Outside of the New York governor's "personal behavior," President Biden said he believes Andrew Cuomo (D) has excelled as a leader, which is why "it's so sad" he's resigning.
When asked how he would assess Cuomo's 10.5 years in office, excluding the sexual harassment allegations that ultimately led to his resignation, Biden replied that the governor has done "a hell of a job" on everything from "access to voting, to infrastructure, a whole range of things. That's why it's so sad." Besides the harassment scandal, Cuomo has come under fire for reportedly under-counting nursing home COVID deaths and attempting to influence a New York State political corruption probe.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins, however, took issue with the idea that the governor's accomplishments could be separated from his controversial behavior, and challenged Biden's response. "Can you really say that [Cuomo] has done 'a hell of a job' if he's accused of sexually harassing women on the job?"
Biden pushed back, insisting that "women should be believed" and that he was asked a specific question about Cuomo's leadership separate from the governor's personal conduct.
Cuomo stepped down from his post on Tuesday following a bombshell investigation from the state attorney general's office that found he had sexually harassed 11 women. "Given the circumstances," he said during his resignation, "the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing."