March 4, 2025 • 47 mins
Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
New York City is the greatest city in the world.
There is no other place like it. And as in life,
we have had times when we are at our shining best,
and there are times when we struggle and endure great hardship.
But we also know that we can handle a crisis
(00:23):
because we have. Did I always do everything right in
my years of government service, of course not. Would I
do some things differently, knowing what I know now. Certainly
did I make mistakes, some painfully, definitely, And I believe
I learned from them, and that I am a better
(00:44):
person for it. And I hope to show you that
every day. It won't be easy, but I know we
can turn the city around, and I believe I can help,
and that is why I announced my candidacy today. I'm
Mayor of New York City.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Welcome back to the Stephen A.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Smith Show.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
My next guest, served as the fifty sixth Governor of
the Great State of New York from twenty eleven until
his resignation in twenty twenty one. After three and a
half years out of the spotlight. He's aiming for a
political comeback. Please welcome the former governor of the Great
State of New York, The one and only Andrew Cuomo.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Welcome to the show, sir.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How are you. I'm doing very well. Good to see you,
and the pleasure is mine.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Pleasure is mine as well.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
First things first, I have to congratulate you on a
beautiful blue suit. You look a hell of a lot
better than your brother Chris. I just want to get
out of the way. I want to get out, Get
that out of the way first.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Okay, anything that's I'm not saying the heck of a lot,
but thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I got you.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
You know that seventeen minute There was a seventeen minute
of video on Saturday where you announced that you was
running for the mayor of New York. Why is now
the right time to return to politics in your eyes?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Sir? Well, you know, I wasn't planning on returning politics, Stephen.
I was. I did my tour of duty and then
some I was housing an Urban Development secretary in the
Clinton administration for eight years New York Attorney General, I
was governor, and then I found out there was something
(02:17):
called life, you know, after working in public service so
hard all my life, and I was I had a
good few years spending time with family, doing some traveling.
I was enjoying myself, but I am really worried about
what's happening in New York City. Frankly, not just New
(02:38):
York City, cities all across the nation. But I'm worried
about what's happening in New York City. And I was
HUT secretary. As I mentioned, I know cities. I know
the trajectory of cities, and the trajectory is not good
for New York City. You know, post COVID people can
be anywhere steven. They don't have to be in a city.
It's not like the old days where you're captured. They
(03:00):
can move, they can do remote work, they can do zoom.
And if you if you can stay home and do that, well,
then maybe you can move to North Carolina, you can
move to Florida, you can move to Colorado. So the
dynamics have changed, and then the quality of life in
New York City has really deteriorated. And you're paying a
lot of taxes to be here. You put those factors
(03:22):
together and it is a bad situation for New York
and it has to turn around, and has to turn
around quickly.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
How do you think it got to this point of
your estimation over the last few years.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
What would you attribute it to the state of affairs
in New York.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, it's a it's a good question, Steven, and I
think it's something that the Democratic Party has to think
about and reflect upon. Put COVID aside, okay, because COVID
was a transformation nationwide, worldwide, societal transformation. But there's been
a shift in philosophy here in New York City and
(04:02):
other cities. But you've had this move starting in about
twenty twenty, an anti police movement right, cut the funding
for the police. Police are bad. We have thousands fewer
police today than we had. Well, that has consequences. You
cut the police, don't be surprised when crime goes up.
(04:24):
You cut the police. Don't be surprised when people are
afraid to go into the subways because of the rate
of crime. We have a mentally ill homeless problem. People
who are mentally ill, dangerously mentally ill to themselves and
to others. But there's been a philosophy change where we
(04:44):
don't enforce the law the same way and frankly, we
do know in a favor right because if a person
is mentally ill, the wrong thing to do is actually
leave them on the street. The right thing to do,
quote unquote, right thing to do is to get them
the help they need. So there's been a philosophical change.
(05:05):
They call it quote unquote progressive. I think it's anything
but progressive. I think it's regressive, and I think that's
contributed to it.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
You've been on the record and you've tackled the progressive
side on quite a few occasions in your career.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
You know, that's a matter of record.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
What makes you believe that you're going to be equally,
if not more so successful as the mayor than you
were as governor tackling not just the issues, but those
people who obviously support issues that you may not support,
even on the left.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yeah, well let's separate the two issues, all right. First
of all, took on the progressives. I believe I am
a progressive, right, Okay, that word progressive has been distorted
and misused. That's not a new term. That's not the
term that came up with a few years ago. Franklin
(06:00):
delen O Roosevelt. I have a great poster Franklin Delano
Roosevelt for Progressive Government FDR. Actually took it from Teddy Roosevelt,
who talked about progressive government. So progressive government has been established.
My father was a progressive. Barack Obama was a progressive.
(06:21):
Bill Clinton was a progressive and a man. To look
at the word it stated for making progress, not this theoretical,
abstract argument for the sake of argument, make progress. As governor,
I made progress past marriage equality first, big state, changed
(06:42):
the whole conversation. Fifteen dollars highest minimum wages in the
United States of America. So no one did the progressive
things that we did, and we got them done. New
LaGuardia Airport, New Moynihand train station, et cetera. So making
government work work, making progress, that's what the progressive is
(07:03):
all about. It's not about being anti police. It's not
about leaving mentally ill homeless people on the street. It's
not about being anti Semitic. We have this DSA which
spews anti Semitism, which just releases a toxic chemical into
the environment. That's not progressive in my mind.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
You know, I asked just a couple of a few
weeks ago, the Mayor of New York, Misteric Adams, was
here in studio with me, and I asked him a
question pertaining to you and the possibility of going up
against you in light of some of the things that
you've accomplished. You brought it up, marriage equality at twenty eleven,
fiscal reforms, infrastructure modernization, gun control legislation twenty thirteen, the
(07:49):
minimum wage, increase in paid family leave, all of these
things under your umbrella as governor of New York, just
to name a few.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So going up against you.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
You would be a formidable foe, to say the least,
because he intends to run for reelection. Of course, I
want you to watch.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
My question to him and how he responds. Take a look.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Let's think positive. Yes, let's say these allegations are gonna
go away. Your issues campaign, you know, fraud and campaign finance,
all of this stuff, we're gonna throw away.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
With all of that.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
It's you against Andrew Cuomo for the Mayor of New York.
I'm a sports guy like competition. I mean, what kind
of prediction would you put forth if you got if
you had yourself, if you found yourself in a position
where you were going up against Andrew Cuomo for the mayor,
for the mayor's position, for the his honors position in
the City of New York.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Well, listen.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I think that to me, and this is how I
run my life. I'm not running against Andrew Cuomo or
any of the other candidates. I'm running against myself play
my best game. If I play my best game, it
doesn't matter who's in the race, because there's other candidates
in the race. And what I've learned in electoral politics
right now, we're in the preseason. You know, we're not
(09:02):
in the playoffs. When you're in the playoffs, your game
has to be different. You could be great, you know,
in the season, but when you get in the playoffs,
let's see what you're made of.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Now, Andrew Cuomo, we know about the allegations that have
been levied against Mayor Adams. We know that the DJ
stepped in took the case from the southern state of
New York and the criticism that he has received in.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Light of.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Just a lot of people are accusing him of sort
of being in bed with the Trump administration.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
How much of a.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Role, if any, did that play in you deciding to
join this race to capture the mayor seat for New
York City.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, Stephen, it didn't really. I've been watching what's been
happening in New York City and what's going on in
this new philosophy that has taken over in New York
City besides from the mayor, frankly, what the other candidates
have been saying. And I agree with the mayor. You know,
(10:01):
it's not about anyone else. I'm here to tell voters
what I think I would do and what I think
the problems are, and my record and my experience of
actually getting things done, which is everything. You know. First,
it's interesting when it comes to the government, people don't
(10:21):
factor an experience. Right. If you hire a plumber, you
want to make sure the plumber has experience. You hire
a landscaper, the landscaper has experience, But you're can hire
a chief executive who never ran anything before. Right, So
let's talk about experience. Let's talk about a record of
getting things done. And you just started to go through it.
