
Cuomo flip-flops on flip-flop, supports NYC congestion pricing a year after opposing it
Mayoral hopeful Andrew Cuomo brazenly flip-flopped on congestion pricing yet again, saying he now supports the Manhattan toll program he initially fought for – after last year calling for it to be paused.
Cuomo insisted in a New York Times interview Tuesday that he not only can't think of any issues he changed his mind on, but his opinion on congestion pricing has never wavered.
The former governor had approved the controversial plan to toll vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street, but last year wrote an op-ed for The New York Post urging leaders to pump the brakes on the first-in-the-nation program.
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Andrew Cuomo claimed that his opinion on congestion pricing has never wavered — despite brazenly flip-flopping on the issue.
Robert Miller
But when asked by The New York Times whether he supports congestion pricing now that it shows signs of success, Cuomo gave a blunt response: 'Yes.'
Earlier in the interview, Cuomo echoed the arguments he made in The Post op-ed.
He contended his past opposition was rooted in concern that congestion pricing would drive people into unsafe subways.
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'All I said was, let's study this before we do it in this moment, to make sure people aren't going to say, 'you know what, another reason for me to stay home,'' he said.
The apparent flip-flop quickly rankled at least one Democratic operative.
'Andrew Cuomo has no core principles, he'll say whatever it takes to claw his way back into power,' the operative told The Post. 'He's exactly why so many people have lost faith in politics: a flip-flopping wannabe king who ran to the Hamptons when things got tough.'

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New York Post
17 minutes ago
- New York Post
Hot shot lawyer joins fight to save Massapequa ‘Chiefs' name out of love for hometown: ‘That's our identity'
A high-powered lawyer joined the fight to keep the Massapequa Chiefs name and dissolve a state ban on Native American imagery in schools — and he worked pro bono out of hometown pride. Nashville, Tennessee-based Oliver Roberts, who grew up in town before graduating from Harvard Law, stepped up in the 11th hour to join a reinvigorated legal battle against the Empire State's logo ban. 'I think Massapequa is a great place, great people — a place of great values. I just thought it was my way of being able to give back,' Roberts, who played soccer and basketball in the Massapequa school system as a boy, told The Post. Advertisement 4 Former Massapequa athlete turned Harvard Law graduate, Oliver Roberts, is joining the fight in the court battle against New York State to keep his hometown's Chiefs team name. Courtesy of Oliver Roberts 'That's what this is really all about — the state attacking towns like Massapequa, which just are towns that care about their local values,' said Roberts, a 29-year-old constitutional lawyer who successfully took on the IRS twice in court. Roberts kept up with the Massapequa school district's initial, lengthy lawsuit against the state Board of Regents after it imposed the ban in 2023, complete with threats of the funding penalties if schools didn't comply. Advertisement The Chiefs had faced their case getting dismissed in court in March, but the town sent an SOS to President Trump, who deployed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to intervene on behalf of the close South Shore community. 'LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!' the POTUS declared in April. Roberts, who previously sat on the Massapequa district's finance subcommittee, felt a call to action. Advertisement He reached out to former school board member Gary Baldinger, a noteworthy Massapequa high alum who also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, with a simple text: 'How can I help out?' Roberts worked pro bono for weeks to file an amended lawsuit ahead of a June deadline on behalf of the district, which has said rebranding would cost taxpayers $1 million. Now with a long legal road ahead, Roberts is on the 'Pequa payroll and is playing for the Chiefs again, this time in the courthouse In May, he and the school also penned a letter to McMahon, asking for further intervention, a referral to the US Department of Justice — and even a federal funding cut for New York State. Advertisement McMahon toured the high school on Friday. 4 Roberts told The Post, 'I think Massapequa is a great place, great people — a place of great values. I just thought it was my way of being able to give back.' AP 'You've got the Huguenots, we've got the Highlanders, we've got the Scotsman. Why is that not considered in any way racist?' McMahon asked. The secretary said she would take the case to the DOJ as a Title VI violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if New York didn't voluntarily back down. Roberts agreed with McMahon's stance. 