New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo flatly denied weighing a run for the White House after President Trump said he would make a better candidate than the current Democratic front-runner.
Mr. Cuomo was asked repeatedly about his political ambitions during an interview conducted Monday evening on the heels of Mr. Trump saying he “wouldn’t mind” running against him.
Pressed several times by his younger brother, CNN host Chris Cuomo, the governor insisted during the interview that he has no plans now or ever to mount a presidential campaign.
“No, no,” the governor answered in response to being asked if he will run for president. “The answer is no.”
The governor also indicated he is unlikely to change his mind, ruling out even pondering at a later date the possibility of running for president.
“How can you know what you might think about at some point right now?” the host of CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” asked during the interview.
“Because I know what I might think about and what I won’t think about,” the governor responded.
Speculation about the governor potentially seeking the presidency has swelled in recent days as he receives kudos over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic ravaging New York.
Mr. Trump touched on the topic earlier Monday, saying during an interview on Fox News that the governor would make a “better candidate” than presidential hopeful Joseph R. Biden.
“I wouldn’t mind running against Andrew. I have known Andrew for a long time. I wouldn’t mind that,” Mr. Trump said on the “Fox & Friends” morning program.
The governor subsequently responded to the president’s remarks during an afternoon press conference Monday prior to be asked to discuss them during the CNN interview hours later.
“I am not going to get into a political dispute with the president. I am not going to rise to the debate of a political challenge,” he said during the press conference. “I am not running for president. I was never running for president. I said from day one I was not running for president and I am not running for president now.”
New York has become an epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in recent days, with the governor saying Tuesday that over 75,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed within the state.
The results of a Siena College poll released Monday found that 87% of New Yorkers approve of the governor’s handling of the pandemic, compared to 11% who disapprove.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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