“The View” co-hosts went at it Tuesday over whether 11 sexual misconduct allegations should disqualify former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo from running for office again.
Five months after Cuomo resigned over multiple sexual harassment allegations, co-host Joy Behar noted on the ABC talk show that reports have surfaced he is thinking of running for office again. Behar said he “denied any allegations against him” and was “never found guilty of a crime” asking the panel if he can come back. (RELATED: ‘A Nation Of Golden Retrievers’: Joy Behar Mocks Americans Who Didn’t Want Vaccine Until Free Donuts Were Involved)
Co-host Sunny Hostin talked about the former governor’s recent interview with Bloomberg and how Cuomo accused New York Attorney General Letitia James of “sort of a political prosecution.”
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“I think there is something there,” Hostin said. “Where there’s some smoke, there’s fire. She was interested in running for governor. She didn’t raise enough money… to get the support of the DNC [Democratic National Convention] and the Brooklyn DNC or the Democratic party.” (RELATED: ‘The View’ Criticizes Hillary Clinton Over Defense Of Bill Clinton’s Sexual Misconduct Accusations [VIDEO])
“It does appear to be a little politically motivated,” she added. “She was running for governor, but that was very short-lived. And There’s something to be said about that. If [former President Donald] Trump can have dozens of accusers and become the president of the United States, I think all bets are off.”
Guest co-host and former Trump aide, Alyssa Farah Griffin, said Hostin was right and “that men in power abusing power to pursue their sexual desires” happens on both sides of the political aisle. However, she noted Cuomo’s “abominable handling of COVID” and the deaths of “10,000 senior citizens died in nursing homes in New York while he was writing a book he profited off of” should disqualify him.
“This week, I’m particularly Cuomoed out,” co-host Ana Navarro interjected. “I think the fallout from this Andrew Cuomo resignation, the allegations has been horrific.”
Commenting on a potential run for office by Cuomo, she said, “My question to New Yorkers is, with this many million people can’t you find somebody that doesn’t have the level of luggage and baggage that this guy has?”
“Oh they all have luggage,” Behar replied. “Tell me a politician, besides [Barack] Obama, almost every politician has some kind of luggage.”
“Not credible allegations of sexual harassment,” Navarro responded.
“The former president had over two dozen,” Hostin added.
“This is the bar we are going to hold too?” Navarro asked.
Co-host Sara Haines said Cuomo made some “bad decisions and lives were lost,” but pointed out the former governor’s biggest political obstacle was the cover-up.
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“My problem was the cover-up,” Haines shared. “If he had said, ‘we haven’t seen this before, this was a bad call, this was on me,’ and done something. But the bullying…. He went after people. And that showed me who he was and that is just a rampant abuse of power.”
Behar pointed out nursing homes across the country also suffered. Hostin responded, saying Cuomo “covered it up.”
“He covered it up,” Navarro replied. “At the same time he was writing a book on leadership while this was happening.”
“You want perfection from your leaders, you’re not going to get it,” Behar snapped back.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for wanting a governor who hasn’t had 11 accusations of sexual harassment,” Navarro replied, admitting that she liked Cuomo and his brother Chris Cuomo. But said there’s “too much toxicity” there and she wouldn’t vote for him if she was a New Yorker.