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‘Not One Democratic Defender’: NBC Panel Agrees There’s No Way Out For Andrew Cuomo

Amy Walter. "Meet the Press." Screenshot.

Melanie Wilcox Contributor
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A panel on “Meet the Press” agreed Sunday that Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign.

“It’s not a matter of if, but when,” Chuck Todd, host of NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” said. Panelists included Amy Walter, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Cook Political Report, Jake Sherman, co-founder of the Punchbowl News website, former Democratic Maryland Rep. Donna Edward and former White House political director for George W. Bush, Sara Fagen.

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Todd clarified that, if impeached, Cuomo would never be able to hold public office again in New York. He also said it would be too late for Cuomo to announce he won’t resign or run for re-election.

“Other politicians have been able to survive,” Walter said. “We think about Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. In part, because they had the base with them. Both of those still had core support from their base. You go back and look at the polling. Even a month ago, chuck, 50-something percent of Democrats said he shouldn’t be impeached. Today 50-something percent of Democrats say Cuomo should be impeached.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Aug. 3 that an independent investigation of Cuomo found he sexually harassed 11 women. The investigation discovered Cuomo subjected employees to offensive or sexually charged comments and unwanted touching, violating state and federal law.

“The investigation found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed current and former New York City New York state employees by making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women,” James said.

Cuomo said on Aug. 3 that he “never touched anyone inappropriately” and refused to resign.

“I do kiss people on the forehead,” Cuomo said. “I do kiss people on the cheek. I do embrace people…men and women. I do on occasion say, ‘Ciao bella.’ On occasion, I do slip and say sweetheart or darling.”

He apologized and said he did not mean for his actions to make anyone uncomfortable, to which Charlotte Bennett, one of his accusers, tweeted, “I do not want an apology — I want accountability and an end to victim-blaming.”