Andrew Giuliani targets Cuomo's $5M book windfall while announcing 2022 NY gubernatorial bid

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Outnumbered - Tuesday, May 18

On today's episode, Chris Bedford is 'Outnumbered' as Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to make $5.1 million from his book despite his handling of New Yorkers during the pandemic.

Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, took aim at Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday in his first news conference since announcing his intent to launch a gubernatorial bid in 2022.

Giuliani, a former Trump administration staffer who has never held elected office, is running for the GOP’s nomination in 2022. The 35-year-old pledged to lead an economic recovery in New York in place of Cuomo, who has faced calls to resign in recent months over his handling of the state’s COVID-19 nursing home crisis and multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

"We need, as public servants, to make sure that we are serving them and not serving ourselves the way Andrew Cuomo is doing," Giuliani said. "I think we’ve all seen how Andrew Cuomo has served himself. You see $5 million for a book deal. Well, while Andrew Cuomo makes seven figures a year serving himself, I’m happy to go volunteer my time to be the candidate for governor, the 57th governor for the state of New York."

Giuliani spoke one day after Cuomo’s tax records revealed he will earn more than $5 million from his book entitled "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic." Cuomo’s administration is currently facing a federal probe into its handling of the crisis, including claims that staffers significantly underreported the number of COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes.

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Giuliani said that Cuomo "should have resigned" over the nursing home crisis.

"Let’s be honest about this. There were beds in the Javits Center. The USSS Comfort was being sent up by the Trump administration in the Hudson over here to make sure that New Yorkers had the space and the beds," Giuliani said. "What killed those 9,000 senior New Yorkers was nothing more, nothing else, than Andrew Cuomo’s ego. That’s what killed them. He did not want anyone else to get a political win but himself."

Giuliani detailed a sweeping policy platform but provided few details as to how he would achieve his goals. He pledged to cut taxes, push school choice, crack down on statewide crime and protect qualified immunity for police officers.

The Republican announced his candidacy amid an FBI probe into his father’s dealings with Ukraine. Federal authorities raided Rudy Giuliani’s apartment last month and seized devices as part of an investigation into whether he violated lobbying laws while serving as former President Trump’s personal attorney.

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Andrew Giuliani had few comments on the investigation during the press conference. In April, he called the FBI raid "disgusting."

Giuliani’s opponents for the GOP nomination include New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, a prominent Trump ally. New York hasn’t elected a Republican governor since 2002.

Giuliani spent much of the news conference talking about his plans to lead pandemic recovery efforts, with an emphasis on support for small businesses. He said he believed that people should be vaccinated but stressed that it should be a "personal decision." After testing positive for the virus last November, Giuliani said he has yet to be vaccinated.