Adrienne Adams, City Council Speaker and hopeful candidate for mayor, gave a heartfelt speech on Thursday at Elmhurst Hospital to commemorate the fifth anniversary of her father’s passing from COVID-19. In a poignant moment, she connected this personal tragedy to the leadership of then-Governor Andrew Cuomo during the pandemic. Standing next to a framed photo of her father, Irvin, Adams launched a direct and emotional attack on Cuomo, who is currently leading the Democratic primary race less than five weeks away. This comes on the heels of recent reports that the Department of Justice is investigating Cuomo for potentially lying to Congress about his handling of the outbreak in nursing homes.
The competition between Adams and Cuomo for the support of Black voters in southeast Queens and central Brooklyn, key constituencies in the Democratic mayoral race, is heating up. Despite trailing far behind Cuomo in the polls, Adams did not hold back in her criticism. She expressed her frustration with politicians who only show up in the community when they need votes, without truly understanding or empathizing with the struggles of the people they claim to represent. Adams questioned Cuomo’s accountability in the crisis, stating, “Is Andrew Cuomo the only one at fault? Not really. He didn’t create this kind of politics. He just mastered it.”
Cuomo’s campaign immediately pushed back against Adams’ accusations, highlighting statements from pastors who praised his efforts during the pandemic. The Rev. Greg Merriweather of Mount Olivet Baptist Church commended Cuomo for his support of underserved communities during the healthcare crisis. However, Adams remained resolute in her belief that Cuomo’s decisions, such as the allocation of resources and handling of vaccines, directly impacted the lives lost during the pandemic. She recounted the heartbreaking moment when her father had to be left in the parking lot of Long Island Jewish Medical Center due to overcrowding at Elmhurst Hospital, where he needed urgent care. This tragic event, along with the broader mismanagement of the crisis, fueled Adams’ criticism of Cuomo’s leadership.
