaurant, want to be able to go to a bar, and this is the season. But leadership is doing what’s hard when it’s right, and that’s part of the function also.”
I am honored to receive the 2020 Edward M. Kennedy Institute Award for Inspired Leadership.
I learned about humanity, leadership and putting people first from the great Senator Ted Kennedy.
Congratulations to my fellow recipient Gov. Charlie Baker.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 10, 2020
Cuomo has been both celebrated and criticized for his response to the coronavirus, which has killed more people in New York than any other state and more people in New York City than any other U.S. city.
Cuomo has also been slammed for his mandate forcing nursing homes to accept coronavirus patients, which sparked protests from those who have linked the move to several thousand deaths.
The New York Democrat received an honorary Emmy Award earlier this year for his response to the virus and was praised by White House coronavirus response team member Dr. Anthony Fauci for his handling of the virus.
Cuomo was widely panned on social media over news of the latest award.
“It’s only fitting for Andrew Cuomo to win the Ted Kennedy award,” journalist Giancarlo Sopo tweeted. “He left people gasping for air as they died while media sycophants looked the other way so to not hinder a future presidential run.”
It’s only fitting for Andrew Cuomo to win the Ted Kennedy award.
He left people gasping for air as they died while media sycophants looked the other way so to not hinder a future presidential run. https://t.co/xIqeyObpvx
— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) December 10, 2020
“Forgive me but seeing the governor of New York accept awards for his leadership that helped kill thousands of seniors has me a bit cranky this morning,” tweeted Fox News’s Janice Dean, who lost both her father-in-law and mother-in-law to the coronavirus in a New York nursing home.
Forgive me but seeing the governor of New York accept awards for his leadership that helped kill thousands of seniors has me a bit cranky this morning.
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) December 10, 2020
“Everyone is upset about this, but I assume, given who it’s named after, that this is an award for killing people and getting away with it,” the Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway tweeted, referencing the late Sen. Kennedy’s involvement in the 1969 death of Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick, Massachusetts.
Everyone is upset about this, but I assume, given who it’s named after, that this is an award for killing people and getting away with it. https://t.co/Ij1ItXgefI
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 10, 2020
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner on the criticisms of Cuomo’s coronavirus track record.
