New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D.) said Tuesday he will not run for president in 2020, telling a radio station he has a "full plate" with his new term.
A fierce critic of President Donald Trump, Cuomo told WNYC's Brian Lehrer he could rule out a run, in a clip flagged by CNN. Cuomo said politicians who don't touch people and improve their lives have failed, and he said voters went with Trump "out of desperation" because of Democratic Party failings.
When he said Democrats needed a positive program for people to rally behind, Lehrer asked him if he was describing himself in his analysis of the ideal candidate.
"I am ruling it out. I ran for governor, I have a full plate, I have many projects. I'm going to be here doing the job of governor," Cuomo said. "I am governor of New York, and I have a lot to do."
Cuomo claimed in August he would serve four years if elected to a third term, unless God struck him dead, but it's common for politicians to make definitive pledges not to run for president while in the midst of other campaigns and then change course.
Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D., Texas) said during his Senate campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) that he would definitely not run for president in 2020, but he hedged this week in the aftermath of his loss, saying he hadn't ruled it out.
"Nothing has changed in my calculus. I have my own expectation of what a candidate the Democratic Party needs to win, and I think you'll see a viable candidate in the Democratic field," Cuomo said. "It's not going to be enough to be anti-Trump. We need a candidate who brings credibility and experience, Brian, to the job, and can connect with the people we lost as Democrats, the working men and women of this country who went with Trump because of the void left by the Democratic Party, and I think that's going to materialize."
Cuomo raised eyebrows in August when he remarked America "was never that great," in response to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. He later backtracked and said America was great but hadn't achieved its full potential.