Andrew Cuomo Talks of God's Plan, Blames 'Cancel Culture' for Political Downfall in Speech at Brooklyn Church
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Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images Andrew Cuomo
In his first public appearance since resigning more than six months ago, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo invoked his faith while lashing out at the investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct and blaming "cancel culture" for his downfall.
"It was ugly. It was probably the toughest time of my life," Cuomo, 64, said from the pulpit at God's Battalion of Prayer Church in Brooklyn, according to Politico. "I haven't spoken about it in public yet because I wanted to talk about it here with you because God's guidance is helping me through."
Cuomo announced his exit from the Governor's Mansion in August, days after New York Attorney General Letitia James released a report which determined he engaged in "unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and making inappropriate comments" with current and former state employees. James said his actions "created a hostile work environment for women."
Cuomo has denied the allegations and said any inappropriate behavior on his part was unintentional. On Sunday he admitted he may have been "old-fashioned and out of touch," The New York Times reports.
"I didn't appreciate how fast the perspectives changed," he said, according to the AP. "I've learned a powerful lesson and paid a very high price for learning that lesson. God isn't finished with me yet."
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The former governor has not been charged with any crime, which he pointed out repeatedly at the Brooklyn church.
"Contrary to what my political opponents would have you believe, nothing I did violated the law or the regulation," Cuomo said. "But the political sharks in Albany smelled blood."
James is running for reelection and her campaign released a scathing statement about the former governor's remarks.
Dee Delgado/Getty Letitia James
"Serial sexual harasser Andrew Cuomo won't even spare a house of worship from his lies," the statement said, Politico reports. "Even though multiple independent investigations found his victims to be credible, Cuomo continues to blame everyone but himself. Cuomo wasn't railroaded; he quit so he wouldn't be impeached. New Yorkers are ready to move forward from this sick, pathetic man."
Cuomo's speech characterized "cancel culture" as a "frightening" type of extremism. He said his opponents used it to "effectively overturn an election."
"Any accusation can trigger condemnation without facts or due process," he said of the way the allegations against him were handled by the press and on social media. "We are a nation of laws, not a nation of tweets. Woe unto us if we allow that to become our new justice system."
Though he hasn't indicated a return to politics, Cuomo's remarks hinted at a comeback.
"The Bible teaches perseverance, it teaches us to get off the mat," he said. "They broke my heart but they didn't break my spirit. I want to take the energy that could have made me bitter and make us better."
Cindy Ord/Getty Andrew Cuomo
Other lines in his speech — which the Times reports was essentially workshopped among Cuomo's close advisors in recent weeks — sound like campaign-trail fodder.
"If you want to cancel something, cancel federal gridlock, cancel the incompetence, cancel the infighting, cancel crime, cancel homelessness, cancel education inequality, cancel poverty, cancel racism, be outraged but be outraged at what really matters and what really matters to you," he said.
Cuomo shook hands with members of the congregation after his speech and told a churchgoer who asked if he'll run for office again that he was "contemplating."
To reporters who asked the same, he replied, "I said what I said."
In the speech, he claimed, "I have many options in life and I'm open to all of them."
"Let's make some good trouble," he added, "and let's make this state the greatest state in the nation."
