Former President Donald Trump ripped into embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a New York State Republican Party fundraiser Thursday night — alluding to the governor facing impeachment after a state investigative report branded the three-term Democrat a serial sexual harasser of female underlings.
Trump also was bullish that the Republicans have a chance to win the governorship.
“Cuomo’s got real problems,” Trump said at the event held at the Trump National Golf Course in Briarcliff.
He gave a shout out to the state Senate Republican Minority Leader Robert Ortt, who would participate in a Senate trial to remove Cuomo if the Assembly impeaches him.
“It’s going to be a hot couple of weeks in Albany,” Trump said, according to invitees who applauded the prospect of booting Cuomo. “Senator Ortt is going to have a great time.”
“Cuomo has found himself in an interesting situation.”
Trump, who himself has also been the subject of sexual harassment accusations and boorish behavior and was impeached by the House of Republicans but cleared in the US Senate, did not delve deeply into Cuomo’s problems.
Trump also said Cuomo was “horrible on COVID” — repeating his criticism that the governor didn’t properly use the USS Comfort hospital ship he dispatched to New York during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The former president urged guests to get vaccinated for COVID and encouraged other Americans to do so “because I don’t want to see anything bad happen to my people.”
The fundraiser was attended by 500 guests and raised $1 million for the state Republican Committee.
Trump, who set aside his speech and instead spoke extemporaneously and took questions for 45 mintues, recognized GOP gubernatorial candidates — Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin and Andrew Giuliani, who served as a Trump White House aide and is the son of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Both Zeldin and Giuliani spoke.
Trump said Andrew Giuliani, a former professional golfer, is “one of the best political golfers.”
“We’re going to have a Republican governor,” he said.