He marked his relationship with each leader in his speech, reminded New Yorkers of the state’s long struggle against coronavirus, and even sang “Congratulations to you” to NAACP New York State Conference President Hazel Dukes, a woman that he called his second mother. All of this happened before Cuomo received the coronavirus vaccine with a big smile and thumbs up.
These calls for due process are in stark contrast to the barrage of statements by most Democrats in the New York Congressional delegation, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who demanded Cuomo’s resignation from office. .
Notably, two of the few Democrats in the New York Congressional delegation who waited to call for Cuomo’s resignation are MPs Gregory Meeks and Hakeem Jeffries, two of the state’s most senior black politicians.
“He had a relationship with many of my predecessors and members of the community that hasn’t changed,” said Alicia Hyndman, assistant majority leader in the state assembly representing parts of Queens. “I don’t believe he is appeasing or playing for the audience. I know, sometimes when people are in trouble and go to support areas and maybe that’s what he thinks he is doing.”
With that in mind, the event at Mount Neboh Baptist Church became a dual-purpose affair, where Cuomo sought to encourage black New Yorkers to get vaccinated – while he also received the support of many notable black leaders.
Appearing alongside Cuomo was Urban League president Marc Morial. The two have known each other for decades; their joint work goes back to the time when Cuomo was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for then President Bill Clinton and Morial was Mayor of New Orleans.
Former MP Charles Rangel also played with Cuomo on Wednesday. The former deputy, who was one of the oldest members of the House when he retired in 2016, described Cuomo’s decision to come to Harlem at this time as the one where “you go to your family and go to your friends because you know that they will be with you. “
“If he is supporting himself (on black leaders) now,” Rangel told CNN after the event, “then he has been supporting himself for a long time.”
Rangel used his speech at the church to praise Cuomo and proclaim the need for due process in all investigations, a not-so-subtle nod to the cloud swirling over the governor. Speaking of State Representative Inez Dickens’ decision to vocally support Cuomo until investigations into her actions are complete, Rangel said: “She didn’t just speak for one person in the assembly, she spoke for our community.”
“(She said) back off, until you have some facts,” recalled Rangel.
Dickens, who represents Harlem at the state assembly, told CNN after the event that his decision to give Cuomo the time he was asking for was a reflection of what his predominantly black constituents wanted.
“Due process of law is very important for the black community and the reason why it is important is that for years we were subject to charges and found out, after years in prison, that they were innocent,” said Dickens. She added that while she did not want to “undermine the seriousness” of the allegations against Cuomo, she noted that her office “has not received any calls from my voters to complain” about the allegations against Cuomo.
Cuomo’s activities on Wednesday represent the public strategy the governor is employing – highlighting his work with the coronavirus, relying on long-standing supporters and refusing to answer questions about the charges against him, as he did several times on Wednesday. The goal is to remind New Yorkers of all the work the governor did during the fight against the coronavirus – when the Democrat was most popular.
In particular, however, the governor is fighting a fervent struggle.
The New York Times reported this week that shortly after Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, tweeted his allegations in December, people close to the governor began circulating an open letter that attacked Cuomo’s former aide and investigated personal file. The letter was never released, and Cuomo’s office did not comment on the newspaper – and did not respond to CNN’s request for comment – but the strategy represents how Cuomo is trying to subvert the charges against him privately.
This fight did little to improve the mood at Cuomo’s office, however. A source familiar with Cuomo’s office described the climate inside the executive chamber as “completely demoralized”.
“The feeling is that it is only a matter of time before time runs out,” said the source, which means that Cuomo may be forced to step down; or that he may not be able to run for a fourth term.
Cuomo also stopped responding to questions about the charges.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Cuomo was asked several times about specific allegations and each time he objected, arguing that he cannot answer the questions because of the two ongoing investigations.
On Thursday, the governor held a briefing, flanked by former New York Mets and Yankees stars, to announce a plan to reopen outdoor entertainment venues for fans. A smiling Cuomo laughed at a possible Subway series featuring the Mets and the Yankees and did not address the controversies. He also did not answer questions from the media.
When Cuomo left the stage on Thursday, it was clear that his strategy for fighting the accusations was to change the conversation.
Back in Harlem, after Cuomo finished singing to Dukes and gave her a cake, the civil rights leader took the microphone and showed him a photo of himself with Cuomo’s father, Mario.
“I came today to thank my son,” she said, holding up the photo. “I want to thank my son for his leadership. Someone called me and said, ‘I didn’t know you had a white son,’ and I said, ‘He’s not white.’
Laughing, she added, “I always like it when you call me a second mother.”
“You wonder why I am like this,” said Cuomo after Dukes’ speech. “You see how I was raised.”
CNN’s Mark Morales contributed to this report.