Will Andrew Cuomo quit? Joe Biden wants NY Guv to resign after damning sexual harassment report
President Biden has now called on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign after a damning report by Attorney General Letitia James proved that he sexually harassed 11 women. Hours after Cuomo reiterated his innocence, Biden addressed the issue while answering questions from a journalist. Biden was asked about the photo of him Cuomo used in his infamous slideshow to prove his point about 'innocent touching'. "Look, I’m not going to flyspeck this. I’m sure there are some embraces that were totally innocent. But apparently, the attorney general decided there were things that weren’t,” the president said, adding, "I think he should resign."
Biden was joined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in demanding Cuomo's resignation, as the latter said, "As always, I commend the women who came forward to speak their truth. Recognizing his love of New York and the respect for the office he holds, I call upon the Governor to resign." Meanwhile, Cuomo continues to proclaim his innocence as he contests Letitia James' report, which Pelosi dubbed as "comprehensive and independent."
RELATED ARTICLES
Aside from the president and the House Speaker, 12 representatives from New York including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Carolyn Maloney, and Jerry Nadler have called for Cuomo's resignation. The Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Carl Heastie, remarked that Cuomo "can no longer remain in office". As of August 3, 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris happens to be the only high-profile Democrat leader who is yet to call upon Cuomo's resignation.
Cuomo's infamous slideshow of 'touching and kissing'
Despite growing demands for his resignation from both Republican and Democratic fronts, the embattled New York Governor continues to assert his innocence. To emphasize the same, Cuomo shared a slideshow with photos of him kissing and touching a lot of people as a simple greeting or a gesture of goodwill. "I do it with everyone. Black and White, young and old, straight and LGBTQ, powerful people, friends, strangers, people who I meet on the street," Cuomo said while playing the slideshow.
More shockingly, Cuomo went ahead to include a photo of Biden in his slideshow to point out the president's habit of touching, which has been dubbed inappropriate time and again. In fact, Biden himself has faced allegations of making women feel uncomfortable with his unwarranted touchy behavior.
Will Andrew Cuomo be removed?
Despite his desperate efforts to prove his innocence, Cuomo's case is significantly different. The report by James states that he sexually harassed 11 women, including two state troopers and an executive assistant. The latter alleged that Cuomo groped her breast at his Albany mansion in November 2020.
The likeliness of Cuomo being impeached and removed is increasing as the Governor refuses to step aside. When inquired about the same, Biden said, "Let's take one thing at a time here...I understand that the state legislature may decide to impeach. I don’t know that for a fact." According to New York Post, Biden had said back in March 2021 that if the accusations against Cuomo are proven true by the investigation, he would "probably end up being prosecuted".
The president's curt response about Cuomo's possible impeachment prompted House Republican Rep Elise Stefanik to remark, "President Biden’s response to the AG’s report makes him complicit in the crimes committed by sexual predator Governor Cuomo."