I don't think there's been a governor in modern political
(10:44):
history that has accomplished more things than I have accomplished.
And that's what's getting it done is about, right, It's
about getting it done, making change. Let people feel this
progress improve my life, is what they're saying. Uh. And
then juxtapose that with this uh with the other candidate's
(11:05):
just saying, uh, they're anti cop Uh. They've allowed this
homeless what I think is just a human tragedy to
continue and go on. The affordability crisis. They can't figure
out how to build affordable housing. It's bricks and mortar.
You put them together, and you put another stack, and
then you have affordable housing. You know, there's this this
(11:27):
incompetence and apathy that is pervasive, and that's what's turning
people off. Let's go progressive government, Okay, make progress, do
something right. It goes, it goes. It comes back to
Queen's Steve, do something for me. Let me see some results.
(11:48):
You either produce or you don't. And I'm a producer.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
You are a producer. You're a three term governor. You
were in line to be to get a fourth term.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
All right, which I think would have tied Rockefeller.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
For the record in New York State, or potentially to
be president of the United States. But obviously there's a
couple of things that derailed you. One of the things
that came to mind was the whole nursing home crisis
in the after you know, during COVID and how there
was the deaths were understated, and it was under your administration,
(12:23):
and you took hits for that. Explain that to our
audience right now. How much culpability and blame do you
believe you deserved and what role do you believe that
ultimately played in you ultimately departing from the governor's position
for the New York to State of New York.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yeah, let's go back to COVID nineteen. First, it was
a situation like we had never seen before. Obviously, none
of us and no one really knew what to do.
I had the best health officials on the globe, Stephen
working with us, because New York had COVID first and
(13:01):
worst right because the flanks the planes were bringing it
from Europe to New York for months and nobody knew.
So I had the best health officials that you could get,
but nobody really knew what to do. And the worst
manifestation of COVID was in the nursing homes. And this
(13:23):
was a horrific situation, and God forbid anyone should ever
have to go through this again. In the nursing homes,
we had to close visitation because we were afraid more
people would bring in the virus. So you couldn't visit
(13:44):
loved ones. And you had many people dying in nursing
homes because obviously COVID prayed on the week and the
immune compromised, and that was nursing homes. So you had
people dying in nursing homes. They couldn't see this family,
even though they were at the end of their life.
(14:06):
The families couldn't say goodbye. I mean, it was just
as painful a human situation that you could imagine. And
I lived it. I was there. It traumatized me, It
traumatized many. The health officials were making the best decisions
(14:29):
that they could. I believe that federal officials, the state
officials were making the best decisions they could. They were
trying to figure out what the right quarantine period was.
At first they said it was seven days and then
they could release people the nursing homes or back home.
Then they extended it later on. I believe everybody was
(14:53):
doing everything they could and they just didn't have enough knowledge.
But then, surprise, surprise, there was an election year and
it became very politicized, and the Republicans blamed the Democrats
and the Democratic governors, and the Democrats blamed the Republicans
and the President wasn't doing enough. And then there were
(15:14):
lawsuits and there were investigations, and the Department of Justice
investigated it. The Manhattan District Attorney didn't investigation, the Attorney
General did an investigation. Everybody did an investigation, and at
the end of the day, everybody comes to the same
basic conclusion, which is everyone did what they could and
(15:37):
the health officials did what they thought was right at
the right time. But many people died in nursing homes
the bottom bottom line for the state of New York.
And to cut through all the politics, they then count
how many people died in nursing homes per one hundred. Okay,
(15:58):
so it's apples and apples. Big states. Most state for
every one hundred people in nursing homes, how many died
State of New York is number thirty eight, which means
only twelve states had a lower rate of death than
New York. And that is saying something, Stephen, because you know,
(16:22):
we had it first and other states had months to prepare.
It just fell out of the sky for New Yorkers.
But though the federal numbers the rate of death in
nursing homes, we ranked number thirty eight. I would liked
to be number fifty, but thirty eight. Only twelve states
(16:45):
had a lower rate of death. I think that says
New York officials. Health officials not only did their jaba,
did it well.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
But respectfully, sir, they seem to be coming at you
because they use the word undercounted, And what they said
was that it was undercounted because at that particular moment
in time, your star had ascended to another level. You
were given the daily press conferences with COVID nineteen and
what was transpiring. You were the most articulate voice in
(17:14):
a lot of people's eyes on the rest. It got
to a point where people the only person people wanted
to hear from more than you was DoD Anthony Vauci,
and that's because they were hoping he would come up
with a.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Vaccine for grind out loud.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
I mean, it got to that point, and that's where
the word politicized or politicization came into play because they
felt that for political purposes, you had undercounted. And to that,
as you reflect on that, was that a mistake in
any way? Was there anything that you could look back
on and say, maybe I should have done something different
(17:45):
to make sure they couldn't come at me with those accusations.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, two quick points. First, on the undercounting. Did New
York undercount? Now? When all the counting is done, right,
it's over. It's been over for years. All the counting
is done. People died in nursing homes, people died outside
of nursing homes, people who are in nursing homes and
went to hospitals and died, people who died. All the
(18:09):
counting is done, That's where the thirty eight number comes from.
So undercount, overcount, that's where the thirty eight comes from.
With number thirty eight, only twelve states did better? What
could I have done differently? In retrospect when it became political? Stephen,
then I partially resented the politicalization of it, if you will.
(18:39):
We were doing everything we can we could at that
time to save lives, and now you want to play
politics and you want to start with a Department of
Justice investigation in the middle of this crisis. I did
resent the injection of politics, and I was probably probably
(19:00):
not as communicative as I should have been because I
thought it was political and I resented the as I
said that politics was entering what was the most significant
crisis of a generation. So I would say that.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
That was January of twenty twenty one. In February of
twenty twenty one, that's when the cascade of sexual harassment
allegations came in your direction and people were accusing you
of sexual arassment. I think they were like eleven different
allegations levied against you. And then March of twenty twenty one,
state legislators begin an impeachment investigation. You've spoken about that
(19:45):
on several occasions. As you've reflected upon that, you also
hit it, if not flat out said you thought that
was being politicized.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
As well as you reflect on that.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Now, what are your feelings reflecting back on that point
in time.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Well, that was about three years ago, right, Stephen, And
sometimes time brings out the truth. I said at that
time that, as you said, correctly, so number of women
women made claims about inappropriate behavior. A report was issued.
(20:20):
I said that was a political report. It was politically
motivated and politically done. It was also a hyper political time,
if you remember. But I said it was a political report.
That was three years ago. Since then, everyone and their
(20:42):
brother has investigated those claims literally to the tune of
millions and millions of dollars, and nothing has come from
any of them. So to time brings out the truth.
(21:03):
I said at that time it was political, and three
years later, millions of dollars later, in terms of people
investigating complaints, nothing has come from any of those complaints.
You know, my opponents want to talk about the past
because they don't want to talk about the present, and
(21:24):
they don't want to talk about the city and the
condition that the city is in and what they have
done to the city with this anti cop reduction of
the police force. We've gotten to a place in New
York City, Stephen, people don't even apply for the job
to be police officer anymore. That's how much we have
(21:46):
devalued the police and diminished the police. New Yorkers today
just walk past homeless people who are clearly mentally ill.
They walk past them like they don't see them. You know,
it's really a horrifian state of affairs.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I want to get a bit more personal, if that's
entirely possible from this perspective. I'm from Queens, New York.
You know, obviously you are as well, and my parents
grew up Cuomo fans Mario Cuomo, your lady dead, God
rest his wonderful soul. What a phenomenal governor he was
(22:26):
for the state of New York and what have you?
Everybody loved the Cuomos. And I'm thinking about his years
of service, and I'm thinking about your years of service.
How did it make you feel to have to depart
from office in that fashion?
