Cuomo questions accusers' motives in defiant, head-scratching press conference

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) once again refused to resign on Friday shortly after the majority of House Democrats from the state called on him to do so, holding a defiant call with reporters in which he suggested he's simply a victim of cancel culture.

Cuomo spoke after 12 House Democrats demanded he resign following the numerous allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him. But Cuomo again said he won't be stepping down, as he denied all of the claims and dismissed the controversy as a distraction.

"I did not do what has been alleged, period," Cuomo said. "I never harassed anyone, I never abused anyone, I never assaulted anyone, and I never would."

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Cuomo said he won't "speculate about people's possible motives" for accusing him. Yet he followed up this statement by declaring that there are "often many motivations for making an allegation," and he later added that a "lot of people allege a lot of things for a lot of reasons." At one point, Cuomo also suggested calling for his resignation is "reckless" and that he would be kowtowing to "cancel culture" by stepping aside.

"Politicians who don't know a single fact but yet form a conclusion and an opinion are, in my opinion, reckless and dangerous," Cuomo said. "People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture, and the truth."

The governor also suggested the allegations are a case of women taking pictures with him and then saying they were uncomfortable "after the fact," even though he's also been accused of groping in a case that was referred to police. Cuomo described himself as someone who isn't "part of the political club," despite the fact that he has served as governor, a job previously held by his father, for a decade, and he later noted he has "been in the public eye my entire life."