People misunderstood New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo when he said conservatives “have no place in the state of New York,” the Democratic governor explained Wednesday.
“I was not saying anyone should leave the state, right? And anyone who heard the comments knows that’s not what I was saying,” Cuomo said when asked about his comments at a press conference. “To the extent people want to have a political dialogue, that’s what it is.”
Cuomo came under fire from conservatives last month when he said “extreme conservatives, who are right-to-life, pro-assault weapon, anti-gay … have no place in the state of New York.”
Conservative talker Sean Hannity even threatened to leave the state over the comments.
“Gov. Cuomo, I’m going to leave and I’m taking all of my money with me – every single solitary penny,” Hannity said on his radio show in January. “And by the way governor, because I work here – there’s a whole bunch of people that work for me and benefit because I do two shows. And I guess maybe some of them will be out of work, governor. I’m sure you’ll take care of them.”
At the time, aides argued that Cuomo was taken out of context, and was simply saying that conservatives could not win a statewide election.
“I wasn’t saying anyone should leave the state,” Cuomo explained Wednesday. “My position is the exact opposite, right? We have all sorts of opinions in this state. We have people all along the spectrum, and it’s one of the things that makes New York special.”
Cuomo is up for reelection this year.