← The Stephen A. Smith Show
The Stephen A. Smith Show
Full Show: Lakers, "Running Point" in the West? Boxing, Robbery? Andrew Cuomo, Mayor of New York?
01:16:29
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- [00:00]
Stephen A. Smith
What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the king of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need.
- [00:11]
Andrew Cuomo
This NFL draft season.
- [00:13]
Stephen A. Smith
From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every.
- [00:19]
Andrew Cuomo
Thursday, keeping you up to date as.
- [00:20]
Stephen A. Smith
We head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [00:31]
Andrew Cuomo
What's up, everyone? Julie Swerbinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
- [00:38]
Stephen A. Smith
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [00:42]
Andrew Cuomo
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [00:47]
Stephen A. Smith
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop.
- [00:49]
Andrew Cuomo
By to join us. Julia's pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [00:55]
Stephen A. Smith
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
- [01:00]
Andrew Cuomo
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:05]
Stephen A. Smith
All right, folks, I need you all to stop what you're doing and listen up. You know I love this time of year, right? The NBA season is a full swing, and with all this action going on, the Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you take advantage of it all. That's why we partnered with Prize picks, the best place to win cash while watching sports. The app is easy to use. Just pick more or less on a few player stats and you can win up to 1000 times your cash on a single lineup. Best of all, prize picks will get you $50 when you play your first $5 lineup. Win or lose, you'll get 50 bucks for playing. Use promo code SAS and download the app now. Again, download the app and use code SAS to get $50 instantly after your first $5 lineup prospects. Yo, yo. Run your game today. I'll give you my picks for three of tonight's NBA matchups. The Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks, and of course, the Detroit Pistons and the Utah Jazz. First up, will Oklahoma City's Shay Gilgis Alexander score more or less than 31 and a half points? Well, the brother's averaging 32. Why the hell would I say he's gonna score less? You see what the hell he's been doing? You see the show that he's been putting on? Anytime he's going up against brothers. This brother shows up and he's going against Houston tonight. So I can't underestimate that. Okay, I'm gonna go with more. It's Shea Gilgeous Alexander sga, my MVP last year, my MVP this year. That's who I'm going with. Next up, will Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley score more or less than 16 and a half points? I'm going to go with more for a couple of reasons. Number one, this brother's been flowing. Number two, Detroit Pistons have been flowing. Motown, Motor City, they've been doing their thing. J.B. bickerstaff is my coach of the year. J.J. redick is doing a good job along with a couple of others. We can't ignore what Kenny Atkinson is doing in Cleveland with the best record in basketball. But the Detroit Pistons were 1468 last year. They had a 28 game losing streak. They were horrible. And look at what Bickerstaff has done. Pretty much the same damn team. I got to go with that here. All right. That's one of the reasons I said more. Let's go to the next one. It'll be Dallas Mavericks Klay Thompson. Will he score more or less than 16 and a half points? I'm going to go with more because all Klay got to do is hit about three or four threes, which he will e easily do. It's what he can do. Okay, I'm gonna go with that. Right now. You don't have Luka Doncic holding onto the ball. Anthony Davis ain't healthy, so he ain't in the lineup. Gaffett ain't there to throw the ball to either. It's really about Kyrie, PJ and Clay, so I might as well assume he's gonna score more than 16 and a half points. More is the answer to this question. Finally, with Sacramento Kings, Malik Monk score more or less than 18 and a half points. I like Malik Monk. I like him a lot now. I liked him with De'Aaron Fox together. He got Zach Lavine there with the mar de Roses. I think he's getting in the way of Malik Monk a little bit, you know what I'm saying? But I'm still going to go with more because the brother's got that kind of potential. We know what he brings to the table, especially when he's healthy. And Sacramento, obviously, they got to get themselves going. They got to be in the mix. All right. Therefore, I'm going to go with more for Malik Monk. So you see it right here. SGA Klay Thompson, Malik Beasley, Malik, Monk. More, more, more and more. Why do I say that? Because we talk about prospects, we never say lies. My name is Stephen A. Smith, and I approve this message. Now, normally, I'm joking about that. You know what I'm saying? I'm just getting into my political mode, having fun with y'all. Except today I don't have to. I can be quite serious. Why? Because I've got the former governor of New York coming in the house to talk to your boy. That says it all. A lot of stuff to get into. And who better to get into it with right now than the one and only Andrew Cuomo in the house right here on the Stephen A. Smith Show. Need I say any more? Actually, I will, but you'll see in a minute. Welcome to the latest edition of the Stephen A. Smith show, coming at you over the digital airwaves of YouTube and of course, iHeartRadio, as I love to do at the very least three times a week. Naturally, as I'm nearing or now, I've eclipsed over 1.1 million subscribers. Can't thank y'all for the love and support enough you've been giving me on YouTube. Can't thank you for the love and support you've been giving me over iheartradio, with the millions of downloads we received over the last few months. Keep the love coming and I'm gonna keep on coming. We've got a lot to get into today, spirit, especially considering who's taking time out of his very busy schedule to talk to me. The one and only Andrew Cuomo, the 56th governor for the state of New York. He's decided to pursue the mayor's seat in New York City after a three and a half year exodus from the world of politics. Looking forward to talking to him about his vision for now and the future in New York City and beyond. You don't want to miss that conversation. Before we get into all of that, I got some sports stuff to get to, so bear with me, please, because I got to get started with the NBA, where don't look now, but the Los Angeles Lakers have climbed all the way up to the top two seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers swept two games against the Clippers Friday and Sunday. The Lakers have now won six straight games and 12 of the last 14. They're 6 and 2 with Luka Doncic in the lineup. And LeBron James is putting up numbers reminiscent of his MVP season. The Lakers on a roll, and many are starting to wonder if they can win the West. I'm here to tell you they can win the west. But it's not just because of LeBron James. It's not because you're expecting and anticipating that Luka Doncic is going to go berserk. It's because of the way the Lakers are playing defense. That brings us to JJ Redick. Did you know that over the last six and a half weeks the Lakers are the number one defensive team in the NBA, efficiency wise? Number one. That is special. Nobody anticipated that. So we got to give love where it's due, respect where it's due. And we got to start contemplating whether or not the Lakers can indeed come out of the West. Now, when I think about okc, I'm thinking about Shay Gilgis, Alexander. I'm thinking about Jalen Williams. I'm thinking about Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. I'm thinking about the brothers that they got playing in that squad. Youthful exuberance, athleticism, three point shooting ability, shot blocking ability, defensive prowess. They've got like nine different categories that they're number one in. All of those things play a role. The question is, will their youth get the better of them? Particularly going up against some more experienced teams, Dare I say the Los Angeles Lakers. We look at Memphis, they struggle shooting the ball. We look at Houston, they're too young. We look at Denver, they don't have a bench. We look at the Clippers, we see what the Lakers have already done to them. We look at the Phoenix Suns, they're non existent. They've lost like 12 of their last 14 despite Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both averaging over 26 points a game. They can't win a game to save their damn life. The Minnesota Timberwolves are winning games, but do you really, really wonder whether or not Anthony Edwards is going to have the help he needs from a Rudy Gobert, from a Julius Randle and others to really make some noise out in the Western Conference. And of course there is the Dallas Mavericks, who everybody believes could make some noise. But then again, Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford is out. When are they coming back? And when they do come back, how ready are they going to be? There's a whole bunch of things to point to throughout the Western Conference. And we can't forget the Golden State warriors either. Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler and those boys. Whole bunch of things to point to. But here's the bottom line. The Lakers got luka, they got LeBron, and now they got a defense. Damn. They can take the West. They really, really can't. Now forgive me for transitioning to another NBA topic. But I want to follow up on a conversation from last week where LeBron James wondered why anyone would want to be the face of the NBA. James essentially blamed the media for being critical of the players in the game who are compared to the legends in the sport. I gave my thoughts on the issue last Friday, and then my buddy, the Godfather, the one and only Michael Wilbon from pti, pardon the interruption, weighed in on the subject himself. Take a listen to what my man Wil Bond had to say. There's a lot of layers here, and there's some stuff I might agree with him. And I watched Channing Frye have this rant, and it was insightful. And I disagree with Channing, who I know and like tremendously. And if I was sitting with channing and or LeBron, I would say, hold on for a second. First of all, we live in a world now in which those guys, and particularly LeBron, they know how to use and manipulate social media. But it goes both ways. It cuts both ways, and that's where a great part of the negativity is. All right, so you engage in this. We live in a world that is largely negative, having nothing to do with sports.