Speaker 1 (22:44):
And how long.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Did it take you to get to a point where
you dare I say, was your old self again to
some degree in terms of wanting having a fervor for
polity and a passion for politics again, talk about what
that did to you.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Yeah? Well, look, my father was my hero, right. I
was started in politics with my father. I was in
my twenties. I was his campaign manager for his campaign
to governor, to become governor, I was twenty four to
twenty five years old, and I was his advisor all
(23:24):
through his term. He then helped me in my campaign
and he was an advisor to me until we lost him.
I would say that he would have advised me to
do what I did at the time, because public service
(23:44):
comes first, and you had this political fervor that you
referred to and the legislature you know that, especially at
that time, any claim of any sexual impropriety took off
(24:04):
like fire through dry grass. Right, And as you mentioned,
the legislature was talking about impeachment, and there is no
real impeachment process in New York, so you would have
entered into a period of chaos that we like, that
was like nothing we had ever seen before. And that
(24:25):
is the last thing my father would have ever suggested
that I do. It's about public service, it's about the state.
If this is going to cause chaos and stop the
government from functioning, then step aside so the government can function,
(24:46):
because the government and public service comes first. That's the oath,
that's the value, that's the priority. That's what he would
have said. He would have said, step aside, and then
go figure it out and find out the facts. Because
when they announced the report, I hadn't even heard of
(25:09):
the women that they were mentioning. So I wasn't even
in a posision to defend myself because I hadn't even
heard of a lot of these women, right, So he
would have said, step aside, let the government function. Then
do your work and get out the facts, which we did,
(25:32):
and then he would have said, I think in this moment.
I think he would have said, New York City's in trouble.
You know how to do this, You've proven you can
do this. The right thing to do right from Queens.
(25:52):
There's the right thing. You can't define it, but you
feel it in your gut, you feel it in your heart,
your soul. The right thing to do is to step
in and be helpful, because I spent my life doing this,
and making change in government isn't easy, and it's not
for the faith of heart, Stephen, it is not. It
(26:15):
is hard to make change, and you get this opposition
from every angle. You go to change a light bulb
in New York City and there's going to be a
committee that opposes the changing of light bulbs. That happens
to you. So it's not for the faith of heart.
(26:37):
But I know how to do it. And I think
he would say, the city's in trouble, and you have
an obligation to step up.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
If that had not happened, would you have run for president?
Speaker 1 (26:49):
If if no, I would get a big show like
you have, and.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
I think is small. So it's climbing as climbing.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
But big, sir, I got to ask you right now.
Some have said we do not need a return of
a Cuomo. They've questioned whether or not you're someone who
can be trusted as a voter in New York City.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
To them, you say what well I say, it depends
on what you want. If you want someone to play
nice with the other politicians, go along, get along, don't
ruffle any feathers, don't really make any change. Just talk
about making change, propose things, but leave things alone, continue
(27:43):
the status quo. I am not your guy. That's not
what I do. If what you're saying is, or what
the voter says is, I'm worried about New York. I
think the city's in trouble. I'm anxious. I'm anxious about
the subways. I'm anxious about the crime. I'm anxious about
(28:04):
the homeless, mentally ill on the streets. I'm anxious that
there's no affordable housing. I can't afford to live here.
I'm getting priced out of New York. I need someone
who can actually get something done. I'm tired of these
politicians promise, promise, promise, and then nothing changes. And I
want someone who is proven their ability to actually make
(28:27):
things happen, then I'm your person.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
The governor is the leader of a state. The mayor's
the leader of a city. You've been the leader of
the state of New York for three terms. Why the
mayor's position as opposed to pursuing or return to the
governor seat.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Well, again, I wasn't considering pursuing returning period. I was
enjoying my life. I was going to go fishing and
make fun of my little brother. You know, that was
my plan. So I am It's not that I'm getting
(29:07):
back in politics. To me, Steven, New York City at
this moment is in trouble and I think I can
help because I've done this all my life and I
know these issues and these problems, and I know how
to make a change. So it's about helping New York
(29:29):
City in this moment. It's not about me wanting to
re enter politics generally. It was how do I help
in this moment? And look, I am Queens and Hut Secretary.
I was in every state in the United States. Literally,
I've worked with cities all across the nation. I've worked
(29:50):
I've been in twenty two countries. There is nothing like
New York and I love it. I mean I just
love it. I love everything about it. It is who
I am. It made my father, it made my grandfather,
It's in my blood. And to see it suffering and
(30:10):
to see it declining. Look, my father, your father handed
you New York City and said, this is a gift
that I am leaving you, beautiful New York City. Everybody
around the world wants to come here. I'm leaving it
to you. I'm putting it in your hands. And they
(30:33):
placed New York City in our hands. In turn, we
are going to turn around and hand New York City
to the next generation. And I want to make sure
that I hand over to my children, my three girls,
a New York City that is at least as good
(30:57):
as the New York City that I inherit. And really
I would like to hand them in New York City
that is better. That for me is what this is
all about. I've been up, I've been down, I've been
all around. I was going to the rumors for president,
rumors for this, rumors for that. It's all garbage. At
(31:18):
the end of the day, Steven, what did you accomplish?
What difference did you make in people's lives? What exists?
But for you being here, Uh, that's what it's about.
And I believe I can make a difference in New York.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
How are you going to pull us off with the
Trump administration in a White House? How would you pull
that off for New York City.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Well, Donald Trump is from New York City and he
knows our problems here. He knows we need federal help.
I dealt with him as governor. Remember, so there was
a lot of back and forth. He's another one from Queens, yes,
(32:03):
three of us Queen's boys. So I dealt with him
as as governor. He knows our situation, he knows the
situation in New York City. It is his hometown. I
think that he wants New York City to appreciate him.
I think he thinks there's an opportunity for him to
(32:26):
do good things in New York City. And really we
have to see what he does, what posture President Trump takes.
And if you want to be an optimist, you say,
he's going to say New York is his hometown and
he wants to help. And to be honest, I've been
(32:46):
on the right side of President Trump. I've been on
the wrong side of President Trump. So I think it's
it's up to the president, and it's up to the
posture that he declares vis a VI new York. You know,
what does he do with the budget? What does he
do with medicaid? What does he do with the housing money?
Because the federal government is entirely impactful on New York.
(33:11):
So so I think it's up to him and what
he does and will respond to that.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
What would a Cuomo administration in New York City and
the mayors seat, How would that differ from the present
state of affairs with the Adams administration or at least
the perception that the Atoms administration has now with the
White House. How would the Cuomo relationship with the White
House be different in your estimation?
Speaker 1 (33:40):
Well, I think what happened with the Atoms administration is
a very particular set of circumstances and facts. Right, you
went to a clip of Mayor Adams. This is I've
never seen this unique a situation where the mayor was
(34:04):
facing a criminal situation that was federal and the President
then worked with him on those federal charges. So I
don't know that we ever see that again, but that
is a truly unique situation that Mayor Adams and President
(34:26):
Trump had.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Do you believe he's severely compromised being the mayor right
now because of his situation, which makes it obviously easier
for you to compete against them for the upcoming election.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Well, you would have to ask Mayor Adams that question.
I know it's a complicated transaction that they entered into,
But how the mayor feels about that, whether or not
he's constrained by that, that's a question for Mayor Adams
to answer.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
You've been known as a government when you were in
the governor's seat. You've been known somebody you would ruffle
feathers to get things done. You were stern, you didn't
play any games. You were about your business. You wanted
to get things done, and you didn't give a damn
whether you made friends or enemies along the way. Do
you believe you'd have to be more of that person
(35:17):
to get things done.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
In New York or less.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Well, I think it's a good question, and it's one
I've thought about. We got a lot done, and as
I said, Stephen, there is no easy way to get
big things done. LaGuardia Airport, they opposed me more in
the hand train station, there was opposition, second Alvenue subway,
(35:42):
there was opposition right Bridge happens a bridge, there was opposition.
