Politics

Cuomo Said He Was Going To Spend Thanksgiving With His Mother, Daughters. Now, After Backlash, His Office Says He Won’t See Them

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo will no longer see his elderly mother and two daughters for Thanksgiving after facing backlash for contradicting his own advice to “stay away” from loved ones.

The New York Democrat said during a radio interview Monday that his 89-year old mother and two daughters, none of whom live with him, will attend Thanksgiving at his home, according to the Democrat and Chronicle.

“The current plan is my mom is going to come up and two of my girls, (that’s) the current plan,” Cuomo said on WAMC-FM, the publication reported. “But the plans change, but that’s my plan. But I’m going to work — I have a lot of work to do between now and Thanksgiving.”

Following backlash over Cuomo’s statements, Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi told the Daily Caller News Foundation that “given the current circumstances with COVID, he will have to work through Thanksgiving and will not be seeing them.”

“Don’t tell his mom — she doesn’t know yet,” Azzopardi added.

Though these Thanksgiving plans most likely comply with Cuomo’s order that no more than 10 people gather for Thanksgiving, the plans contradict the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance that the “safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people you live with,” the publication reported.

.@NYGovCuomo is having his 89-year old mother and two daughters to Albany for Thanksgiving.

“The story is, my mom is going to come up and two of my girls. But the plans change.”

He has spent the better half of two weeks telling New Yorkers to stay home for the holiday.

— Bernadette Hogan (@bern_hogan) November 23, 2020

The plans also contradict Cuomo’s own advice to New Yorkers. The governor has frequently urged New Yorkers to abdicate their normal holiday traditions and stay away from their loved ones for Thanksgiving.

“It’s your family, it’s your home, it’s your table, these are all environments where you feel safe and that is the beauty of Thanksgiving,” the governor said Thursday.”Your safe zone, it’s not a safe zone. Your safe zone is dangerous this year.”

“Please- love is sometimes doing what’s hard,” he continued. “This year, if you love someone, it is smarter and better to stay away. As hard as that is to say, and hear, because if I had to predict, you’re going to see a significant spike post-Thanksgiving.”

Cuomo faced criticism for his initial Thanksgiving plans.

“Un-freaking-believable,” tweeted Washington Post reporter Christopher Ingraham. “Now more than ever, people are looking to elected leaders for signals on how to mitigate risk. Is it any wonder so many aren’t following health guidelines? And this is the allegedly pro-science party!”

Un-freaking-believable. Now more than ever, people are looking to elected leaders for signals on how to mitigate risk. Is it any wonder so many aren’t following health guidelines? And this is the allegedly pro-science party! https://t.co/ddEVgMM5BI

— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) November 23, 2020

“You’ve GOT to be kidding me,” tweeted The View’s Megan McCain.

You’ve GOT to be kidding me. https://t.co/v0Ny82MCJl

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) November 23, 2020

“I won’t be seeing my 79-year old mother on Thanksgiving, but you do you Governor,” tweeted Boston Globe columnist Michael Cohen.

I won’t be seeing my 79-year old mother on Thanksgiving, but you do you Governor https://t.co/mvWO0pDnkj

— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) November 23, 2020