- [09:51]
Andrew Cuomo
That.
- [09:51]
Stephen A. Smith
That's the world we live in, and you live in it. And in LeBron's case, though, when you've been praised justifiably, you've earned the praise and the hundreds of millions of dollars that have started since you were 8 years old, when you put a crown on your head, do you actually believe that the rest of us are just in your kingdom to serve you? Sorry, there's criticism that comes with that. There's comparison that comes with that. I don't know that LeBron feels this way, because I haven't asked him. I'd like to ask him, is he referring to the constant comparisons of Michael Jordan? Because if he doesn't like that, too damn bad. The comparison, the constant attention, that's how you get all that money. It doesn't come from fannies and seats. It comes from attention and eyeballs and viewership and listenership and all of that.
- [10:42]
Andrew Cuomo
Tony.
- [10:43]
Stephen A. Smith
And I just wonder, really, do you think that we're supposed to just be there in public relations terms? We're not on your payroll. We're not there just to praise you. Do I need to say anymore? Do I need to say any damn more? He said it right there for you. We're not on LeBron James payroll. But guess what? We damn sure helped elevate his payroll, because by talking about him so much and praising him and recognizing him and popularizing him. It's facilitated him making money. There is no question that he is one of the greatest players ever and he deserves all the credit for that. We didn't train for him. We didn't, you know, we didn't provide his nutrition. We weren't the ones in the weight room like he was taking care of his body, spending more than a million and a half dollars a year on taking care of his health. All of that stuff is absolutely, positively true. But in the end, by talking about him, by prioritizing him with our coverage, we've assisted in that. But we're hating because God forbid that you had the audacity, the unmitigated gall to say that one player out of the thousands upon thousands of players that have played in the NBA throughout its history could possibly be better than LeBron James. All we do is talk about him. That's what he says. I'll tell you what's talking about him. Calling his ass too sensitive. That's what's talking shit about him, which I just did, because it's true. Before I say anything else, a word for my sponsors. All right, everybody, listen up. With all the big time sports action that's happening each and every day, the Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you are taking advantage of it all. That's why we've partnered with Prize Picks, the best place to win cash while watching sports. The app is really easy to use to make a lineup. All you have to do is pick more or less on a few player stats. Choose from any of your favorite players. Luka Donchi, Doncic, Jimmy Butler, and Zach Levine all in the same entry. Then sit back and watch. The list is absolutely endless. You can play Prize picks in over 40 states, including California and Texas. Best of all, Prize Picks will give you 50. When you play your first five dollar lineup, win or lose, you'll get 50 bucks. Just use promo code SAS and download Prize Picks right now. Again, download the app and use code SAS to get 50 instantly after your first five dollar lineup, prospects run your game. Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do. I'm happy as a clam. No conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience happiness. It just meant that I feel really good about my coverage.
- [13:28]
Andrew Cuomo
I mean, even if you took the.
- [13:29]
Stephen A. Smith
Clam out for the best day ever, visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists, and sharing a strawberry ice cream cone together, the clam would not feel happy and your strawberry cone would taste sort of clammy. Ew. Geico's motorcycle specialists who know bikes like you do, assume no liability for clammy ice cream cones. Geico expertise for your motorcycle.
- [13:46]
Andrew Cuomo
I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share.
- [13:52]
Stephen A. Smith
Bite sized stories of missing and murdered Black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all.
- [13:58]
Andrew Cuomo
Do better at protecting black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day.
- [14:29]
Stephen A. Smith
One podcast, one mission. Save our girls.
- [14:32]
Andrew Cuomo
Join the search as we explore the.
- [14:33]
Stephen A. Smith
Chilling cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every week.
- [14:39]
Andrew Cuomo
Day on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [14:53]
Stephen A. Smith
Now let's get to boxing because I'm sick and tired of talking about LeBron where many fans were stunned Saturday night after Javante Tank Davis left Barclays center with a majority draw against Mr. Lamont Roach. For those that don't know, the undefeated Davis was a heavy favorite against Roach. And many fans were stunned when Davis took a knee in the middle of the ninth round and retreated to the corner to have his team wipe his face with a towel. Now taking a knee in fight, in a fight is usually scored as a knockdown and you should have been scored that way. It should have been scored that way. However, the fight continued without Roach being credited with knocking down Davis. Here's how Davis explained the move during the post fight interview. Listen up Tank. You voluntarily took a knee midway through this fight. It was not ruled a knockdown. What happened? I just got my head done two days ago and she picked grease in my shit. So the was like, you know like when you sweating and things like that and the grease come in my my face, it burnt my eyes type shit. Damn, why y'all booing like I'm sad like this is real facts.
- [15:59]
Andrew Cuomo
Come on man, look at my hair.
- [16:01]
Stephen A. Smith
I just got my done but it's all cool man.
- [16:05]
Andrew Cuomo
You know I, you know, I get.
- [16:06]
Stephen A. Smith
They, they, they love you and then.
- [16:08]
Andrew Cuomo
They hate you, turn around and love you again.
