NYC Mayor de Blasio gleeful over 'disgraced' Cuomo leaving: 'We’re turning a page now in New York, thank God'
'There is a narcissism there that doesn’t allow him to see anything but himself,' de Blasio said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted "disgraced" now-former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying the embattled career politician could have exited with grace but chose narcissism instead.
"We’re turning a page now in New York, thank God," de Blasio told MSNBC’s Willie Geist during an in-person interview on "Morning Joe."
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted "disgraced" now-former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Getty Images) (John Lamparski/Getty Images; Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
CHRIS CUOMO RETURNS TO CNN WITH NETWORK'S JOURNALISM ETHICS UNDER A MICROSCOPE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cuomo, who often sparred with de Blasio, left office at 12:00 a.m, two weeks after he announced he would resign rather than face a likely impeachment battle after Attorney General Letitia James found that he sexually harassed multiple women. Cuomo submitted his resignation letter late Monday to the leaders of the state Assembly and Senate.
A visibly giddy de Blasio said he would be able to work closely with new Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was sworn in after midnight during an informal ceremony.
"We have to fight back COVID, that’s what we have to work on together, fighting back the Delta variant, figuring out the way to build this recovery… we have a lot of work to do together, but imagine doing the work together, which wasn’t possible, Willie, I know this will shock you," de Blasio said. "It was not possible with the previous incumbent."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cuomo praised Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams on his way out the door, which many observers considered a parting shot at de Blasio. However, the current mayor didn’t seem particularly bothered by Cuomo’s rhetoric.
"Well, when someone disgraced takes a shot at you, I guess inadvertently, that’s a compliment, right? The bottom line is, it’s very sad that Andrew Cuomo could have had a moment of grace, could have talked about the women he wronged, could have talked about the seniors we lost in those nursing homes, could have brought it to a human level, but there is a narcissism there that doesn’t allow him to see anything but himself," de Blasio said. "In a way, I’m very sad for his family."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}De Blasio then said it could be a "message to people in public life" that having too much power often results in "something bad" happening to you.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.