New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) took a very...interesting approach in defending himself on Tuesday following a bombshell report from New York Attorney General Letitia James, which found the governor had sexually harassed multiple women while in office, including several aides and employees.
Most notably, Cuomo shared a rather bizarre montage of him kissing and hugging, well, anyone and everyone (including former President Bill Clinton) over the years. But what was likely an attempt at explaining away his controversial and inappropriate actions as a longstanding habit left some with more questions than answers.
Furthermore, Cuomo used his videotaped response to assert that his "office is a demanding place to work" and "not for everyone," while also noting that "politics is an ugly business" — something MSNBC's Chris Jansing flags as a perhaps concerning line of defense for someone accused of sexual harassment.
Cuomo also in his statement claimed he "never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances," per The Wall Street Journal. In addition, the governor released "an 85-page written response," most of which is reportedly "photos of him hugging people and other politicians hugging people."
The AG's report has spurred lawmakers and pundits on both sides of the aisle to issue and renew calls for Cuomo to resign.