By definition, you go to build anything, and there's going
to be opposition. If you fainked from that opposition, or
if you're a politician and you say, look, I don't
want any opposition. I want everyone to like me because
(36:05):
I want everyone to vote for me, which by the way,
is a posture of most politicians. Then you get nothing done,
and you've had generation if the generation if the generation
of people getting nothing done. And that's why the people say,
I don't believe any of these guys. They run for office,
they promise everything, and then they do nothing. Look outside,
(36:29):
what do you see that is new and different? So
I purposely was very productive and I purposefully pushed through projects.
And was it hard to get it done? Yes? Did
I ruffle feathers, no doubt. Can you do these things
(36:51):
without ruffling feathers. I do not believe you can. I
do not believe you can. And I've been in federal government,
city government, state govern I don't believe you can. Having
said that, I think in retrospect, could I have been
more patient? Yes? And did I become impatient with the
(37:15):
bureaucracy and with the local politics and the obstacles. Yes,
I did become impatient because I could see so clearly
what we could get done, but for these bumps in
the road, and I did become impatient. And as my
(37:39):
grandmother used to say to me when I was young, bargenzia,
bargenzia in Italian patience, patience. And I think I would
bring more patients to the job. I would hope to
be as productive, but with more patients productive.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
As a governor, had folks fantasy about you being the
president of the United States of America, which obviously is
a loftier position the mayor, even being the mayor of
New York City. There are those out there, Yes, there
are critics, but there are also those who fervently support
you that may wonder is that seat too small for
(38:23):
Andrew Como because of who he is and who he
has been and who we aspired for him to be.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
What do you say to people that have that question
about you.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
I'm gonna bring a big seat to the office seat.
I'm gonna have a big seat. I'm not gonna have
a small seat. I say, Look, I have one goal,
which is trying and succeeding in making a difference for
New York City today. And but the way as I,
(38:57):
as I said in my announcement video that you played,
this is not going to be easy, right, Hiring more police,
getting the mentally ill off the streets, dealing with a
migrant situation, cleaning up the subways, building affordable housing. None
of this is easy. This is all hard. So that's
(39:22):
the job at hand. That's the focus, right, run with
blinders on. That's all I'm focused on. That's all I
want to do. If I do that, I'm happy.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
What would be your number one priority as mayor of
New York with all the issues that you highlight, is one?
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Is there one issue that stands out above the crowd?
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Public safety? Public safety? Public safety. If people don't feel safe,
nothing works. Nothing works. If you don't feel safe. You
don't go to the restaurant. If you don't feel safe,
the tourist doesn't come to go to the place. If
you don't feel safe, if you don't come into the office,
you stay home and you do remote work. So you
(40:05):
have to feel safe. That's why the old expression public
safety's job went for government. It's true you have to
feel safe, and that that is the foundation for everything else.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
What does that mean more police officers. What does that
mean exactly.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Part of it is more police officers, and part of
it is a change in the philosophy that we understand.
If you don't enforce rules, you have chaos. Right, nobody
wants to see anybody go to jail. Nobody. And by
the way, I closed more prisons than any governor in history.
(40:44):
All right, so nobody wants to see anybody go to jail.
But you go too far to the other extreme. You
know that pendulum swings too far to the other extreme. Well,
we don't want anyone to go to jail. Well, you
have chaos, and that's what we have on the streets
now in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
What about the issue of immigration, I mean that in
some people's eyes, that can tie into it, certainly in
Trump's eyes, because that's one of the things he wanted
Adams to address, which is why the DOJ presumably intervened
with the case against Adams of crying out loud. How
high on your priority list is the immigration issue in
New York City?
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Well, fortunately it's going to be lower because the numbers
are going to drop. You know, in my opinion, I'm
a Democrat. The President, Biden and the administration mishandled the
migrant problem. If you ask me what caused the election,
(41:43):
I would say between inflation and the migrant problem. Probably
the migrant problem too. Yes, there was no plan. They
knew what was going to happen. When you open the border,
you turn on the faucet. What's trying to catch the water?
What happens? Well, I'm just going to turn on the
(42:04):
force and see what happens. Now. So that problem spilled over,
pardon upon to cities. The governors put people on buses.
It was a tremendous burden on New York City. Twelve
billion dollars if you believe anyone's numbers in this town,
(42:27):
was spent on the migrants. But Trump has closed the border.
That number is dropped. The number of migrants in the
city is dropping. So I think that issue is of
new migrants is going to be dropping. The deportation issue
will be rising. But that's a different issue.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
Andrew Cuomo, if you win and you are elected the
mayor of New York City.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Is that the beginning for you?
Speaker 3 (43:01):
We could say it's a new beginning, But I guess
what I'm asking is you stepped away. You talked about
how comfortable you were while you were away. But now
that you're getting back into the mix, can people expect
you to stick around for a very very long time
or is it just a priority to fix New York
City and then go into the sunset and hang out
with your brother and try to compare suits with one
(43:22):
another something?
Speaker 2 (43:23):
What's the deal?
Speaker 1 (43:25):
First of all, my brother doesn't wear a suit, you know,
he I don't know what he wears. He wears like
those Hawaiian flower shirts. Uh. And I don't know why
you don't mention it when you're on the show with it,
because he's clearly and what is that with the rolling
up the sleeves, you know, either buy a short sleeve
shirt or leave this shirt alone.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
He's trying to throw his muscles and that he's ready
to He's ready to throw down.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
That's what he's trying to do.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
That's what he's trying to say. Yet, but you're there,
you have to say, give me a break when you
roll down your sleeves, because you're starting to annoy me.
Speaker 2 (44:00):
So you're getting on him about rolling up the sleeves.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
You're getting on me.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
For not getting on him. Get on both of us.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
Even you have to push back on him. You have
to push back on him. He keeps coming. He's a
queen's boy. He's half a queen's boy. He's half a
queen's half openy, you're so uh, Look, I take I've
been through a lot, and I now take everything with
two grains of salt. Right. I was a cabinet secretary,
(44:27):
hut secretary in line for the presidential I was attorney general,
I was governor, rumored to be running for president. My
father was going to run for president. You know what,
it's uh, it's all with two or three grains of salt.
(44:48):
That doesn't mean anything. At the end of the day.
The only thing that matters is what did you accomplish?
Did you maximize your opportunity in public service? Did you
actually give it your all? Did you make sure you
made life better for people? And where you're successful after that,
(45:11):
well you're good to your family, where you're good to
your friends, and the day is over. So that's what
I'm looking to do.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
Forgive me for sneaking in this one last question. But
you talked about the Body and.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
The administration making a mistake with immigration and open borders.
Was there anything else you think they did wrong that
drastically affected the state of affairs that you're lamenting about
the city of New York.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Well, the migrant problem affected New York in a dramatic way,
and I think hurt the Democratic Party all in course
of the nation. Number two, I think the way they
handled President Biden running for president. I think the way
the Democratic Party said President Biden's fine, he's great. Everybody
(45:59):
came out of that White House and said, combs up,
I just met the president. He's great, he's doing well,
he's stronger than his staff. And then the president shows
up at the first debate, yah, And I think the
American people say, you know, you deceived us. And then
Vice President Harris has to come in late and is
(46:20):
now running a truncated race and she has to tiptoe
around President Biden and his policy. So I think inflation, migrants,
the way people saw President Biden and felt they were
deceived by the Democratic Party, that for the Democratic Party
(46:44):
to be saying we think President Biden should be president
for another four years, I think that hurt the Democrats.
And then practically I think Vice President Harris having so
little time hurt the Democrats.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
As the fifty six govern of the great State of
New York. I think the one thing all of us
can undoubtedly acknowledge we can't deny, is that if there's
a problem, you know how to fix it. And now
you're trying to be the mayor of New York City.
Wishing you nothing but the best, sir.
Speaker 2 (47:13):
You know there's always a.
Speaker 3 (47:15):
Home here anytime you want to talk. I'm happy to
have you on the show. Thank you so much for
taking such time out of a busy schedule, and congratulations
on campaigning for the mayor's position.
Speaker 2 (47:25):
For the state for the City of New York. Thank
you so much, Sir Andrew Cuomo, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Steven pleasure
New York City is the greatest city in the world.