- [16:10]
Stephen A. Smith
You know what I mean? Well, as it pertains to Javante Tank Davis, when the hell has anybody been hating on you, he's 30 and 0 with 28 KOs. Who the hell was hating on Javonte Davis? Am I missing something? It certainly wasn't anybody that I've seen in media or whatever. And I know that sounds like a bullshit excuse to a lot of people. You know, you got your hair done and she put too much grease in the hair and all of this other stuff. But it's Tank Davis. So guess what, ladies and gentlemen, I'm believing him. You're 30 and 0 with 28 KOs. He took a knee, got up, walked to the corner, had his face wiped and turned right back. I'm believing him. I didn't see him hurt or anything like that. I get that part. I saw him hurt when he got popped with a counter from Lamont Roach and he stumbled backwards because he got. He got hit with a shot while throwing a punch in an earlier round. So I'm certainly not going to do that. Here's the important point to mention. All of us got to stand down and give Lamont Roach an apology. I thought that brother was going to get beat down because I saw a dude that was a bantamweight champion. I said, why are you moving up to fight this guy? Why is Javonte Davis taking this fight? This guy's too small. What the hell is going on? He was a featherweight champion. You are lightweight. What the hell is going on? Why would you take that fight? I didn't understand it. What I didn't know is that once Lamont Roach stepped into the ring, he would be the bigger fighter. What I didn't know is that once he was in the ring and he looked like the bigger fighter, he fought like the bigger fighter. Because, ladies and gentlemen, from open and bell, he walked right to Javante Davis, walked right to him and stayed in his face all night long. If he backed up at all, ladies and gentlemen, it was 5% of the time. The other 95% of the time, he walked right to Gervonta Davis. Javonte Davis caught him with some good shots. He took it and then gave it back. Body punches, counter punches, left hook, straight rights. This brother Lamont Roach can fight. And he's beautiful defensively as well, and seemed completely unfazed and undeterred by Tank Davis, a knockout artist. And I'll give Javonte Davis credit for this. Usually when a champion who's undefeated, who gets in a fight like that, finds himself with a majority draw, with people questioning whether or not he legitimately won, it's usually the promoters and the Audience that's calling for a rematch. Javante Davis, who had been alluding to retirement, immediately said, let's do it again. Let's get it going. No problem at all. I give him credit for that because guess what I wanted to see Javante Davis versus Shakur Stevenson. I wanted to see him against Tali Lomachenko. I wanted to see him against Ryan Garcia in a rematch. I wanted to see him against Teofimo Lopez. Ladies and gentlemen, none of them deserved a shot ahead of a rematch for Lamont Roach. None of them. And check out Lamont Roach's tweets. I don't know. He said, f you meaning? F You mean pushing my contract already signed and set for the immediate rematch. Cause you put that in there just in case you lost. Only reason we don't fight is cause you scared. Javante Davis comes back two hours later and say no more. I'm pushing for the rematch. This is what we love when it comes to boxing. This is what we love to see. It's me against you, baby. And next time, you know what? Maybe I ain't gonna say Javonte Davis wasn't ready. He looked pretty ready to me. It's just that Lamont Roach was ready. We didn't see this brother, y'all. We've seen him now. Lamont Roach, remember that name. Because if he beats Javante Tank Davis in a rematch, he will instantly become a household name. Coming up, he's a former New York governor who resigned in the middle of sexual harassment allegations. Now he's trying to get back into politics by making a run for New York City mayor. I've got the one and only Andrew Cuomo up next right here on the Stephen A. Smith Show. Go away. This message is being brought to you by Cologuard, a non invasive cola cancer screening test. Listen, guys, we need to talk about colon cancer screening for a second. And you know I'm a straight shooter, so I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Colon cancer is considered the most preventable, yet least prevented cancer. It's the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States and it's on a rise in people under 50. But the good news is that when caught at early stages, colon cancer is survivable in 90% of people. So screening and early detection are key to reducing overall colon cancer deaths. And I'm sure a lot of you guys are hearing this and thinking you can tune me out because you're not in your 50s yet. But guess what? The American Cancer Society recommends that if you are at average risk. You begin screening for colon cancer at age 45, and a great way to do that is with the Cologuard test. It's delivered right to your door and it allows you to collect a sample comfortably at home on your own schedule. We're talking about a screening with zero downtime that's both convenient and affordable. Most insured patients pay $0. The Cologuard test allows you to feel more in control of your colon cancer screening and do it on your own schedule with none of the prep time off or an invasive procedure that is required of a colonoscopy. So if you're 45 or older and at average risk, ask your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer with the Cologuard test. You can also request a Cologuard prescription today at cologuard.com/podcast. The Cologuard test is intended to screen adults 45 and older at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use a Cologuard test if you have had adenomas, have inflammatory bowel disease and certain hereditary syndromes, or personal or family history of colorectal cancer. The Cologuard test is not a replacement for colonoscopies in high risk patients. Cologuard test performance in adults ages 45 to 49 is estimated based on a large clinical study of patients 50 and older. False positives and false negatives can occur. Cologuard is available by prescription only. Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do. I'm happy as a clam. No conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience happiness. It just meant that I feel really good about my coverage. I mean, even if you took the clam out for the best day ever, visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists, and sharing a strawberry ice cream cone together, the clam would not feel happy and your strawberry cone would taste sort of clammy. Ew. Geico's motorcycle specialists who know bikes like you do assume no liability for clamming ice cream cones. Geico expertise for your motorcycle.
- [23:24]
Andrew Cuomo
I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share.
- [23:31]
Stephen A. Smith
Bite sized stories of missing and murdered Black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all.
- [23:37]
Andrew Cuomo
Do better at protecting Black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson as she drove toward Galvez. She was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car, and she never returned home that day.
- [24:07]
Stephen A. Smith
One podcast, one Mission. Save our Girls.
- [24:10]
Andrew Cuomo
Join the search as we explore the chilling case of missing and murdered black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. New York City is the greatest city in the world. There is no other place like it. And as in life, we have had times when we are at our shining best. And there are times when we struggle and endure great hardship. But we also know that we can handle a crisis because we have. Did I always do everything right in my years of government service? Of course not. Would I do some things differently, knowing what I know now? Certainly. Did I make mistakes some Painfully? Definitely. And I believe I learned from them and that I am a better person for it. And I hope to show you that every day. It won't be easy, but I know we can turn the city around. And I believe I can help. And that is why I announced my candidacy today for mayor of New.
- [25:30]
Stephen A. Smith
My next guest served as the 56th governor of the great state of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. After three and a half years out of the spotlight, he's aiming for a political comeback. Please welcome the former governor of the great state of New York, the one and only Andrew Cuomo. Welcome to the show, sir. How are you?
- [25:52]
Andrew Cuomo
I'm doing very well. Good to see you. And the pleasure is mine.
- [25:56]
Stephen A. Smith
Pleasure is mine as well. First things first, I have to congratulate you on a beautiful blue suit. You look a hell of a lot better than your brother Chris. I just want to get out of the way. I want to get out. Get that out of the way first. Okay. Anything?
- [26:08]
Andrew Cuomo
I'm not saying a heck of a lot, but thank you.
- [26:11]
Stephen A. Smith
I got you. You know that 17 minute video. There was a 17 minute video on Saturday where you announced that you was running for the mayor of New York. Why is now the right time to return to politics in your eyes, sir?
