Ross Barkan on Andrew Cuomo
Audio Excerpt and Notes from Writer’s Voice Interview
Quick Take
In this excerpt from a 2021 conversation, journalist and author Ross Barkan joins Writer’s Voice host Francesca Rheannon to discuss his book The Prince: Andrew Cuomo, the Coronavirus & the Fall of New York. The book—and the interview—offer a searing examination of Andrew Cuomo’s leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, shining a spotlight on how political loyalty, centralized control, and petty rivalries endangered public health and ultimately led to Cuomo’s political downfall.
Deeper Dive
New York City has already completed early voting in the Democratic primary for mayor. Primary day is tomorrow. Andrew Cuomo is still leading in the polls, although Zohran Mamdani is narrowing the former governor’s lead—and Brad Lander, in third place, may get a boost after he was detained by ICE while trying to escort an immigrant out of the Federal building after the man was stripped of his status by a judge who dismissed his case.
Back in 2021, during the last election for New York governor, I interviewed reporter Ross Barkan about his book, The Prince: Andrew Cuomo, The Coronavirus & The Fall of New York. It’s a deep dive into Cuomo’s record during the coronavirus epidemic in New York and his governing style.
Cuomo was widely criticized for causing thousands of deaths in nursing homes after he ordered covid patients to be released to them from hospitals. In this excerpt from the interview, Ross Barkan critically examines former Governor Andrew Cuomo's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his broader governing style, which Barkan characterizes as centralized, loyalty-driven, and prone to incompetence. The conversation highlights how Cuomo’s demand for personal loyalty among his aides undermined public health decisions and fueled political rivalries—most notably with NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Barkan outlines how Cuomo's micromanagement led to dangerous delays in the state's pandemic response, including late shutdown orders and mishandling of nursing home policies. He criticizes the politicization of vaccine distribution and the use of unqualified political operatives, rather than health professionals, to make critical public health decisions. The nursing home scandal—marked by the controversial decision to return COVID-positive patients to facilities and undercount resulting deaths—is pointed to as a significant failure of leadership and transparency.
📌 Key Topics
* Cuomo’s micromanagement and reliance on political loyalty
* Delays in shutdown orders due to political rivalries
* Use of unqualified political operatives in public health roles
* Nursing home COVID policy and death undercounting scandal
* Comparison between Cuomo and Trump in leadership style
* Failures of transparency and accountability in crisis management
🗣️ Key Quotes
“Cuomo is someone who micromanages and politicizes facets of government that should not be politicized.”
“He relies on a very close coterie of aides who remain in his orbit not because they're extremely competent… because they're extremely loyal.”
“You get these very personalized, petty conflicts that override the greater decisions that should be made.”
“I do think there's more similarities between [Cuomo and Trump] than a lot of liberal left-leaning people would admit.”
“Cuomo repeatedly compared [COVID] to the flu… said the fear is worse than the virus itself.”
“It's this mixture of top-down, authoritarian-like governance and also a degree of incompetence as well.”