Andrew Cuomo Blasts Democrats Over Support of ‘Anti-Police Movement’: Quality of Life ‘Has Really Deteriorated’

Andrew Cuomo suggested the Democratic Party look in the mirror when examining the issues that have plagued New York City over the last few years.

Cuomo — the former governor of New York — announced his return to politics on Saturday when he threw his hat in the ring for mayor of New York City. Cuomo famously resigned as governor in 2021 after Attorney General Letitia James determined he had sexually harassed at least 11 women.  Cuomo has repeatedly denied the allegations and said in his farewell address that his resignation was a result of political pressure. He also described James’s report as a “political firecracker.”

Following his resignation, Cuomo was succeeded by current New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).

On Monday, Cuomo appeared on The Stephen A. Smith Show to talk about his decision to take on the embattled Mayor Eric Adams. He said:

I had a good few years spending time with family, doing some traveling. I was enjoying myself. But I’m really worried about what’s happening in New York City — frankly, not just New York City, cities all across the nation — but I’m worried about what’s happening in New York City. And I was HUD secretary, as I mentioned. I know cities; I know the trajectory of cities; and the trajectory is not good for New York City.

You know, post-Covid, people can be anywhere, Stephen. They don’t have to be in a city. It’s not like the old days where you’re you’re captured. They can move; they can do remote work; they can do Zoom; and if you can stay home and do that, well, then maybe you can move to North Carolina, you can move to Florida, you can move to Colorado. So, the dynamics have changed, and then the quality of life in New York City has really deteriorated; and you’re paying a lot of taxes to be here. You put those factors together and it is a bad situation for New York and it has to turn around and it has to turn around quickly.

He attributed that deterioration to a number of factors, including the movement from the left to defund the police.

“I think it’s something the Democratic Party has to think about and reflect upon,” Cuomo continued. “Put Covid aside, OK, because Covid was a transformation nationwide, worldwide, a societal transformation; but there’s been a shift in philosophy here in New York City — and other cities. But you’ve had this move starting in about 2020, an anti-police movement, right? ‘Cut the funding for the police.’ ‘Police are bad.’ We have thousands fewer police today than we had. Well, that has consequences. You cut the police, don’t be surprised when crime goes up. You cut the police, don’t be surprised when people are afraid to go into the subways because of the rate of crime.”