The 33-second spot kicks off with a narrator recounting how Trump’s administration has just lately used federal legislation enforcement to focus on elected Democrats throughout the U.S. — together with New York Lawyer Common Letitia James, a longtime political nemesis to each Cuomo and Trump who’s dealing with a prison DOJ probe, too.
“Now, they’re attacking Andrew Cuomo to interfere with New York City’s election. Why? Because Andrew Cuomo is the last person they want as mayor,” the advert narrator says as dramatic performs within the background.
“If Donald Trump doesn’t want Andrew Cuomo as mayor, you do,” the narrator concludes.
A spokesman for Cuomo, who’s polling as the favourite to win subsequent month’s Democratic mayoral major, mentioned the advert is now solely airing on digital platforms, however added, “stay tuned,” when requested whether or not it’ll seem on tv as nicely. The spokesman declined to say how a lot the marketing campaign spent on the advert.
The probe was launched in response to a prison referral from Home Republicans that President Biden’s Division of Justice beforehand declined to behave on.
Democrats and Republicans alike, although, have for years lambasted Cuomo for the 2020 nursing dwelling coverage. That, together with sexual misconduct accusations towards him from greater than 10 ladies, fashioned the idea for the impeachment inquiry the state Legislature launched into Cuomo in 2021 earlier than he resigned as governor.
Cuomo drew explicit ire for his administration’s undercount of the variety of nursing dwelling COVID deaths in New York, with Home Democrats releasing a report late final 12 months concluding he inappropriately “interfered” with the tally and arguing he “should be held accountable.”
Although the nursing dwelling matter is a fraught subject for him, Cuomo’s new advert signifies he’ll attempt to use the Trump DOJ probe as a badge of honor as he continues to ballot as the favourite to turn into the subsequent mayor of New York Metropolis, the place Trump stays deeply unpopular.
AG James, whose investigative report on Cuomo’s alleged sexual harassment contributed to his political downfall in 2021, discovered it curious the ex-gov included her in his new advert, however famous the spot solely referred to her by title, not by identify.
Considered one of Cuomo’s different mayoral major opponents, Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who has for weeks accused Cuomo of not pushing again sufficient on a few of Trump’s most controversial insurance policies, argued the DOJ probe explains the ex-gov’s silence.
“Now, New Yorkers know why: Cuomo was attempting to keep his failed legacy of nursing home deaths and COVID mismanagement off the front pages,” Myrie mentioned. “We deserve better than crooked, corrupt Cuomo who has spent decades in office ignoring the law to serve himself. We cannot trade one compromised mayor for another. It’s time to turn the page.”
Myrie was referring to Mayor Adams, who was charged by the DOJ in a sweeping federal corruption indictment whereas Biden was nonetheless in workplace.
As soon as Trump got here into workplace, his political appointees — with out opining on the deserves of the case — secured a controversial dismissal of Adams’ indictment as a result of they mentioned they wanted it quashed so he might play a bigger function in serving to the president’s “mass deportation” agenda.
“Investigations must take their course, and I’m not going to do to him what others did to me,” Adams, who has denied a quid professional quo with Trump, instructed reporters after an unrelated press convention in Manhattan on Wednesday morning. “I’m going to allow the investigation to take its course.”
Adams is now not operating within the Democratic mayoral major, having dropped out of it amid fallout from his indictment dismissal. However he’s looking for reelection as an unbiased candidate in November’s basic election, which means he might face off towards Cuomo in that contest if he wins the Democratic major.
Ex-Metropolis Comptroller Scott Stringer, one other candidate in June’s mayoral major, mentioned each Cuomo and Adams must be thought-about compromised by Trump at this level.
“For the people in New York City, here we go again: A president with a thumb on the next mayor,” he mentioned at a mayoral candidate discussion board Wednesday, “and that’s just the political reality of what this city is facing.”