Andrew Cuomo resignation as governor followed his ill-advised, kissing-and-touching photo-montage response to the New York Attorney General’s office releasing a 165-page report that summarized the sexual harassment investigation against him. Putting himself forth as a touchy-feely guy, not a groper, while resigning led to utter disbelief from the masses, who also expected him to dig in his heels for the long haul. Lots of notable responses surfaced, too. Alec Baldwin went astonishingly tone deaf, although that wasn’t much of a surprise, and Bill O’Reilly issued his own slimy take, and maybe those guys should sit down because AOC has arrived.
The firebrand congresswoman from New York’s 14th congressional district didn’t hold back while weighing in on how Cuomo continued to gaslight America by stating that he was simply “too familiar with people” yet also refusing to admit to any wrongdoing. Cuomo’s position, of course, is that he is simply misread and misunderstood. AOC addressed that tactic while tweeting, “When abusers of power blame everyone else for ‘misunderstanding’ their abuse, it is often a way to gain sympathy from those who’ve ever been / could be involved in a misunderstanding.” She then added, “[b]ut the intentional environment of fear & intimidation harassers create is far from a mistake.”
When abusers of power blame everyone else for “misunderstanding” their abuse, it is often a way to gain sympathy from those who’ve ever been / could be involved in a misunderstanding.
But the intentional environment of fear & intimidation harassers create is far from a mistake.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 10, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez continued while pointing out the difference in learning from an “awkward interaction” and “mobilizing entire networks and institutions to bring in victims, silence coverage, and retaliate against those who report abuse.”
There is a huge difference between having an awkward interaction and discussing / learning from it vs. mobilizing entire networks and institutions to bring in victims, silence coverage, and retaliate against those who report abuse.
Trying to blur that line helps abuses continue.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 10, 2021
Ultimately, AOC declared that Cuomo stepping down “is necessary and long overdue.” She added that this shouldn’t be the end of the story. Rather, she hopes that society won’t drop the ball and will work to “reverse the ways our institutions were molded over years to maximize the impunity and lack of transparency necessary for these abuses to unfold as they did.” Put an exclamation point on it.
Gov. Cuomo’s resignation is necessary and long overdue. But there is still a large amount of work ahead to account for and reverse the ways our institutions were molded over years to maximize the impunity and lack of transparency necessary for these abuses to unfold as they did.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 10, 2021
Cuomo’s resignation will be effective in 14 days with Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul coming into view as his successor and the first female governor of New York.