There is no other place like it. And as in life,
we have had times when we are at our shining best,
and there are times when we struggle and endure great hardship.
But we also know that we can handle a crisis
(00:23):
because we have. Did I always do everything right in
my years of government service, of course not. Would I
do some things differently, knowing what I know now. Certainly
did I make mistakes, some painfully, definitely, And I believe
I learned from them, and that I am a better
(00:44):
person for it. And I hope to show you that
every day. It won't be easy, but I know we
can turn the city around, and I believe I can help,
and that is why I announced my candidacy today. I'm
Mayor of New York City.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Welcome back to the Stephen A.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Smith Show.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
My next guest, served as the fifty sixth Governor of
the Great State of New York from twenty eleven until
his resignation in twenty twenty one. After three and a
half years out of the spotlight. He's aiming for a
political comeback. Please welcome the former governor of the Great
State of New York, The one and only Andrew Cuomo.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Welcome to the show, sir.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How are you. I'm doing very well. Good to see you,
and the pleasure is mine.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Pleasure is mine as well.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
First things first, I have to congratulate you on a
beautiful blue suit. You look a hell of a lot
better than your brother Chris. I just want to get
out of the way. I want to get out, Get
that out of the way first.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Okay, anything that's I'm not saying the heck of a lot,
but thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I got you.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
You know that seventeen minute There was a seventeen minute
of video on Saturday where you announced that you was
running for the mayor of New York. Why is now
the right time to return to politics in your eyes?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Sir? Well, you know, I wasn't planning on returning politics, Stephen.
I was. I did my tour of duty and then
some I was housing an Urban Development secretary in the
Clinton administration for eight years New York Attorney General, I
was governor, and then I found out there was something
(02:17):
called life, you know, after working in public service so
hard all my life, and I was I had a
good few years spending time with family, doing some traveling.
I was enjoying myself, but I am really worried about
what's happening in New York City. Frankly, not just New
(02:38):
York City, cities all across the nation. But I'm worried
about what's happening in New York City. And I was
HUT secretary. As I mentioned, I know cities. I know
the trajectory of cities, and the trajectory is not good
for New York City. You know, post COVID people can
be anywhere steven. They don't have to be in a city.
It's not like the old days where you're captured. They
(03:00):
can move, they can do remote work, they can do zoom.
And if you if you can stay home and do that, well,
then maybe you can move to North Carolina, you can
move to Florida, you can move to Colorado. So the
dynamics have changed, and then the quality of life in
New York City has really deteriorated. And you're paying a
lot of taxes to be here. You put those factors
(03:22):
together and it is a bad situation for New York
and it has to turn around, and has to turn
around quickly.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
How do you think it got to this point of
your estimation over the last few years.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
What would you attribute it to the state of affairs
in New York.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, it's a it's a good question, Steven, and I
think it's something that the Democratic Party has to think
about and reflect upon. Put COVID aside, okay, because COVID
was a transformation nationwide, worldwide, societal transformation. But there's been
a shift in philosophy here in New York City and
(04:02):
other cities. But you've had this move starting in about
twenty twenty, an anti police movement right, cut the funding
for the police. Police are bad. We have thousands fewer
police today than we had. Well, that has consequences. You
cut the police, don't be surprised when crime goes up.
(04:24):
You cut the police. Don't be surprised when people are
afraid to go into the subways because of the rate
of crime. We have a mentally ill homeless problem. People
who are mentally ill, dangerously mentally ill to themselves and
to others. But there's been a philosophy change where we
(04:44):
don't enforce the law the same way and frankly, we
do know in a favor right because if a person
is mentally ill, the wrong thing to do is actually
leave them on the street. The right thing to do,
quote unquote, right thing to do is to get them
the help they need. So there's been a philosophical change.
(05:05):
They call it quote unquote progressive. I think it's anything
but progressive. I think it's regressive, and I think that's
contributed to it.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
You've been on the record and you've tackled the progressive
side on quite a few occasions in your career.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
You know, that's a matter of record.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
What makes you believe that you're going to be equally,
if not more so successful as the mayor than you
were as governor tackling not just the issues, but those
people who obviously support issues that you may not support,
even on the left.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yeah, well let's separate the two issues, all right. First
of all, took on the progressives. I believe I am
a progressive, right, Okay, that word progressive has been distorted
and misused. That's not a new term. That's not the
term that came up with a few years ago. Franklin
(06:00):
delen O Roosevelt. I have a great poster Franklin Delano
Roosevelt for Progressive Government FDR. Actually took it from Teddy Roosevelt,
who talked about progressive government. So progressive government has been established.
My father was a progressive. Barack Obama was a progressive.
(06:21):
Bill Clinton was a progressive and a man. To look
at the word it stated for making progress, not this theoretical,
abstract argument for the sake of argument, make progress. As governor,
I made progress past marriage equality first, big state, changed
(06:42):
the whole conversation. Fifteen dollars highest minimum wages in the
United States of America. So no one did the progressive
things that we did, and we got them done. New
LaGuardia Airport, New Moynihand train station, et cetera. So making
government work work, making progress, that's what the progressive is
(07:03):
all about. It's not about being anti police. It's not
about leaving mentally ill homeless people on the street. It's
not about being anti Semitic. We have this DSA which
spews anti Semitism, which just releases a toxic chemical into
the environment. That's not progressive in my mind.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
You know, I asked just a couple of a few
weeks ago, the Mayor of New York, Misteric Adams, was
here in studio with me, and I asked him a
question pertaining to you and the possibility of going up
against you in light of some of the things that
you've accomplished. You brought it up, marriage equality at twenty eleven,
fiscal reforms, infrastructure modernization, gun control legislation twenty thirteen, the
(07:49):
minimum wage, increase in paid family leave, all of these
things under your umbrella as governor of New York, just
to name a few.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So going up against you.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
You would be a formidable foe, to say the least,
because he intends to run for reelection. Of course, I
want you to watch.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
My question to him and how he responds. Take a look.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Let's think positive. Yes, let's say these allegations are gonna
go away. Your issues campaign, you know, fraud and campaign finance,
all of this stuff, we're gonna throw away.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
With all of that.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
It's you against Andrew Cuomo for the Mayor of New York.
I'm a sports guy like competition. I mean, what kind
of prediction would you put forth if you got if
you had yourself, if you found yourself in a position
where you were going up against Andrew Cuomo for the mayor,
for the mayor's position, for the his honors position in
the City of New York.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Well, listen.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
I think that to me, and this is how I
run my life. I'm not running against Andrew Cuomo or
any of the other candidates. I'm running against myself play
my best game. If I play my best game, it
doesn't matter who's in the race, because there's other candidates
in the race. And what I've learned in electoral politics
right now, we're in the preseason. You know, we're not
(09:02):
in the playoffs. When you're in the playoffs, your game
has to be different. You could be great, you know,
in the season, but when you get in the playoffs,
let's see what you're made of.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Now, Andrew Cuomo, we know about the allegations that have
been levied against Mayor Adams. We know that the DJ
stepped in took the case from the southern state of
New York and the criticism that he has received in.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Light of.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Just a lot of people are accusing him of sort
of being in bed with the Trump administration.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
How much of a.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Role, if any, did that play in you deciding to
join this race to capture the mayor seat for New
York City.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, Stephen, it didn't really. I've been watching what's been
happening in New York City and what's going on in
this new philosophy that has taken over in New York
City besides from the mayor, frankly, what the other candidates
have been saying. And I agree with the mayor. You know,
(10:01):
it's not about anyone else. I'm here to tell voters
what I think I would do and what I think
the problems are, and my record and my experience of
actually getting things done, which is everything. You know. First,
it's interesting when it comes to the government, people don't
(10:21):
factor an experience. Right. If you hire a plumber, you
want to make sure the plumber has experience. You hire
a landscaper, the landscaper has experience, But you're can hire
a chief executive who never ran anything before. Right, So
let's talk about experience. Let's talk about a record of
getting things done. And you just started to go through it.