- [26:24]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, you know, I wasn't planning on returning to politics, Stephen. I was. I did my tour of duty and then some. I was Housing and Urban Development Secretary in the Clinton administration for eight years. New York Attorney General, I was governor. And then I found out there was something called life, you know, after working in public service so hard all my life. And I was. I had a good few years Spending time with family, doing some traveling. I was enjoying myself. But I really worried about what's happening in New York City, frankly, not just New York City, cities all across the nation, but I'm worried about what's happening in New York City. I was HUD secretary, as I mentioned. I know cities, I know the trajectory of cities, and the trajectory is not good for New York City. You know, post Covid, people can be anywhere, Steven. They don't have to be in a city. It's not like the old days where you're captured. They can move, they can do remote work, they can do zoom. And if you can stay home and do that, well, then maybe you can move to North Carolina, you can move to Florida, you can move to Colorado. So the dynamics have changed, and then the quality of life in New York City has really deteriorated. And you're paying a lot of taxes to be here. You put those factors together and it is a bad, bad situation for New York and it has to turn around and has to turn around quickly.
- [27:56]
Stephen A. Smith
How do you think it got to this point in your estimation over the last few years? What would you attribute it to? The state of affairs in New York?
- [28:04]
Andrew Cuomo
Yeah, it's a. It's a good question, Stephen. And I think it's something the Democratic Party has to think about and reflect upon. Put Covid aside, okay? Because Covid was a transformation nationwide, worldwide societal transformation. But there's been a shift in philosophy here in New York City and other cities. But you've had this move Starting in about 2020, an anti police movement, right? Cut the funding for the police. Police are bad. We have thousands fewer police today than we had. Well, that has consequences. You cut the police. Don't be surprised when crime goes up. You cut the police. Don't be surprised when people are afraid to go into the subways because of the rate of crime. We have a mentally ill homeless problem, people who are mentally ill, dangerously mentally ill to themselves and to others. But there's been a philosophy change where we don't enforce the law the same way. And frankly, we do no one a favor. Right? Because if a person is mentally ill, the wrong thing to do is actually leave them on the street. The right thing to do, quote, unquote, right thing to do is to get them the help they need. So there's been a philosophical change. They call it, quote, unquote, progressive. I think it's anything but progressive. I think it's regressive, and I think that's contributed to it.
- [29:40]
Stephen A. Smith
You've been on the record and you've tackled the progressive side on quite a few occasions in your career. There's, you know, that's a matter of record. What makes you believe that you're going to be equally, if not more so successful as the mayor than you were as governor, tackling not just the issues, but those people who obviously support issues that you may not support even on the left.
- [30:06]
Andrew Cuomo
Yeah, well, let's separate the two issues. All right. First of all, took on the progressives. I believe I am a progressive. Right. That word progressive has been distorted and misused. That's not a new term. That's not the term they came up with a few years ago. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Have a great poster. Franklin Delano Roosevelt for progressive government. FDR actually took it from Teddy Roosevelt, who talked about progressive government. So progressive government is. Has been established. My father was a progressive. Barack Obama was a progressive. Bill Clinton was a progressive. And it meant, look at the word it stated for making progress. Not this theoretical, abstract argument, for the sake of argument, make progress. As governor, I made progress past marriage equality. First big state, changed the whole conversation nationwide. $15 highest minimum wage in the United States of America. So no one did the progressive things that we did, and we got them done. New LaGuardia Airport, new Moynihan train station, et cetera. So making government work, making progress, that's what a progressive is all about. It's not about being anti police. It's not about leaving mentally ill homeless people on the street. It's not about being antisemitic. We have this DSA which spews antisemitism, which just releases a toxic chemical into the environment. That's not progressive in my mind.
- [31:52]
Stephen A. Smith
You know, I asked just a couple, a few weeks ago, the mayor of New York, Mr. Eric Adams, was here in studio with me and I asked him a question pertaining to you and the possibility of going up against you in light of some of the things that you've accomplished. You brought it up. Marriage Equality Act, 2011, fiscal reforms, infrastructure modernization, gun control legislation, 2013, the minimum wage increase in paid family leave. All of these things under your umbrella as governor of New York, just to name a few. So going up against you, you would be a formidable foe to say the least. Because he intends to run for reelection, of course. I want you to watch my question to him and how he responds. Take a look. Let's think positive. Yes, let's say these allegations are going to go away. Your issues, campaign, you know, fraud and campaign finance, all of this stuff we don't do Away with all of that, it's you against Andrew Cuomo for the mayor of New York. I'm a sports guy. I like competition. I mean, what kind of prediction would you put forth if you got. If you had yourself, if you found yourself in a position where you were going up against Andrew Cuomo for the mayor, for the mayor's position, for His Honor's position in the city of New York? Well, I think that, to me, and this is how I run my life. I'm not running against Andrew Cuomo or any of the other candidates. I'm running against myself. Play my best game. If I play my best game, it doesn't matter who's in the race, because there's other candidates in the race. And what I've learned in electoral politics, right now, we're in the preseason, you know, we're not in the playoffs. When you're in the playoffs, your game has to be different. So you could be great, you know, in the season. But when you get in the playoff, let's see what you're made of. Now, Andrew Cuomo, we know about the allegations that have been levied against Mayor Adams. We know that the DOJ stepped in, took the case from the Southern state of New York, and the criticism that he has received in light of just a lot of people accusing him of sort of being in bed with the Trump administration. How much of a role, if any, did that play in you deciding to join this race to capture the mayor's seat for New York City?
- [34:07]
Andrew Cuomo
Yeah, Stephen, I didn't really. I've been watching what's been happening to New York City and what's going on and this new philosophy that has taken over in New York City, besides from the mayor, frankly, what the other candidates have been saying, and I agree with the mayor, you know, it's not about anyone else. I'm here to tell voters what I think I would do and what I think the problems are, and my record and my experience of actually getting things done, which is everything. You know, first, it's interesting, when it comes to the government, people don't factor in experience, Right. If you hire a plumber, you want to make sure the plumber has experience. You hire a landscaper, the landscaper has experienced. But you can hire a chief executive who never ran anything before, right? So let's talk about experience. Let's talk about a record of getting things done. And you just started to go through it. I don't think there's been a governor in modern political history that has accomplished more things than I have accomplished. And that's what's getting it done is about. Right? It's about getting it done. Making change. Let people feel this progress, improve my life is what they're saying. And then juxtapose that with this. What the other candidates are saying. They're anti cop, they've allowed this homeless, what I think is just a human tragedy, to continue and go on the affordability crisis. They can't figure out how to build affordable housing. It's bricks and mortar. You put them together and you put another stack and then you have affordable housing. You know, there's this, this incompetence and apathy that is pervasive and that's what's turning people off. Let's go progressive government. Okay? Make progress. Do something right. It go, it go. It comes back to Queens, Steve.
- [36:09]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, that's right.
- [36:10]
Andrew Cuomo
Do something for me. Let me see some results. You either produce or you don't. And I'm a producer.
- [36:18]
Stephen A. Smith
You are a producer. You're a three term governor. You were in line to be, to get a fourth term. All right, Which I think would have tied Rockefeller for the record in New York State or potentially to be President of the United States. But obviously there's a couple of things that derailed you. One of the things that came to mind was the whole nursing home crisis in the after, you know, during COVID and how there was a. The deaths were understated and it was under your administration and you took hits for that. Explain that to our audience right now. How much culpability and blame do you believe you deserved? And what role do you believe that ultimately played in you ultimately departing from the governor's position for the New York, the state of New York?
