New York City mayoral frontrunner Andrew Cuomo didn’t hold back with his criticism of the current state of the Democratic Party in a new appearance on The Daily Beast Podcast.
He offered a particularly pointed take on the party’s progressive icons Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez when asked for his thoughts on their current “Fighting Oligarchy” tour by co-host Joanna Coles.
Rebuking Trump’s and his billionaire backers’ actions, the Democratic duo have turned out tens of thousands at rallies in recent weeks. But according to Cuomo, a moderate Democrat, the two are fomenting concerns over President Donald Trump’s norm-challenging second term.
“The Democratic party is outraged at Trump,” Cuomo said, adding that the “chaos” the president has created has led to “fear” and “anger.” Of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez’s messaging, Cuomo added, “I think they capitalize on that.”
“The Democratic party is in trouble, let’s be honest,” he continued, pointing to Trump’s election victory and the lack of enthusiasm for presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
When Coles asked whether the party had been “hijacked by cultural issues,” Cuomo was quick to disagree: “We hijacked ourselves. We lost our base, and we lost our foundation.”
Cuomo, 67, heir to a New York political dynasty, was the state’s governor from 2011 to 2021. Despite garnering a wave of national popularity for his response to the Covid-19 pandemic, he resigned amid a slew of sexual harassment allegations—which he denied—while facing the prospect of impeachment.
He had kept a low profile until this March, when he announced his bid for New York City’s mayor. He is currently leading the polls; some commentators have speculated that Cuomo’s political comeback could lead into a run at the White House in 2028.
Although he said he’s focused on New York City, Cuomo argued that Democrats at the national level need to work out a better way to combat Trump’s agenda-setting whirlwind if they want to win voters back.
“He has the Democratic Party on its back foot,” Cuomo said of the president. “We’re always reacting.” He argued for a focus on the negative effects of Trump’s actions, rather than fighting political battles at a personal level.
“The Democrats can say, ‘I understand you were enthralled by Trump’s leadership and energy and enthusiasm,’” Cuomo said “But look at what that volatility has done. Look at what that eccentricity has done.”
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