I don't think there's been a governor in modern political
(10:44):
history that has accomplished more things than I have accomplished.
And that's what's getting it done is about, right, It's
about getting it done, making change. Let people feel this
progress improve my life, is what they're saying. Uh. And
then juxtapose that with this uh with the other candidate's
(11:05):
just saying, uh, they're anti cop Uh. They've allowed this
homeless what I think is just a human tragedy to
continue and go on. The affordability crisis. They can't figure
out how to build affordable housing. It's bricks and mortar.
You put them together, and you put another stack, and
then you have affordable housing. You know, there's this this
(11:27):
incompetence and apathy that is pervasive, and that's what's turning
people off. Let's go progressive government, Okay, make progress, do
something right. It goes, it goes. It comes back to
Queen's Steve, do something for me. Let me see some results.
(11:48):
You either produce or you don't. And I'm a producer.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
You are a producer. You're a three term governor. You
were in line to be to get a fourth term.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
All right, which I think would have tied Rockefeller.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
For the record in New York State, or potentially to
be president of the United States. But obviously there's a
couple of things that derailed you. One of the things
that came to mind was the whole nursing home crisis
in the after you know, during COVID and how there
was the deaths were understated, and it was under your administration,
(12:23):
and you took hits for that. Explain that to our
audience right now. How much culpability and blame do you
believe you deserved and what role do you believe that
ultimately played in you ultimately departing from the governor's position
for the New York to State of New York.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yeah, let's go back to COVID nineteen. First, it was
a situation like we had never seen before. Obviously, none
of us and no one really knew what to do.
I had the best health officials on the globe, Stephen
working with us, because New York had COVID first and
(13:01):
worst right because the flanks the planes were bringing it
from Europe to New York for months and nobody knew.
So I had the best health officials that you could get,
but nobody really knew what to do. And the worst
manifestation of COVID was in the nursing homes. And this
(13:23):
was a horrific situation, and God forbid anyone should ever
have to go through this again. In the nursing homes,
we had to close visitation because we were afraid more
people would bring in the virus. So you couldn't visit
(13:44):
loved ones. And you had many people dying in nursing
homes because obviously COVID prayed on the week and the
immune compromised, and that was nursing homes. So you had
people dying in nursing homes. They couldn't see this family,
even though they were at the end of their life.
(14:06):
The families couldn't say goodbye. I mean, it was just
as painful a human situation that you could imagine. And
I lived it. I was there. It traumatized me, It
traumatized many. The health officials were making the best decisions
(14:29):
that they could. I believe that federal officials, the state
officials were making the best decisions they could. They were
trying to figure out what the right quarantine period was.
At first they said it was seven days and then
they could release people the nursing homes or back home.
Then they extended it later on. I believe everybody was
(14:53):
doing everything they could and they just didn't have enough knowledge.
But then, surprise, surprise, there was an election year and
it became very politicized, and the Republicans blamed the Democrats
and the Democratic governors, and the Democrats blamed the Republicans
and the President wasn't doing enough. And then there were
(15:14):
lawsuits and there were investigations, and the Department of Justice
investigated it. The Manhattan District Attorney didn't investigation, the Attorney
General did an investigation. Everybody did an investigation, and at
the end of the day, everybody comes to the same
basic conclusion, which is everyone did what they could and
(15:37):
the health officials did what they thought was right at
the right time. But many people died in nursing homes
the bottom bottom line for the state of New York.
And to cut through all the politics, they then count
how many people died in nursing homes per one hundred. Okay,
(15:58):
so it's apples and apples. Big states. Most state for
every one hundred people in nursing homes, how many died
State of New York is number thirty eight, which means
only twelve states had a lower rate of death than
New York. And that is saying something, Stephen, because you know,
(16:22):
we had it first and other states had months to prepare.
It just fell out of the sky for New Yorkers.
But though the federal numbers the rate of death in
nursing homes, we ranked number thirty eight. I would liked
to be number fifty, but thirty eight. Only twelve states
(16:45):
had a lower rate of death. I think that says
New York officials. Health officials not only did their jaba,
did it well.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
But respectfully, sir, they seem to be coming at you
because they use the word undercounted, And what they said
was that it was undercounted because at that particular moment
in time, your star had ascended to another level. You
were given the daily press conferences with COVID nineteen and
what was transpiring. You were the most articulate voice in
(17:14):
a lot of people's eyes on the rest. It got
to a point where people the only person people wanted
to hear from more than you was DoD Anthony Vauci,
and that's because they were hoping he would come up
with a.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Vaccine for grind out loud.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
I mean, it got to that point, and that's where
the word politicized or politicization came into play because they
felt that for political purposes, you had undercounted. And to that,
as you reflect on that, was that a mistake in
any way? Was there anything that you could look back
on and say, maybe I should have done something different
(17:45):
to make sure they couldn't come at me with those accusations.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, two quick points. First, on the undercounting. Did New
York undercount? Now? When all the counting is done, right,
it's over. It's been over for years. All the counting
is done. People died in nursing homes, people died outside
of nursing homes, people who are in nursing homes and
went to hospitals and died, people who died. All the
(18:09):
counting is done, That's where the thirty eight number comes from.
So undercount, overcount, that's where the thirty eight comes from.
With number thirty eight, only twelve states did better? What
could I have done differently? In retrospect when it became political? Stephen,
then I partially resented the politicalization of it, if you will.
(18:39):
We were doing everything we can we could at that
time to save lives, and now you want to play
politics and you want to start with a Department of
Justice investigation in the middle of this crisis. I did
resent the injection of politics, and I was probably probably
(19:00):
not as communicative as I should have been because I
thought it was political and I resented the as I
said that politics was entering what was the most significant
crisis of a generation. So I would say that.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
That was January of twenty twenty one. In February of
twenty twenty one, that's when the cascade of sexual harassment
allegations came in your direction and people were accusing you
of sexual arassment. I think they were like eleven different
allegations levied against you. And then March of twenty twenty one,
state legislators begin an impeachment investigation. You've spoken about that
(19:45):
on several occasions. As you've reflected upon that, you also
hit it, if not flat out said you thought that
was being politicized.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
As well as you reflect on that.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Now, what are your feelings reflecting back on that point
in time.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Well, that was about three years ago, right, Stephen, And
sometimes time brings out the truth. I said at that
time that, as you said, correctly, so number of women
women made claims about inappropriate behavior. A report was issued.
(20:20):
I said that was a political report. It was politically
motivated and politically done. It was also a hyper political time,
if you remember. But I said it was a political report.
That was three years ago. Since then, everyone and their
(20:42):
brother has investigated those claims literally to the tune of
millions and millions of dollars, and nothing has come from
any of them. So to time brings out the truth.
(21:03):
I said at that time it was political, and three
years later, millions of dollars later, in terms of people
investigating complaints, nothing has come from any of those complaints.
You know, my opponents want to talk about the past
because they don't want to talk about the present, and
(21:24):
they don't want to talk about the city and the
condition that the city is in and what they have
done to the city with this anti cop reduction of
the police force. We've gotten to a place in New
York City, Stephen, people don't even apply for the job
to be police officer anymore. That's how much we have
(21:46):
devalued the police and diminished the police. New Yorkers today
just walk past homeless people who are clearly mentally ill.
They walk past them like they don't see them. You know,
it's really a horrifian state of affairs.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I want to get a bit more personal, if that's
entirely possible from this perspective. I'm from Queens, New York.
You know, obviously you are as well, and my parents
grew up Cuomo fans Mario Cuomo, your lady dead, God
rest his wonderful soul. What a phenomenal governor he was
(22:26):
for the state of New York and what have you?
Everybody loved the Cuomos. And I'm thinking about his years
of service, and I'm thinking about your years of service.
How did it make you feel to have to depart
from office in that fashion?