- [37:06]
Andrew Cuomo
Yeah. Let's go back to Covid. COVID 19. First. It was a situation like we had never seen before. Obviously none of us and no one really knew what to do. I had the best health officials on the globe, Stephen, working with us because New York had Covid first and worst, right? Because the planes were bringing it from Europe to New York for months and nobody knew. So I had the best health officials that you could get, but nobody really knew what to do. And the worst manifestation of COVID was in the nursing homes. And this was a horrific situation. And God forbid anyone should have ever have to go through this again in the nursing homes. We had to close visitation because we were afraid more people would bring in the virus so you couldn't visit loved ones. And you had many people dying in nursing homes because obviously Covid preyed on the weak and the immune compromised. And that was nursing homes. So you had people dying in nursing homes. They couldn't see their family. Even though they were at the end of their life, the families couldn't say goodbye. I mean, it was just as painful a human situation that you could imagine. And I lived it. I was there. It traumatized me. It traumatized many. The health officials were making the best decisions that they could. I believe that federal. Federal officials, the state officials, were making the best decisions they could. They were trying to figure out what the right quarantine period was. At first they said it was seven days, and then they could release people to nursing homes or back home. Then they extended it later on. I believe everybody was doing everything they could and they just didn't have enough knowledge. But then, surprise, surprise, there was an election year and it became very politicized. And the Republicans blame the Democrats and the Democratic governors, and the Democrats blamed the Republicans, and the President wasn't doing enough. And then there were lawsuits and there were investigations, and the Department of Justice investigated. You were. The Manhattan District Attorney did an investigation. The attorney General did an investigation. Everybody did an investigation. And at the end of the day, everybody comes to the same basic conclusion, which is everyone did what they could, and the health officials did what they thought was right at the right time. But many people died in nursing homes. The bottom, bottom line for the state of New York. And to cut through all the politics, they then count how many people died in nursing homes per 100. Okay, so it's apples and apples. Big state, small state. For every 100 people in nursing homes, how many died? State of New York is number 38, which means only 12 states had a lower rate of death than New York. And that is saying something, Stephen, because, you know, we had it first and other states had months to prepare. It just fell out of the sky for New Yorkers. But those are federal numbers. The rate of death in nursing homes. We ranked number 38. I would like to be number 50. But 38. Only 12 states had a lower rate of death. I think that says New York officials. Health officials not only did their job, but did it well.
- [41:19]
Stephen A. Smith
But respectfully, sir, they. They seem to be coming at you because they used the word undercounted. And what they said was that it was undercounted because at that particular moment in time, your star had ascended to another level. You were given the daily press conferences with COVID 19, and what was transpiring. You were the most articulate voice in a lot of people's. Eyes on the rest. It got to a point where people. The only person people wanted to hear from more than you was Dr. Anthony Fauci, and that's because they were hoping he would come up with a vaccine, for crying out loud. I mean, it got to that point, and that's where the word politicized or politicization came into play, because they felt that for political purposes, you had undercounted. And to that, as you reflect on that, was that a mistake in any way? Was there anything that you could look back on and say, maybe I should have done something different to make sure they couldn't come at me with those accusations?
- [42:14]
Andrew Cuomo
Yeah. Two quick points. First, on the undercounting. Did New York undercount? Now, when all the counting is done, right, it's over. It's been over for years. All the counting is done. People died in nursing homes, people who died outside of nursing homes, people who are in nursing homes and went to hospitals and died. People diner. All the counting is done. That's where the 38 number comes from. So undercount over count. That's where the 38 comes from. Where the number 38. Only 12 states did better. What could I have done differently, in retrospect? When it became political, Stephen, then I. I partially resented the politicalization of it, if you will. We were doing everything we can, we could at that time to save lives. And now you want to play politics and you want to start with a Department of justice investigation in the middle of this crisis. I did resent the injection of politics, and I was probably not as communicative as I should have been because I thought it was political. And I resented the, as I said, that politics was entering what was the most significant crisis of a generation.
- [43:46]
Stephen A. Smith
So I would say that that was January of 2021. In February of 2021, that's when the cascade of sexual harassment allegations came in your direction and people were accusing you of sexual harassment. I think there were like 11 different allegations levied against you. And then March of 2021, state legislators begin an impeachment investigation. You've spoken about that on several occasions. As you've reflected upon that, you also hinted, if not flat out said you thought that was being politicized as well. As you reflect on that now, what are your feelings reflecting back on that point in time?
- [44:25]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, that was about three years ago, right, Stephen? And sometimes time brings out the truth. I said at that time that, as you said correctly, so number of women made claims about inappropriate behavior. A report was issued I said that was a political report. It was politically motivated and politically done. It was also a hyper political time, if you remember. But I said it was a political report. That was three years ago. Since then, everyone and their brother has investigated those claims literally for to the tune of millions and millions of dollars. And nothing has come from any of them. So time brings out the truth. I said at that time it was political. And three years later, millions of dollars later, in terms of people investigating complaints, nothing has come from any of those complaints. You know, my opponents want to talk about the past because they don't want to talk about the present and they don't want to talk about the city and the condition that the city is in and what they have done to the city with this anti cop reduction of the police force. We've gotten to a place in New York City, Stephen. People don't even apply for the job to be police officer anymore. That's how much we have devalued the police and diminished the police. New Yorkers today just walk past homeless people who are clearly mentally ill. They walk past them like they don't see them. You know, it's really a horrific state of affairs.
- [46:33]
Stephen A. Smith
I want to get a bit more personal if that's entirely possible from this perspective. Perspective. I'm from Queens, New York, you know, obviously you are as well. And my parents grew up Cuomo fans. Mario Cuomo, your late dad, God rest his wonderful soul, what a phenomenal governor he was for the state of New York and what have you. Everybody loved the Cuomos, and I'm thinking about his years of service, and I'm thinking about your years of service. How did it make you feel, feel to have to depart from office in that fashion? And how long did it take you to get to a point where you, dare I say, was your old self again to some degree, in terms of wanting having a fervor for politics and a passion for politics again. Talk about what that did to you.
