ALBANY, N.Y. — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo unleashed a torrent of attacks Thursday, blaming “extremists” from the Democratic Party for his undoing and ranting about bail reforms he signed into law, during a visit to a Bronx church.
Cuomo, hellbent on repairing his public image after resigning last year in the wake of multiple sexual misconduct allegations, cast himself as the victim as he addressed a group of Hispanic ministers gathered by controversial ex-Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr.
“One manifestation of extremism is the so-called cancel culture,” Cuomo lamented. “Cancel culture says if you don’t agree with me and my point of view, you can be canceled.”
The appearance comes amid rumors that the disgraced Democrat is mulling an attempt at reentering the political arena.
Whether that comes in the form of a potential primary run against Gov. Hochul, his former lieutenant governor, or an independent bid remains to be seen.
“I am more committed to fighting and fighting hard to do the right thing, so government works,” he said. “I am not going anywhere. I am going to continue to fight the good fight.”
While standing resolute in his plans to ensure good government, Cuomo made no attempt to win over progressives. He spent much of his speech Thursday striking a decidedly conservative tone and railing against Albany Democrats for refusing to revisit controversial topics such as the bail overhauls he signed into law.
“I believe this is the most important issue facing the city,” Cuomo said of the laws limiting the use of bail to jail suspects awaiting trial.
“People die while they’re sitting up there deciding what to do, and they’re not going to do it,” he added, knocking legislative leaders who have resisted calls to roll back the changes.
Cuomo railed against “radicals” he says have taken over the Democratic Party, castigating efforts to defund police and likening “woke” progressives to conservative Tea Party extremists.
“I speak as a concerned New Yorker and a very concerned New Yorker because the truth is, we are at a pivotal and dangerous time in this country, in this state,” he said.
Cuomo’s message seemed to resonate with the crowd, coordinated by Diaz, a Pentecostal minister with a long history of controversial stances and homophobic comments.
Diaz has at times compared abortion to the Holocaust, heaped praise on former President Donald Trump, and, in 2019, said the City Council was “controlled by the homosexual community.”
But Cuomo’s pariah status among Dems is making for strange bedfellows. He recently dined with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in Manhattan and applauded Mayor Adams Thursday for his work so far at City Hall.
“He was a cop. He understands it,” Cuomo said of the mayor, a former police captain and bail law critic. “The bad news is he can’t do it on his own.”
Cuomo, who claims he has been vindicated after prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against him, said recently he regrets stepping down. He would have faced certain impeachment had he remained in office.
The ex-governor has spent millions in campaign cash in recent weeks, attempting to clear his name with slick TV commercials and ramping up in-person events.
A poll released last week by Emerson College and The Hill found Cuomo would be a formidable challenger for Hochul if he entered the June Democratic primary race.
Hochul received 37% of Democratic voter support in a hypothetical matchup, while Cuomo garnered 33%.
“I have a lot of options. I am open to all of them,” Cuomo told his Bronx audience Thursday, before joking about hoping for an offer from the Jets to play wide receiver. “I’m open to all options, and I’m going to leave it at that.”
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