Speaker 1 (22:44):
And how long.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Did it take you to get to a point where
you dare I say, was your old self again to
some degree in terms of wanting having a fervor for
polity and a passion for politics again, talk about what
that did to you.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Yeah? Well, look, my father was my hero, right. I
was started in politics with my father. I was in
my twenties. I was his campaign manager for his campaign
to governor, to become governor, I was twenty four to
twenty five years old, and I was his advisor all
(23:24):
through his term. He then helped me in my campaign
and he was an advisor to me until we lost him.
I would say that he would have advised me to
do what I did at the time, because public service
(23:44):
comes first, and you had this political fervor that you
referred to and the legislature you know that, especially at
that time, any claim of any sexual impropriety took off
(24:04):
like fire through dry grass. Right, And as you mentioned,
the legislature was talking about impeachment, and there is no
real impeachment process in New York, so you would have
entered into a period of chaos that we like, that
was like nothing we had ever seen before. And that
(24:25):
is the last thing my father would have ever suggested
that I do. It's about public service, it's about the state.
If this is going to cause chaos and stop the
government from functioning, then step aside so the government can function,
(24:46):
because the government and public service comes first. That's the oath,
that's the value, that's the priority. That's what he would
have said. He would have said, step aside, and then
go figure it out and find out the facts. Because
when they announced the report, I hadn't even heard of
(25:09):
the women that they were mentioning. So I wasn't even
in a posision to defend myself because I hadn't even
heard of a lot of these women, right, So he
would have said, step aside, let the government function. Then
do your work and get out the facts, which we did,
(25:32):
and then he would have said, I think in this moment.
I think he would have said, New York City's in trouble.
You know how to do this, You've proven you can
do this. The right thing to do right from Queens.
(25:52):
There's the right thing. You can't define it, but you
feel it in your gut, you feel it in your heart,
your soul. The right thing to do is to step
in and be helpful, because I spent my life doing this,
and making change in government isn't easy, and it's not
for the faith of heart, Stephen, it is not. It
(26:15):
is hard to make change, and you get this opposition
from every angle. You go to change a light bulb
in New York City and there's going to be a
committee that opposes the changing of light bulbs. That happens
to you. So it's not for the faith of heart.
(26:37):
But I know how to do it. And I think
he would say, the city's in trouble, and you have
an obligation to step up.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
If that had not happened, would you have run for president?
Speaker 1 (26:49):
If if no, I would get a big show like
you have, and.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
I think is small. So it's climbing as climbing.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
But big, sir, I got to ask you right now.
Some have said we do not need a return of
a Cuomo. They've questioned whether or not you're someone who
can be trusted as a voter in New York City.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
To them, you say what well I say, it depends
on what you want. If you want someone to play
nice with the other politicians, go along, get along, don't
ruffle any feathers, don't really make any change. Just talk
about making change, propose things, but leave things alone, continue
(27:43):
the status quo. I am not your guy. That's not
what I do. If what you're saying is, or what
the voter says is, I'm worried about New York. I
think the city's in trouble. I'm anxious. I'm anxious about
the subways. I'm anxious about the crime. I'm anxious about
(28:04):
the homeless, mentally ill on the streets. I'm anxious that
there's no affordable housing. I can't afford to live here.
I'm getting priced out of New York. I need someone
who can actually get something done. I'm tired of these
politicians promise, promise, promise, and then nothing changes. And I
want someone who is proven their ability to actually make
(28:27):
things happen, then I'm your person.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
The governor is the leader of a state. The mayor's
the leader of a city. You've been the leader of
the state of New York for three terms. Why the
mayor's position as opposed to pursuing or return to the
governor seat.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Well, again, I wasn't considering pursuing returning period. I was
enjoying my life. I was going to go fishing and
make fun of my little brother. You know, that was
my plan. So I am It's not that I'm getting
(29:07):
back in politics. To me, Steven, New York City at
this moment is in trouble and I think I can
help because I've done this all my life and I
know these issues and these problems, and I know how
to make a change. So it's about helping New York
(29:29):
City in this moment. It's not about me wanting to
re enter politics generally. It was how do I help
in this moment? And look, I am Queens and Hut Secretary.
I was in every state in the United States. Literally,
I've worked with cities all across the nation. I've worked
(29:50):
I've been in twenty two countries. There is nothing like
New York and I love it. I mean I just
love it. I love everything about it. It is who
I am. It made my father, it made my grandfather,
It's in my blood. And to see it suffering and
(30:10):
to see it declining. Look, my father, your father handed
you New York City and said, this is a gift
that I am leaving you, beautiful New York City. Everybody
around the world wants to come here. I'm leaving it
to you. I'm putting it in your hands. And they
(30:33):
placed New York City in our hands. In turn, we
are going to turn around and hand New York City
to the next generation. And I want to make sure
that I hand over to my children, my three girls,
a New York City that is at least as good
(30:57):
as the New York City that I inherit. And really
I would like to hand them in New York City
that is better. That for me is what this is
all about. I've been up, I've been down, I've been
all around. I was going to the rumors for president,
rumors for this, rumors for that. It's all garbage. At
(31:18):
the end of the day, Steven, what did you accomplish?
What difference did you make in people's lives? What exists?
But for you being here, Uh, that's what it's about.
And I believe I can make a difference in New York.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
How are you going to pull us off with the
Trump administration in a White House? How would you pull
that off for New York City.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Well, Donald Trump is from New York City and he
knows our problems here. He knows we need federal help.
I dealt with him as governor. Remember, so there was
a lot of back and forth. He's another one from Queens, yes,
(32:03):
three of us Queen's boys. So I dealt with him
as as governor. He knows our situation, he knows the
situation in New York City. It is his hometown. I
think that he wants New York City to appreciate him.
I think he thinks there's an opportunity for him to
(32:26):
do good things in New York City. And really we
have to see what he does, what posture President Trump takes.
And if you want to be an optimist, you say,
he's going to say New York is his hometown and
he wants to help. And to be honest, I've been
(32:46):
on the right side of President Trump. I've been on
the wrong side of President Trump. So I think it's
it's up to the president, and it's up to the
posture that he declares vis a VI new York. You know,
what does he do with the budget? What does he
do with medicaid? What does he do with the housing money?
Because the federal government is entirely impactful on New York.
(33:11):
So so I think it's up to him and what
he does and will respond to that.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
What would a Cuomo administration in New York City and
the mayors seat, How would that differ from the present
state of affairs with the Adams administration or at least
the perception that the Atoms administration has now with the
White House. How would the Cuomo relationship with the White
House be different in your estimation?
Speaker 1 (33:40):
Well, I think what happened with the Atoms administration is
a very particular set of circumstances and facts. Right, you
went to a clip of Mayor Adams. This is I've
never seen this unique a situation where the mayor was
(34:04):
facing a criminal situation that was federal and the President
then worked with him on those federal charges. So I
don't know that we ever see that again, but that
is a truly unique situation that Mayor Adams and President
(34:26):
Trump had.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Do you believe he's severely compromised being the mayor right
now because of his situation, which makes it obviously easier
for you to compete against them for the upcoming election.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Well, you would have to ask Mayor Adams that question.
I know it's a complicated transaction that they entered into,
But how the mayor feels about that, whether or not
he's constrained by that, that's a question for Mayor Adams
to answer.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
You've been known as a government when you were in
the governor's seat. You've been known somebody you would ruffle
feathers to get things done. You were stern, you didn't
play any games. You were about your business. You wanted
to get things done, and you didn't give a damn
whether you made friends or enemies along the way. Do
you believe you'd have to be more of that person
(35:17):
to get things done.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
In New York or less.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Well, I think it's a good question, and it's one
I've thought about. We got a lot done, and as
I said, Stephen, there is no easy way to get
big things done. LaGuardia Airport, they opposed me more in
the hand train station, there was opposition, second Alvenue subway,
(35:42):
there was opposition right Bridge happens a bridge, there was opposition.
