NY Democrat Blasts ‘Bully’ Cuomo’s Presser and Calls for Him to Resign, But Tells Fox Anchors Republicans Who Backed Trump Are Hypocrites

Governor Andrew Cuomo was roundly pilloried for his press conference addressing the sexual harassment allegations around him. Prior to the press conference, New York State Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti (D) said Cuomo should resign — something the governor said Wednesday he will not do.

The allegations of sexual harassment come amid another scandal facing the governor on covid nursing home deaths in the state.

Abinanti joined Fox News after Wednesday’s Cuomo press conference and said reiterated that the governor has to go.

“I think his whole situation is a distraction to the serious conversations necessary to complete an on-time budget. I heard the governor’s statement, I don’t know whether it’s going to be enough to assuage the fears of those of us who believe that we need to move forward,” Abinanti told John Roberts and Sandra Smith.

He made a point of saying he’s a “very progressive assembly member talking to you on Fox News” because “we believe we have to have conversations, we have to have respect of each other.”

Abinanti said Cuomo cannot continue on as the face of New York and called his defense a clear “lack of understanding for the need for self-restraint.” He even said the governor has a “bully reputation” that “confirms his lack of respect for others.”

Smith brought up how New York Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin is considering a run for governor, and asked Abinanti if he could support him.

Abinanti said this in response:

“I could not. I cannot support anyone who supported Donald Trump. I want to make that very clear. Let’s address the difference between the Democrats and the Republicans here. The Democrats are saying Donald Trump should not have been president because of the all of the things that he did and his lack of leadership ability. The Republicans are silent and still supporting Donald Trump but they’re jumping on Andrew Cuomo. We Democrats believe we have to apply the same standard to everyone. And I believe Lee Zeldin is supporting Donald Trump and did support Donald Trump, he’s supporting principles that are totally opposite of why we’re criticizing Andrew Cuomo. We don’t want to be hypocritical on this. We opposed Donald Trump, we said he was a womanizer, we said he couldn’t lead, so I’m now looking and saying the things that Donald Trump did, in my mind, are far worse than what Andrew Cuomo is being accused of.”

He ended up adding towards the interview that he’s concerned “a moderate Republican like a George Pataki will surface and that the Republicans will win back New York.”

You can watch above, via Fox News.

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