Staff Reports
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has taken a bold and baffling step back into the limelight, pointing the finger at former President Donald Trump for the COVID-19 fiasco that struck the Empire State in 2020. In a recent Capitol Hill hearing, instead of accepting any accountability for the thousands of nursing home deaths that followed his controversial directive to readmit COVID-positive patients, Cuomo launched a verbal bomb at Trump, claiming the former president’s “lies” hindered a timely response to the pandemic.
Cuomo, who resigned in disgrace two years ago amid a slew of sexual harassment allegations, seems to be auditioning for a second act by blaming Trump. While the former governor’s directive, which directed nursing homes to accept infected patients, continues to face blame from critics, Cuomo deflected responsibility faster than a politician on the campaign trail. Unsurprisingly, Republican leaders on the House Select Subcommittee were quick to remind him that the orders bore his signature, not Trump’s.
House Committee Chairman Brad Wenstrup articulated the frustrations many feel about Cuomo’s attempt at deflection. He made it clear that Cuomo owns the crisis in New York, pointing to evidence that the state’s policies were far from aligning with federal guidance. Wenstrup is not incorrect; Cuomo had the audacity to mandate that nursing homes could not deny admission on the basis of a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. This meant that in a desperate time for hospital space, vulnerable residents were effectively sent to the lions.
Rep. Elise Stefanik did not hold back during the inquiry, leveling accusations at the former governor to apologize to the families of victims. She rightly reminded him that his tenure as governor has come to a crashing halt, much to the crowd’s delight. The slapstick drama unfolding in the hearing room could have made for a riveting political theater—if it weren’t tragic that so many lives were lost during this misguided leadership.
Ex-N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo tries to dodge blame for nursing-home deaths during COVIDhttps://t.co/extyNuxcIA pic.twitter.com/7kp2Z0O85S
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) September 10, 2024
Even as Cuomo clung to the argument that staffing and visitors were more to blame for outbreaks, it raises eyebrows that the state could have allowed such reckless policies in the first place. When his directives cauldron-like spread illness in nursing homes, people rightfully began to question how he couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Even now, he maintains that the casualty figures don’t change based on where one dies—but as Wenstrup pointed out, denying the truth doesn’t alter the reality of Cuomo’s disastrous decisions.
In a testament to the absurdity of modern politics, here stands a man who once basked in the glory of daily pandemic briefings, now battling allegations of negligence and misconduct. While Trump’s administration, imperfect as it was, focused on a rapid vaccine rollout, Cuomo was busy pointing fingers and evading responsibility. The antics of Cuomo claim the spotlight once more, but one has to wonder if this is the beginning of a comeback or merely a desperate grasp for relevance in a political landscape that has moved on from his failed leadership.