'It's clearly attacking just one group on the basis of race and national origin — any other race or ethnicity is totally unattacked by this regulation,' he said. 4 The town of Massapequa sent an SOS to President Donald Trump, who later sent Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to intervene on behalf of the close-knit South Shore community. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Chief justice The new lawsuit also touches on other federal legalities, such as Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce between the states and Native American tribes, he explained. Advertisement Massapequa has entered into a contract with the Native American Guardians Association, a group that joined McMahon at the school in support, to allow use of the Chiefs likeness following the 2023 ban. 'We're arguing that the arbitrary cut-off deadline [of 2023] is unconstitutional and discriminates against indigenous tribes' right to contract,' Roberts added, saying this should 'invalidate' the Board of Regents initiative. On top of all that, Roberts, who played as a Chief for Berner Middle School and Unqua Elementary, firmly believes getting rid of the name does a disservice to the Massapequa youth. 4 A social media post made by Trump in April said, 'LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!' Instagram/realdonaldtrump Advertisement 'I've never seen anyone disrespect it. It's always like a point of pride…We're the Chiefs. That's our identity, we proudly wore it on our jerseys,' he said. 'We were often the winning team. That added to the fact that we just really respected the name and felt like it was part of our winning culture.' Now, Roberts is planning to take that victorious reputation inside the courtroom with an update expected around July. 'We're very, very confident we're going to prevail in this matter for Massapequa,' he said.


New York Post
17 minutes ago
- New York Post
Who won the first NYC Democratic mayoral primary debate?
Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo won Wednesday night's Democratic mayoral primary debate — because his opponents' relentless attacks did more to elevate him than drag him down, a Post panel of veteran campaign strategists said. The thrice-elected Democrat took some gut punches, but there was no knockout blow or major blunder on his part, the political analysts on both sides of the aisle said. 'I tuned in to see a mayoral debate, not a debate about Andrew Cuomo,' quipped campaign strategist Ken Frydman of the nine-person debate moderated by NBC 4 NY and Politico. Advertisement 8 Democratic mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo shakes hands with fellow candidate Zohran Mamdani behind Whitney Tilson at the beginning of the NYC Democratic mayoral primary debate on June 4, 2025. via REUTERS 'By making Andrew the debate, they elevated him,' said Frydman. Because Cuomo was constantly under fire, he got more air time to respond to each jab and by default dominated the more than two hour debate, the political experts said. Advertisement 'Everyone tried to land a punch on Andrew Cuomo, but failed,' said campaign strategist O' Brien 'OB' Murray. 'The first 20 minutes gave Cuomo the center stage, literally and figuratively,' he said, referring to the ex-gov's position in the middle of the group of candidates standing on the dais at 30 Rockefeller Center. 'He handled the attacks and was able to deflect. They actually gave him more airtime than they should have,' Murray said. 8 Former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during his spot at the democratic debate. via REUTERS Advertisement Republican campaign strategist Bill O'Reilly said the verbal pummeling Cuomo received from most of his eight primary rivals does not alter his status as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. 'It was Andrew Cuomo vs. the Lilliputians, and the Lilliputians fell short. That's the bottom line,' O'Reilly said. 'Someone needed to trip up the former governor to slow his momentum, but it was clear from the jump that wouldn't happen. Cuomo hasn't lost a step since leaving Albany, and the field lacked the skill to crack him.' Cuomo also counter-attacked, taking shots at his biggest threats in the polls — 33-year-old Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, a state Assembly member from Queens, and City Comptroller Brad Lander. Advertisement 8 Andrew Cuomo and Adrienne Adams hug onstage after the debate. via REUTERS 8 The nine NYC Democratic mayoral candidates Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie, Andrew Cuomo, Whitney Tilson, Zohran Mamdani, Michael Blake and Scott Stringer. POOL/AFP via Getty Images The former governor delivered the best line when he said' '[President] Trump would go through Mamdani like a knife through butter,' O'Reilly noted. Frydman said the candidates and moderators did force Cuomo to squirm to defend his record as governor, including his controversial nursing home policy during the COVID-19 pandemic and his approval of the unpopular 2019 bail reforms. They also tried to make him answer for the spate of sexual misconduct accusations leveled against him — that he denied, but that forced his resignation in 2021. Some of the other candidates had 'break out moments' — including former Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Mamdani, said political advisor Yvette Buckner. 