He outlined his relationship with every leader in his speech, reminded New Yorkers of the state’s long-running battle with the coronavirus and even sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to NAACP President New York Hazel Dukes, a woman who he mentioned as his second mother. All this happened before Cuomo got the coronavirus vaccine up with a big smile and thumbs up.
These calls for due process stand in stark contrast to the barrage of statements by a majority of Democrats in the New York congressional delegation, including Chuck Schumer, leader of the Senate, and Kirsten Gillibrand, who demanded that Cuomo the office must enter.
There are especially two of the few Democrats in the New York congressional delegation who have been waiting to call on Cuomo to resign, are representatives Gregory Meeks and Hakeem Jeffries, two of the highest-ranking black politicians in the state.
“He has had a relationship with many of my predecessors and community members that has not changed,” said Alicia Hyndman, the assistant majority leader in the state assembly, which represents parts of Queens. “I do not believe he likes or plays for an audience. I know sometimes people are worried and go to areas of support and maybe he thinks he is doing.”
With that in mind, the event at Mount Neboh Baptist Church became a dual-purpose affair, where Cuomo wanted to encourage black New Yorkers to be vaccinated – while also receiving the support of many notable black leaders.
Along with Cuomo appears President Marc Morial of the Urban League. The two have known each other for decades; their work together dates back to when Cuomo was the secretary of housing and urban development under then-president Bill Clinton and Morial was mayor of New Orleans.
Former representative Charles Rangel also appeared with Cuomo on Wednesday. The former congressman, who was one of the longest-serving members of the House when he retired in 2016, described Cuomo’s decision to come to Harlem at this point as one where you go to your family and to your friends because you know that they are going to be with you. ‘
“If he relies now (on black leaders),” Rangel told CNN after the event, “then he’s been leaning for a long time.”
Rangel used his speech at the church to praise Cuomo and address the need for proper process in all investigations, a non-subtle nod to the cloud hovering above the governor. In the statement of State Assemblywoman Inez Dickens to vote for Cuomo until the investigation into his actions is completed, Rangel said: “She spoke not only for a meeting, but also for our community.”
“(She said) pull back, until you have some facts,” Rangel recalls.
Dickens, who is representing Harlem in the state assembly, told CNN after the event that her decision to give Cuomo the time he asked for was a reflection of what her largely black voters wanted.
“Proper process is very important to the Black community and the reason for that is that it is important that we have been accused for years and that after years in prison we have found out that they were innocent,” Dickens said. She added that although she did not want to undermine ‘the seriousness’ of the allegations against Cuomo, she noted that her office ‘did not receive a call from my constituents to complain’ about the allegations against Cuomo.
Cuomo’s activities on Wednesday represent the public strategy the governor is applying – he emphasizes his work on the coronavirus, relies on longtime supporters and does not want to answer questions about the allegations against him, as he did several times on Wednesday. The goal is to remind New Yorkers of all the work the governor did during the coronavirus battle – when the Democrat was at his most popular.
Privately, however, the governor is waging a fiery battle.
The New York Times reported this week that in the wake of Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, tweeted her allegations in December, people began distributing an open letter to the governor seeking Cuomo’s former help. attacked and dug into her. personnel file. The letter was never released, and Cuomo’s office did not comment on the paper – and did not respond to CNN’s request for comment – but the strategy represents how Cuomo wants to undermine the allegations privately.
However, the fight did little to lift the spirits in Cuomo’s office. A source familiar with Cuomo’s office described the mood in the executive chamber as “completely demoralized”.
“The feeling there is only a matter of time before the clock runs out,” the source said, referring to Cuomo being forced out of office; or that he may not be able to compete for a fourth term.
Cuomo also stopped answering questions about the allegations.
Cuomo was asked several times during a press conference on Wednesday about specific allegations and each time he disputed and argued that he could not answer the questions due to the two investigations.
The governor held an information session Thursday, flanked by former stars of the New York Mets and Yankees to announce that there is a plan to reopen outdoor entertainment venues for fans. A smiling Cuomo laughed about a possible subway series with the Mets and Yankees and did not address the controversy. He also did not take any questions from the media.
When Cuomo left the stage on Thursday, it was clear that his strategy to combat the allegations was to change the conversation.
Back in Harlem, after Cuomo finished singing for Dukes and handed her a cake, the civil rights leader took the microphone and held a photo of herself with Cuomo’s father, Mario.
“I’m coming today to thank my son,” she says as she holds the photo. “I want to thank my son for his leadership. Someone called me and said, ‘I did not know you had a white son,’ and I said, ‘He is not white.'”
To laugh, she added, “I always like it when you call me your second mother.”
“You wonder why I am the way I am,” Cuomo said after Dukes’ speech. “You see how I was raised.”
CNN’s Mark Morales contributed to this report.