By definition, you go to build anything, and there's going
to be opposition. If you fainked from that opposition, or
if you're a politician and you say, look, I don't
want any opposition. I want everyone to like me because
(36:05):
I want everyone to vote for me, which by the way,
is a posture of most politicians. Then you get nothing done,
and you've had generation if the generation if the generation
of people getting nothing done. And that's why the people say,
I don't believe any of these guys. They run for office,
they promise everything, and then they do nothing. Look outside,
(36:29):
what do you see that is new and different? So
I purposely was very productive and I purposefully pushed through projects.
And was it hard to get it done? Yes? Did
I ruffle feathers, no doubt. Can you do these things
(36:51):
without ruffling feathers. I do not believe you can. I
do not believe you can. And I've been in federal government,
city government, state govern I don't believe you can. Having
said that, I think in retrospect, could I have been
more patient? Yes? And did I become impatient with the
(37:15):
bureaucracy and with the local politics and the obstacles. Yes,
I did become impatient because I could see so clearly
what we could get done, but for these bumps in
the road, and I did become impatient. And as my
(37:39):
grandmother used to say to me when I was young, bargenzia,
bargenzia in Italian patience, patience. And I think I would
bring more patients to the job. I would hope to
be as productive, but with more patients productive.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
As a governor, had folks fantasy about you being the
president of the United States of America, which obviously is
a loftier position the mayor, even being the mayor of
New York City. There are those out there, Yes, there
are critics, but there are also those who fervently support
you that may wonder is that seat too small for
(38:23):
Andrew Como because of who he is and who he
has been and who we aspired for him to be.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
What do you say to people that have that question
about you.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
I'm gonna bring a big seat to the office seat.
I'm gonna have a big seat. I'm not gonna have
a small seat. I say, Look, I have one goal,
which is trying and succeeding in making a difference for
New York City today. And but the way as I,
(38:57):
as I said in my announcement video that you played,
this is not going to be easy, right, Hiring more police,
getting the mentally ill off the streets, dealing with a
migrant situation, cleaning up the subways, building affordable housing. None
of this is easy. This is all hard. So that's
(39:22):
the job at hand. That's the focus, right, run with
blinders on. That's all I'm focused on. That's all I
want to do. If I do that, I'm happy.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
What would be your number one priority as mayor of
New York with all the issues that you highlight, is one?
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Is there one issue that stands out above the crowd?
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Public safety? Public safety? Public safety. If people don't feel safe,
nothing works. Nothing works. If you don't feel safe. You
don't go to the restaurant. If you don't feel safe,
the tourist doesn't come to go to the place. If
you don't feel safe, if you don't come into the office,
you stay home and you do remote work. So you
(40:05):
have to feel safe. That's why the old expression public
safety's job went for government. It's true you have to
feel safe, and that that is the foundation for everything else.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
What does that mean more police officers. What does that
mean exactly.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Part of it is more police officers, and part of
it is a change in the philosophy that we understand.
If you don't enforce rules, you have chaos. Right, nobody
wants to see anybody go to jail. Nobody. And by
the way, I closed more prisons than any governor in history.
(40:44):
All right, so nobody wants to see anybody go to jail.
But you go too far to the other extreme. You
know that pendulum swings too far to the other extreme. Well,
we don't want anyone to go to jail. Well, you
have chaos, and that's what we have on the streets
now in my opinion.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
What about the issue of immigration, I mean that in
some people's eyes, that can tie into it, certainly in
Trump's eyes, because that's one of the things he wanted
Adams to address, which is why the DOJ presumably intervened
with the case against Adams of crying out loud. How
high on your priority list is the immigration issue in
New York City?
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Well, fortunately it's going to be lower because the numbers
are going to drop. You know, in my opinion, I'm
a Democrat. The President, Biden and the administration mishandled the
migrant problem. If you ask me what caused the election,
(41:43):
I would say between inflation and the migrant problem. Probably
the migrant problem too. Yes, there was no plan. They
knew what was going to happen. When you open the border,
you turn on the faucet. What's trying to catch the water?
What happens? Well, I'm just going to turn on the
(42:04):
force and see what happens. Now. So that problem spilled over,
pardon upon to cities. The governors put people on buses.
It was a tremendous burden on New York City. Twelve
billion dollars if you believe anyone's numbers in this town,
(42:27):
was spent on the migrants. But Trump has closed the border.
That number is dropped. The number of migrants in the
city is dropping. So I think that issue is of
new migrants is going to be dropping. The deportation issue
will be rising. But that's a different issue.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
Andrew Cuomo, if you win and you are elected the
mayor of New York City.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Is that the beginning for you?
Speaker 3 (43:01):
We could say it's a new beginning, But I guess
what I'm asking is you stepped away. You talked about
how comfortable you were while you were away. But now
that you're getting back into the mix, can people expect
you to stick around for a very very long time
or is it just a priority to fix New York
City and then go into the sunset and hang out
with your brother and try to compare suits with one
(43:22):
another something?
Speaker 2 (43:23):
What's the deal?
Speaker 1 (43:25):
First of all, my brother doesn't wear a suit, you know,
he I don't know what he wears. He wears like
those Hawaiian flower shirts. Uh. And I don't know why
you don't mention it when you're on the show with it,
because he's clearly and what is that with the rolling
up the sleeves, you know, either buy a short sleeve
shirt or leave this shirt alone.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
He's trying to throw his muscles and that he's ready
to He's ready to throw down.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
That's what he's trying to do.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
That's what he's trying to say. Yet, but you're there,
you have to say, give me a break when you
roll down your sleeves, because you're starting to annoy me.
Speaker 2 (44:00):
So you're getting on him about rolling up the sleeves.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
You're getting on me.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
For not getting on him. Get on both of us.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
Even you have to push back on him. You have
to push back on him. He keeps coming. He's a
queen's boy. He's half a queen's boy. He's half a
queen's half openy, you're so uh, Look, I take I've
been through a lot, and I now take everything with
two grains of salt. Right. I was a cabinet secretary,
(44:27):
hut secretary in line for the presidential I was attorney general,
I was governor, rumored to be running for president. My
father was going to run for president. You know what,
it's uh, it's all with two or three grains of salt.
(44:48):
That doesn't mean anything. At the end of the day.
The only thing that matters is what did you accomplish?
Did you maximize your opportunity in public service? Did you
actually give it your all? Did you make sure you
made life better for people? And where you're successful after that,
(45:11):
well you're good to your family, where you're good to
your friends, and the day is over. So that's what
I'm looking to do.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
Forgive me for sneaking in this one last question. But
you talked about the Body and.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
The administration making a mistake with immigration and open borders.
Was there anything else you think they did wrong that
drastically affected the state of affairs that you're lamenting about
the city of New York.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Well, the migrant problem affected New York in a dramatic way,
and I think hurt the Democratic Party all in course
of the nation. Number two, I think the way they
handled President Biden running for president. I think the way
the Democratic Party said President Biden's fine, he's great. Everybody
(45:59):
came out of that White House and said, combs up,
I just met the president. He's great, he's doing well,
he's stronger than his staff. And then the president shows
up at the first debate, yah, And I think the
American people say, you know, you deceived us. And then
Vice President Harris has to come in late and is
(46:20):
now running a truncated race and she has to tiptoe
around President Biden and his policy. So I think inflation, migrants,
the way people saw President Biden and felt they were
deceived by the Democratic Party, that for the Democratic Party
(46:44):
to be saying we think President Biden should be president
for another four years, I think that hurt the Democrats.
And then practically I think Vice President Harris having so
little time hurt the Democrats.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
As the fifty six govern of the great State of
New York. I think the one thing all of us
can undoubtedly acknowledge we can't deny, is that if there's
a problem, you know how to fix it. And now
you're trying to be the mayor of New York City.
Wishing you nothing but the best, sir.
Speaker 2 (47:13):
You know there's always a.
Speaker 3 (47:15):
Home here anytime you want to talk. I'm happy to
have you on the show. Thank you so much for
taking such time out of a busy schedule, and congratulations
on campaigning for the mayor's position.
Speaker 2 (47:25):
For the state for the City of New York. Thank
you so much, Sir Andrew Cuomo, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Steven pleasure
Host
Stephen A. Smith
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