As Andrew Cuomo’s political position grows weaker amid worsening scandals, President Biden isn’t ready to bail on the governor quite yet. On Sunday night, Biden made clear that he favors a wait-and-see approach, telling a reporter, “I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us,” in response to a question about whether Cuomo should resign.
Facing six allegations of inappropriate behavior, ranging from workplace harassment to groping — as well as a deluge of damaging stories about the toxic workplace he leads and a whole separate scandal involving nursing-home deaths — Governor Andrew Cuomo has lost the support of huge swaths of his party in New York. Both of the state’s senators, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on him to resign, as have a large majority of New York’s congressional delegation. Cuomo made clear on Friday that he refuses to budge, decrying “cancel culture” and urging New Yorkers to “wait for the facts” from multiple investigations into his behavior — one of which may lead to his removal from office — before making a judgment.
Biden’s stance was echoed by Ron Klain, his chief of staff.
“What the president said is that there’s a process,” he said on Sunday. These charges are very serious charges. They ought to be investigated and that process ought to run its course.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a similar tack on the investigations, but added that Cuomo should “look in his heart” and “see if he can govern effectively.”
The domineering Cuomo is not known to have many friends — one reason he now finds himself in the political wilderness. But he and Biden have fostered a warm personal relationship over the last few years, with the two sounding each other out on key career decisions. Biden’s quasi-support for the governor may not last long, but for now, Cuomo will take all the help he can get.
