A former Cuomo aide has written a blistering attack on the New York Governor, calling him 'St Andrew of COVID' and claiming he is lapping up the limelight at a time when the entire world is in crisis.
Alexis Grenell used to work as Cuomo's deputy director of intergovernmental affairs when he was New York's Attorney General.
In an article published by The Nation on Friday, she said that while he'd 'undeniably' shown good leadership at the start of the year, he has since descended into being snarky and argumentative.
She used his recent outburst at journalists who had asked him if schools would be open the next day as an example, calling it the kind of 'tantrum' he was known for throwing before the pandemic turned him into a hero.
'Cuomo undeniably offered a vision of competent, humane government at the height of the crisis, but this is who he is the rest of the time.
'It's why he and his staff reflexively insult anyone who criticizes his handling of the pandemic,' she wrote.
Cuomo helps to distribute turkey with National Guards to needy families during pandemic at NY Common Pantry on November 24
Grenell wrote in The Nation on Thursday about how Cuomo had turned the crisis into a personal PR mission
'It all boils down to this: Any dissent is a partisan attack on our very lives, and Andrew Cuomo is our only hope. To solidify the narrative, he's even written a self-congratulatory book at what he calls 'half-time' in the crisis.
'Kind of like how every coach puts out a press release mid-game and Winston Churchill wrote the history of World War II in 1943. Oh, wait…'
'Indeed, St. Andrew, our savior of the spring, is now milking his 15 minutes of fame for an extra 30.'
Cuomo was revered by for his daily press conferences in March and April at a time when NY state was being ravaged by the virus but little or no guidance was being issued by the CDC or Trump administration.
However, his decision to send thousands of recovering COVID patients back into nursing homes - which led to thousands more deaths - tipped many against him.
He has refused to acknowledge it.
He then wrote a gloating book titled Lessons in Leadership despite the fact that the pandemic is still ongoing and cases in New York continue to climb.
Most recently, he was awarded an Emmy for his 'masterful' press conferences. Critics thought it ridiculous that he should win an award that had gone in the past to Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey.
Post a Comment