US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he respects New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to resign amid allegations of harassment.
“I respect the governor’s decision,” Biden was quoted by CNN as having said after delivering remarks on the passage of his infrastructure bill in the East Room, in response to a reporter’s question.
Later, when asked by a reporter to assess how he believed Cuomo had performed as governor, Biden – after asking “in terms of his personal behavior or what he’s done as a governor?” – said that he thought the New Yorker had done “a helluva job” professionally.
“And I mean both on everything from access to voting, to infrastructure, a whole range of things. That’s why it’s so sad,” Biden added.
The President bristled at a follow-up question from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who asked if he could really say Cuomo has done a “helluva job” if he’s been accused of sexually harassing multiple women.
“‘Should he remain as governor?’ is one question. And women should be believed when they make accusations that are able to, on the face of them, make sense and investigated … and the judgment was made that what they said was correct. That’s one thing,” Biden replied.
“The question is, ‘Did he do a good job at infrastructure?’ That was the question. He did,” the President continued.
When asked by Collins if Cuomo’s personal behavior and his professional work could be separated, Biden said, “No, I’m not. I was asked a specific question.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki later tweeted, “[Biden] responded to a specific question today about Governor Cuomo’s work on infrastructure. He also made clear it was right for Governor Cuomo step down, reiterated his support for women who come forward, and made clear you can’t separate personal behavior from other work.”
Cuomo’s move came after a New York State investigation concluded he had "sexually harassed multiple women and violated state law."
Biden later called on Cuomo to resign after the Attorney General released her report.
“I think he should resign,” Biden said in response to a question from a reporter on the issue.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called on Cuomo to resign, saying, "Recognizing his love of New York and the respect for the office he holds, I call upon the Governor to resign.