- [47:28]
Andrew Cuomo
Yeah, well, look, my father was my hero, right? I started in politics with my father. I was in my 20s. I was his campaign manager for his campaign to become governor. I was 24, 25 years old, and I was his advisor all through his term. He then helped me in my campaign, and he was an advisor to me until we lost him. I would say that he would have advised me to do what I did at the time, because public service comes first. And you had this political fervor that you referred to and the legislature, you know, that especially at that time, any claim of any sexual impropriety took off like fire through dry grass. Right. And as you mentioned, the legislature was talking about impeachment, and there is no real impeachment process in New York. So you would have entered into a period of chaos that we, like, that was like nothing we had ever seen before. Okay. And that is the last thing my father would have ever suggested that I do. It's about public service. It's about the state. If this is going to cause chaos and stop the government from functioning, then step aside so the government can function, because the government and public service comes first. That's the oath. That's the value. That's the priority. That's what he would have said. He would have said, step this. Step aside and then go figure it out and find out the facts. Because when they announced the report, I hadn't even heard of the women that they were mentioning. So I wasn't even in a position to defend myself because I hadn't even heard of a lot of these women. Right. So he would have said, step aside. Let the government function, then do your work and get out the facts, which we did. And then if you. He would have said. I think in this moment, I think he would have said, new York City is in trouble. You know how to do this. You've proven you can do this. The right thing to do. Right? We're from Queens. There's a right thing. You can't define it, but you feel it in your gut, you feel it in your heart, your soul. The right thing to do is to step in and be helpful, because I spent my life doing this. And making change in government isn't easy. And it's not for the faint of heart, Stephen. It is not. It is hard to make change. And you get. There's opposition from every angle. You go to change a light bulb in New York City, and there's going to be a committee that opposes the changing of light bulbs, I guarantee you. So it's not for the faint of heart, but I know how to do it. And I think he would say, the city's in trouble and you have an obligation to step up.
- [51:11]
Stephen A. Smith
If that had not happened, would you have run for president?
- [51:15]
Andrew Cuomo
If. If, If. No, I would get a big show like you have.
- [51:22]
Stephen A. Smith
I don't think so. It's a small show.
- [51:24]
Andrew Cuomo
It's climbing.
- [51:25]
Stephen A. Smith
It's climbing, but it's a big show. Sir, I gotta ask you. You know, right now, some have said, we do not need a return of a Cuomo. They've questioned whether or not you're someone who could be trusted as a voter in New York City. To them, you say what?
- [51:47]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, I say it depends on what you want. If you want someone to play nice with the other politicians, go along, get along. Don't ruffle any feathers. Don't really make any change. Just talk about making change. Propose things, but leave things alone. Continue the status quo. I am not your guy. That's not what I do. If what you're saying is. Or if what the voter says is. I'm worried about New York. I think the city's in trouble. I'm anxious. I'm anxious about the subways. I'm anxious about the crime. I'm anxious about the homeless, mentally ill on the streets. I'm anxious that there's no affordable housing. I can't afford to live here. I'm getting priced out of New York. I need someone who can actually get something done. I'm tired of these politicians. Promise, promise, promise. And then nothing changes. And I want someone who has proven their ability to actually make things happen. Then I'm your person.
- [52:59]
Stephen A. Smith
The governor is the leader of a state. The mayor's the leader of a city. You've been the leader of the state of New York for three terms. Why the mayor's position as opposed to pursuing a return to the governor's seat?
- [53:13]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, again, I wasn't considering pursuing returning, period. I was enjoying my life. I was going to go fishing and make fun of my little brother. You know, that was my plan. So I am. It's not that I'm getting back in politics. To me, Stephen, New York City at this moment is in trouble. And I think I can help because I've done this all my life, and I know these issues and these problems and I know how to make change. So it's about helping New York City in this moment. It's not about me wanting to reenter politics generally. It was, how do I help in this moment? And look, I am Queens and HUD secretary. I was in every state in the United States, literally. I worked with cities all across the nation. I worked. I've been in 22 countries. There is nothing like New York. And I love it. I mean, I just love it. I love everything about it. It is who I am. It made my father, it made my grandfather. It's in my blood. And to see it suffering and to see it declining. Look, my father, your father handed you New York City and said, this is a gift that I am leaving you. Beautiful New York City. Everybody around the world wants to come here. I'M leaving it to you. I'm putting it in your hands. And they placed New York City in our hands in turn, we are going to turn around and hand New York City to the next generation. And I want to make sure that I hand over to my children, my three girls, a New York City that is at least as good as the New York City that I inherited. And really, I would like to hand them a New York City that is better. That, for me, is what this is all about. I've been up, I've been down, I've been all around. I was rumors for president, rumors for this, rumors for that. It's all garbage. At the end of the day, Stephen, what did you accomplish? What difference did you make in people's lives? What exists but for you being here? That's what it's about. And I believe I can make a difference in New York.
- [56:02]
Stephen A. Smith
How are you going to pull this off with the Trump administration in the White House? How would you pull that off for New York City?
- [56:09]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, Donald Trump is from New York City, and he knows our problems here. He knows we need federal help. I dealt with him as governor, remember? So there was a lot of back and forth. He's another one from Queens.
- [56:27]
Stephen A. Smith
Yes, he is. Yes, he is.
- [56:29]
Andrew Cuomo
Three of us Queens boys. So I dealt with him as, as governor. He knows our situation. He knows the situation in New York City. It is his hometown. I think that he wants New York City to appreciate him. I think he thinks there's an opportunity for him to do good things in New York City. And really, we have to see what he does, what posture President Trump takes. And if you want to be an optimist, you say he's going to say New York is his hometown and he wants to help. And to be honest, I've been on the right side of President Trump. I've been on the wrong side of President Trump. So I think it's up to the president and it's up to the posture that he declares vis a vis New York. You know, what does he do with the budget? What does he do with Medicaid? What does he do with housing money? Because the federal government is entirely impactful on New York. So I think it's up to him and what he does and will respond to that.
- [57:45]
Stephen A. Smith
What would a Cuomo administration in New York City, in the mayor's seat, how would that differ from the present state of affairs with the Adams administration, or at least the perception that the Adams administration has now with the White House? How would the Cuomo relationship with The White House be different in your estimation?
- [58:07]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, I think what happened with the Adams administration is a very particular set of circumstances and facts. Right. You went to a clip of Mayor Adams. This is. I've never seen this unique a situation where the mayor was facing a criminal situation that was federal, and the president then worked with him on those federal charges. So I don't know that we ever see that again. But that is a truly unique situation that Mayor Adams and President Trump have.
- [58:54]
Stephen A. Smith
Do you believe he severely compromised being the mayor right now because of his situation, which makes it obviously easier for you to compete against him for the upcoming election?
- [59:05]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, you would have to ask Mayor Adams that question. I know it's a complicated transaction that they entered into, but how the mayor feels about that, whether or not he's constrained by that, that's a question for Mayor Adams to answer.
- [59:23]
Stephen A. Smith
You've been known as a governor. When you were in the governor's seat, you've been known as somebody you would ruffle feathers to get things done. You were stern, you didn't play any games. You were about your business. You wanted to get things done, and you didn't give a damn whether you made friends or enemies along the way. Do you believe you'd have to be more of that person to get things done in New York or less?
- [59:48]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, I think it's a good question, and it's one I've thought about. We got a lot done. And as I said, Stephen, there is no easy way to get big things done. LaGuardia Airport. They opposed me. Moynihan train station. There was opposition. Second Avenue Subway. There was opposition.
- [60:10]
Stephen A. Smith
Right.