'That will have voters wanting to learn more about them, their policies and their candidacy,' she said. Advertisement Frydman, too, said Adams' performance 'moved the needle' for her campaign, which has been slow to gain momentum despite support from state Attorney General Letitia James. 'She introduced herself to Democratic voters well enough on substance to move up in ranked-choice voting,' he said. But Cuomo's comfortable lead over second place Mamdani in recent polls should hold, Frydman said. O'Reilly agreed, but said Mamdani remains Cuomo's 'greatest threat' for the nomination in the June 24 primary. Advertisement 8 Brad Lander and Michael Blake shake hands after participating in the debate. via REUTERS 8 Jessica Ramos is spotted leaving the NYC Democratic Mayoral Debate at NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in NY on June 4, 2025. Christopher Sadowski Two of the panelists agreed that Lander is competent, but his persona didn't translate on TV. 'He oozes insincerity in a car-salesman-type way,' O'Reilly said. Advertisement But he said Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie's sincerity came across 'easily,' calling him a rising star in the Democratic Party. 8 NY Gov. Kathy Hochul leaves NBC Studios after the debate. Christopher Sadowski 8 Zellnor Myrie talks to reporters after leaving the debate stage. Christopher Sadowski Murray concurred, saying Lander has a 'stage presence for radio and a delivery for print. He confirmed why he has his wife and daughter on videos, instead of himself.' Advertisement Another candidate, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer who previously ran for mayor in 2021, didn't break through, the panelists said. 'Stringer was Stringer — flat and after a second run for mayor still didn't connect to voters,' Murray said. All but two of the Democratic contenders will debate again on June 12, save for Blake and state Sen. Jessica Ramos, who failed to meet the campaign funding threshold. Nine days of early voting will precede the primary, beginning on June 14.

Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Yvette Clarke endorses Adrienne Adams for New York City mayor
NEW YORK — Rep. Yvette Clarke is endorsing Adrienne Adams as her top choice for New York City mayor, lending the City Council speaker a much-needed boost as she seeks traction in the final weeks of the campaign, POLITICO reports exclusively. Clarke and her powerbroker mother Una Clarke are influential among Caribbean New Yorkers. They're also closely allied with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who recruited and endorsed Adams in a contentious primary that Andrew Cuomo is dominating. Adams is a late entry into the race. She qualified only last week for public matching funds. And she's been polling behind Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani, the surging Democratic socialist who's closing the gap with the former governor. 'Working families in Brooklyn and across this city deserve a mayor who puts people first — someone who leads with both strength and compassion, and who has the experience to make government work for everyone,' Clarke said in a statement. 'Speaker Adrienne Adams is ready on day one to partner with me and my colleagues in protecting New Yorkers from the harmful policies coming out of the White House.' Clarke, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said she will make Adams her No. 1 pick in the ranked choice primary June 24. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, another Brooklyn Democrat, also endorsed Adams but additionally backed Mamdani and progressive city Comptroller Brad Lander in April as a part of her slate. The incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, is forgoing the Democratic primary and will run in the general election as an independent candidate. Clarke's nod comes as her political club, the Progressive Democrats Political Association, plans to endorse an unranked slate of candidates that includes Cuomo, though many members wanted to make Adrienne Adams their top choice, three people familiar with the decision told POLITICO. The Brooklyn club, founded by Una Clarke, considered backing Adams first, followed by Lander, Cuomo, club member Zellnor Myrie and Mamdani — in that order. But amid deliberations about whether to rank the candidates and pressure from Cuomo's allies within the club, members instead plan to release a five-candidate slate that shows no preferential order, according to two people familiar with the process who were granted anonymity to speak freely. Clarke's endorsement is one of the last from New York congressional delegation members in the primary. She endorsed Maya Wiley in the 2021 primary for mayor. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Adriano Espaillat of Manhattan and the Bronx, endorsed Cuomo last month. And the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus chair, Rep. Grace Meng of Queens, has yet to make her pick in the crowded primary. The prized congressional endorsement among the primary's progressives is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has yet to announce her choices.