Photo: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Andrew Cuomo, the former governor now running for New York City mayor, has sparked backlash after describing diversity as a "weakness."
During an appearance on MSNBC's "The Weekend," Cuomo was discussing the mayor's role in fostering unity ahead of Tuesday's (November 4) election when he made controversial remarks about diversity.
“Diversity is our strength, but it also can be a weakness,” Cuomo said. “So you always have to work very hard to keep people united. There’s always flare-ups among different races, religions, creeds for one reason or another.”
When pressed by Eugene Daniels to clarify his remarks, Cuomo not only doubled down on his sentiment that diversity can be a weakness, but also mixed up the names of two Black MSNBC hosts.
“Diversity can be a weakness if you have antipathy among groups, Jonathan,” Cuomo said, mistakenly calling Daniels by the wrong name. “If you have racism or anti-Semitism, et cetera, then you have friction.”
The mix-up didn’t end there. Near the end of the interview, Cuomo again confused Daniels with co-host Jonathan Capehart while answering a question about his political dynasty and experience compared with Zohran Mamdani, the progressive who appears to be the frontrunner in the mayoral race.
“I don’t think they want a mayor who has no experience or ability to do the job. It can be a scary city, as you know, Jonathan,” Cuomo said, addressing Daniels again by the wrong name.
Daniels and Capehart laughed off the repeated gaffe before Cuomo offered a brief apology.
According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, Mamdani leads Cuomo by ten points, with Republican Curtis Sliwa trailing both candidates.
Following the interview, Mamdani took a jab at Cuomo and former Mayor Eric Adams, who recently dropped out of the race and endorsed Cuomo.
“It’s no surprise to see two men who share an affinity for corruption and Trump capitulation align themselves at the behest of the billionaire class and the president himself,” Mamdani said.
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