- [60:11]
Andrew Cuomo
Happens a bridge. There was opposition. By definition. You go to build anything and there's going to be opposition. If you faint from that opposition, or if you're a politician and you say, look, I don't want any opposition. I want everyone to like me because I want everyone to vote for me, which, by the way, is the posture of most politicians. Then you get nothing done. And you've had generation after generation after generation of people getting nothing done. And that's why the people say, I don't believe any of these guys. They run for office, they promise everything, and then they do nothing. Look outside. What do you see that is new and different? So I purposefully was very productive, and I purposefully pushed through projects. And was it. Was it hard to get it done? Yes. Did I ruffle feathers? No doubt. Can you do these things without ruffling feathers? I do not believe you can. I do not believe you can And I've been in federal government, city government, state government. I don't believe you can. Having said that, I think in retrospect, could I have been more patient? Yes. And did I become impatient with the bureaucracy and with the local politics and the obstacles? Yes, I did become impatient because I could see so clearly what we could get done but for these bumps in the road. And I did become impatient. And as my grandmother used to say to me when I was young, Pagenzia. Pagenzia in Italian. Patience. Patience. And I think I would bring more patience to the job. I would hope to be as productive, but with more patience.
- [62:23]
Stephen A. Smith
Productive as a governor. Had folks fantasizing about you being the President of the United States of America, which obviously is a loftier position. The mayor, even being the mayor of New York City. There are those out there, yes, there are critics, but there are also those who fervently support you that may wonder, is that seat too small for Andrew Cuomo because of who he is and who he has been and who we aspired for him to be? What do you say to people that have that question about you?
- [63:01]
Andrew Cuomo
I'm going to bring a big seat to the office, Steve. I'm going to have a big seat. I'm not going to have a small seat. I say, look, I have one goal which is trying and succeeding in making a difference for New York City today. And by the way, as I, as I said in my announcement video that you played, this is not going to be easy. Right? Hiring more police, getting the mentally ill off the streets, dealing with a migrant situation, cleaning up the subways, building affordable housing. None of this is easy. This is all hard. So that's the job at hand. That's the focus, right? Run with blinders on. That's all I'm focused on. That's all I want to do. If I do that, I'm happy.
- [64:03]
Stephen A. Smith
What would be your number one priority as mayor of New York with all the issues that you highlight, is one. Is there one issue that stands out above the crowd?
- [64:11]
Andrew Cuomo
Public safety. Public safety. Public safety. If people don't feel safe, nothing works. Nothing works. If you don't feel safe, you don't go to the restaurant. If you don't feel safe, the tourist doesn't come to go to the place. If you don't feel safe, you don't come into the office. You stay home and you do remote work. So you have to feel safe. That's why the old expression, public safety is job one for government. It's true. You have to feel Safe and that that is the foundation for everything else.
- [64:44]
Stephen A. Smith
What does that mean, More police officers? What does that mean exactly?
- [64:47]
Andrew Cuomo
Part of it is more police officers, and part of it is a change in the philosophy that we understand. If you don't enforce rules, you have chaos. Right? Nobody wants to see anybody go to jail. Nobody. And by the way, I closed more prisons than any governor in history. All right, so nobody wants to see anybody go to jail. But you go too far to the other extreme. You know, that pendulum swings too far to the other extreme. Well, we don't want anyone to go to jail. Well, then you have chaos. And that's what we have on the streets. Now, in my opinion.
- [65:32]
Stephen A. Smith
What about the issue of immigration? I mean, that in some people's eyes, that can tie into it, certainly in Trump's eyes, because that's one of the things he wanted Adams to address, which is why the DOJ presumably intervened with the case against Adams. For crying out loud, how high on your priority list is the immigration issue in New York City?
- [65:49]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, fortunately, it's going to be lower because the numbers are going to drop. You know, in my opinion, I'm a Democrat, the President Biden and the administration mishandled the migrant problem. If you ask me, what caused the election, I would say between inflation and the migrant problem, probably the migrant problem.
- [66:15]
Stephen A. Smith
Open borders.
- [66:17]
Andrew Cuomo
Yes. There was no plan. They knew what was going to happen. When you open the border border, you turn on the faucet, what's going to catch the water? What happens? Well, I'm just going to turn on the faucet and see what happens. No. So that problem spilled over pardon upon two cities. The governors put people on buses. It was a tremendous burden on New York City. $12 billion, if you believe anyone's numbers in this town, was spent on the migrants. But Trump has closed the border. That number is dropped. The number of migrants in the city is dropping. So I think that issue is of new migrants is going to be dropping. The deportation issue will be rising, but that's a different issue.
- [67:14]
Stephen A. Smith
Andrew Cuomo, if you win and you are elected the mayor of New York City, is that the beginning for you? We could say it's a new beginning, but I guess what I'm asking is you stepped away. You talked about how comfortable you were while you were away, but now that you're getting back into the mix, can people expect you to stick around for a very, very long time? Or is it it just a priority to fix New York City and then go into the sunset and hang out with your Brother and try to compare suits with one another or something. What's the deal?
- [67:52]
Andrew Cuomo
First of all, my brother doesn't wear a suit. You know, he. I don't know what he wears. He wears like those Hawaiian flower shirts. And I don't know why you don't mention it when you're on the show with him because he's clearly that. And what is that with the rolling up the sleeves? You know, either buy a short sleeve shirt or leave the shirt alone.
- [68:14]
Stephen A. Smith
He's trying to show his muscles and that he's ready. He's ready to throw down. That's what he's trying to do.
- [68:18]
Andrew Cuomo
That's what he's trying to say. Yeah, but you're there. You have to say, give me a break, will you? Roll down your sleeves because you're starting to annoy me.
- [68:27]
Stephen A. Smith
So you're getting on him about rolling up the sleeves and you're getting on me for not getting on him. You're getting on both of us, Stephen.
- [68:32]
Andrew Cuomo
You have to push back on him. You have to push back on him. He keeps coming. He's a Queensboy. He's half a Queensbord. He's half Queens, half Albany.
- [68:40]
Stephen A. Smith
That's right.
- [68:41]
Andrew Cuomo
So look, I take. I've been through a lot, and I now take everything with two grains of salt, right? I was a cabinet secretary, HUD secretary in line for the presidential. I was attorney general. I was governor, rumored to be running for president. My father was going to run for president. You know what? It's all with two or three grains of salt. It doesn't mean anything. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what did you accomplish? Did you maximize your opportunity in public service? Did you actually give it your all? Did you make sure you made life better for people? And were you successful after that? Were you good to your family? Were you good to your friends? And the day is over. So that's what I'm looking to do.
- [69:45]
Stephen A. Smith
Forgive me for sneaking in this one last question, but you talked about the Biden administration making a mistake with immigration and open borders. Was there anything else you think they did wrong? Wrong that drastically affected the state of affairs that you're lamenting about the city of New York.
- [70:03]
Andrew Cuomo
Well, the migrant problem affected New York in a dramatic way and I think hurt the Democratic Party all across the nation? Number two, I think the way they handled President Biden running for president, I think the way the Democratic Party said, president Biden's fine, he's great. Everybody came out of that White House and said, thumbs up. I just met the president. He's great. He's doing well. He's stronger than his staff. And then the president shows up at the first debate, and I think the American people say, you know, you deceived us. And then Vice President Harris has to come in late and is now running a truncated race, and she has to tiptoe around President Biden and his policies. So I think inflation migrants, the way people saw President Biden and felt they were deceived by the Democratic Party, that for the Democratic Party to be saying we think President Biden should be president for another four years, I think that hurt the Democrats. And then practically, I think Vice President Harris having so little time, hurt the democrats.
