Cuomo Says Diversity Can Be a 'Strength' and a 'Weakness' in Interview [View all]

Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo told MSNBC on Saturday that in New York, “diversity is our strength, but it can also be a weakness,” even as he said he unequivocally condemned any Islamophobic comments directed at Zohran Mamdani, his opponent in the race for mayor of New York City.

His comment came after one of the hosts, Jacqueline Alemany, reminded Mr. Cuomo that when Mayor Eric Adams had endorsed him last week, “Mayor Adams stood next to you and warned about Islamic extremism if Mamdani wins and you stood there and you nodded along.”

Asked if he would unequivocally denounce Islamophobic comments toward Mr. Mamdani, the Democrat front-runner and a Muslim, Mr. Cuomo replied, “100 percent,” adding that he condemned all bigoted remarks.

Then he added that in New York, “Our diversity is our strength, but it can also be a weakness. So you have to work very, very hard to make sure you’re always keeping people united, and there’s always flare-ups among different races, religions, creeds for one reason or another.”



https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/nyregion/cuomo-interview-islamophobia-diversity-mamdani.html?referringSource=articleShare