‘Disgusting display’: Critics blast Gov. Cuomo’s self-pitying farewell speech
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s self-pitying farewell address on Monday led critics to blast him as a “classic narcissist” and wannabe “martyr” who blamed everyone but himself for the sexual harassment scandal that forced him to resign in disgrace.
New York state Republican Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy said Cuomo’s prerecorded speech “broke the mold” employed by politicians whose misdeeds led to their downfalls, and instead gave him “another opportunity to congratulate himself.”
“It was a disgusting display but a classic narcissist isn’t going to exit the stage quietly,” Langworthy said.
“Normally, people slink away quietly but this guy had several press conferences in the last couple of days — and no one is listening,” he said.
State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx), a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who was among the first lawmakers to demand Cuomo’s resignation, said he “took one last opportunity as Governor to undermine the survivors of his abuse, and attempt to rewrite his legacy.”
“His remarks were riddled with inaccuracies and embellishments in hopes to paint himself as the leader he never was,” Biaggi said in a prepared statement.
“But as new leadership takes his place in Albany, the weaknesses and consequences of Cuomo’s administration will only become clearer.”
A Biaggi spokesperson said her references to “inaccuracies and embellishments” involved Cuomo “continuing to categorize the AG’s report as political” and his portrayal of the state as a progressive beacon and “himself as a champion of progressive issues.”
Biaggi believes Cuomo has prevented progress that would have resulted in New York “actually being a progressive beacon,” her spokesperson added.
Erica Vladimer of the Sexual Harassment Working Group, composed of former legislative staffers, said the outgoing governor “used his last PR moment in the same way he uses every single PR moment: to prop himself up on a pedestal as New York’s martyr, walking back previous statements, blaming the press for holding him accountable, gaslighting and vaguely threatening the women who stood up to his power abuse.”
“New Yorkers deserve a governor who doesn’t see workplace dignity and human rights as secondary to political success,” she added.
Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens), a fierce critic of Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, noted that he avoided any mention of that controversy, which is the subject of a federal probe.
“Right to the bitter end, he’s insisting he didn’t do anything wrong and hasn’t admitted he did anything wrong or issued a genuine apology to the women or nursing home victims,” said Kim, whose uncle apparently died of COVID-19 in a Queens facility.
“It’s very obvious in the last several weeks that they’ve been dodging any kind of answers or talking about nursing homes.”
Tracey Alvino, assistant director of the Voices for Seniors advocacy group, said that while it “feels like New Year’s Eve with our countdown until Cuomo leaves office,” she was outraged to hear him call the allegations against him “unjust and unfair.”
“It was unfair and unjust for 15,000 nursing home residents to die because of his policies,” she said.
“We just want him to leave.”
Her latter sentiment was echoed by state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), who said of Cuomo’s speech, “Enough already.”
“It’s time to turn the page on the Cuomo Administration,” Hoylman said in a prepared statement.
“There’ll be plenty of time to assess Cuomo’s tattered record in the future, but now my primary interest is helping incoming Governor (Kathy) Hochul set New York on a pathway to recovery.”