- [71:25]
Stephen A. Smith
As the 56th governor of the great state of New York, I think the one thing all of us can undoubtedly acknowledge, we can't deny, is that if there's a problem, you know how to fix it. And now you're trying to be the mayor of New York City. Wishing you nothing but the best, sir. You know, there's always a home here anytime you want to talk. I'm happy to have you on the show. Thank you so much for taking such time out of your busy schedule. And congratulations on campaigning for the mayor's position for the state and for the city of New York. Thank you so much, sir.
- [71:54]
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo, thank you for having me, Stephen. Pleasure.
- [71:57]
Stephen A. Smith
Coming up, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tweeted @mo on x this weekend and it had nothing to do with politics. I'll get into that and react to the conversation you just heard from former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo with yours truly. That's next, right here on the Stephen A. Smith show. Don't go away. What's up, everybody? Stephen A. Smith here. Recently we made news because the great Bill O'Reilly announced a tour that's coming nearest you in the very, very near future. Get your tickets now for this. It's called Three Americans Live March 30th at Live Nation's Flagstar at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. Don't miss the very first show as myself, Chris Cuomo and, yes, that man, Bill O'Reilly, take our different ideas, our different backgrounds, our different beliefs across the country to demonstrate that respectful, meaningful and even fun conversation. Those are the things that make America as great as it should be. The show will be spirited, unscripted, and all three of us will let it fly as we discuss the topics everyone is thinking about these days. There'll also be questions from the audience. We're not running. Tickets are officially on sale now with Pre sale code USA@3americanslive.com VIP packages are available with the opportunity to meet and take photos with myself and both those fellows. That's three Americans live March 30th at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. Additional dates and cities to be announced. Don't miss it. Trust me, you'll get a kick out of it. Welcome back. Before we get to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tweet, I want to react to the conversation you just heard with me and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who just announced this week in a bid to run for New York City mayor. First of all, any allegations that's levied against any politicians involving sexual harassment or anything like that is something serious, and we should never summarily dismiss it. We have an obligation to throw that fact out there, and that's just the truth. But we also have to take into account the fact that he intimated at the time that it was politicized. These things happened and took place through August of 2021. Practically every case was dropped by January of 2022. Now, this has nothing to do with the actual women who alleged inappropriate behavior on the part of Andrew Cuomo. I'm speaking strictly about how things can get politicized. Why did everything go away once he was out of office so quickly? See, we got to start asking ourselves that question, and here's the reason why nothing should be minimized. And I get that, and I want everybody to understand the importance of that. But these are some dire freaking times in our nation. We got problems all over the place. And what we have to do moving forward, in my opinion, is to make sure that we as a society don't cave in to anything being politicized at the expense of our well being. When we consider crime in the streets, when we consider the immigration issue, when we consider inflation and a host of other things going on that plague us as a society and how these things need to be fixed. We gotta make sure that the best people for the job are in office to do the job. I'm gonna tell you what I heard from Andrew Cuomo while he was giving one answer after another. Didn't duck one issue. This is what I heard. I heard a man saying, look at my record, look at my record. And when you look at his record, I gotta tell you, it's hard to ignore it. I'm just calling it up here because it's necessary, because I wrote some of this stuff down or I charted it down Here. Marriage Equality Act, 2011, fiscal reforms, infrastructure modernization, LaGuardia Airport reconstruction, Monahan train hall. Governor Mario Cuz Cuomo Bridge, replace the aging Tapestee Bridge to improve Hudson river crossings. Gun control legislation, 2013, minimum wage increase and paid family leave to $15 an hour towards that, environmental initiatives, et cetera, et cetera. The man ain't playing. You know what Andrew Cuomo is really saying or what he really said without saying it. There's an adult coming to the room. People can talk about what they want to do. I'm talking about what I've done. And I found myself saying, well, damn, how many governors have won three terms? He did. He was en route to a fourth. Unless he walked away to run for the president presidency. That's how popular he was. That's how successful he was deemed to be. So what I peel from all of this, he is an adult in the room. And if Eric Adams is going to win back the mayor's seat for New York City, he's going to have a fight on his hands. This man was the governor of New York for three terms. He's just three and a half years removed from it, not three decades. Andrew Cuomo is not playing. He's coming. And New Yorkers are watching and listening. And don't be surprised if they go to the polls in favor of him. Mayor Eric Adams is in the world of trouble, and I'm not talking about legally with Trump hovering over him. I'm talking about competition for the mayor's seat of New York. Andrew Cuomo is coming, and I don't believe it's going to stop there. It's all I got to say for now. I'll have more to say in the days, the weeks and the months to come before I get on out of here. Let me get to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in his tweet, because y'all gotta see this. It's official. Stephen A. Smith, the Johnny's, as in the St. John red storm, are taking us back to the Mullenberry Jackson era with Louise Zubi Richmond. And I'm all for it. Hashtag Final Four. Now, pump the brakes. Minority leader, could you please pump the brakes? I think that's going a little bit too damn far. I enjoyed your time on the show. I like talking to you, but let's not get out of hand here. The St. John's red storm, that ain't Walter Berry, Chris Mullen and Mark Jackson. I don't see a Final Four now. Rick Patino's got them playing some damn good basketball. But I've seen Alabama, I've seen Auburn, I've seen Florida. That's just the sec. SEC basketball has taken over the sec. They've shoved football aside. An SEC team could win the national championship. But nothing's better than March Madness. And I do suspect that St. John's could potentially make some noise. Either way you slice it, I'm a flow with the minority leader here because Rick Pitino has done a hell of a job. He really has. And it's no surprise they brought him there to restore what the late, great Lou Carneseca once built at St. John's in Queens. And I'll be damned. Rick Pitino has done it already. Mm, mm, mm. That is a reason to be this excited. Hakeem Jeffries. I get it. Queens in the building. I get it. That's it for this edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. Hope you all enjoyed it. And thanks again to the former governor himself of the great state of New York, Andrew Cuomo, in pursuit of the mayor's seat of New York City. Really, really appreciated his time. Hope y'all did as well. Until next time, Stephen A. Signing off. Peace and life. What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need.
- [80:48]
Andrew Cuomo
This NFL Draft season season.
- [80:49]
Stephen A. Smith
From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every.
- [80:56]
Andrew Cuomo
Thursday keeping you up to date as.
- [80:57]
Stephen A. Smith
We head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone?
- [81:09]
Andrew Cuomo
Julie Swearbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
- [81:15]
Stephen A. Smith
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [81:18]
Andrew Cuomo
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [81:24]
Stephen A. Smith
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop.
- [81:26]
Andrew Cuomo
By to join us. Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [81:32]
Stephen A. Smith
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
- [81:37]
Andrew Cuomo
Or wherever you get your podcast.