Coronavirus: New York governor Andrew Cuomo touted as Democratic presidential hopeful

Andrew Cuomo is suddenly the most prominent Democrat in the US. Presidential hopeful Joe Biden, meanwhile, lurches from one disaster to the next.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo; Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden; US President Donald Trump.

After unexpectedly becoming the country’s most prominent Democrat, Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York State, has denied that he has ambitions to be president.

Mr Cuomo, 62, is being mooted as an alternative to Joe Biden to take on President Trump after gaining a national profile through daily press conferences where he sets out his challenges and response to coronavirus in the country’s worst-hit state.

The excitement about his strong performance led Mr Cuomo to deny eight times that he would consider running for president in an interview with his younger brother, the CNN presenter Chris Cuomo.

Mr Biden, 77, continues to struggle to master the art of broadcasting from his basement in Delaware. His virtual campaign events are plagued by glitches while his rare appearances on TV continue to produce mixed results, with conservatives on social media seizing upon minor muddles when he loses his place in his notes or the teleprompter.

Mr Cuomo has been working closely with the White House while occasionally facing barbs from President Trump as the governor remained critical of the national effort to supply ventilators and other equipment.

However, there was a truce this week over the deployment of the hospital ship USES Comfort to New York harbour.

Chris Cuomo, 49, who announced on Tuesday that he had been diagnosed with coronavirus, repeatedly asked his brother on Monday night about whether he was thinking about running for president.

“With all of this adulation you’re getting, are you thinking about running for president?” Mr Cuomo asked his elder brother. “No, no,” the governor replied. “No, you won’t answer?” the CNN host asked. Andrew Cuomo, who was the state attorney-general before becoming governor in 2011, added: “No. The answer is no.”

An emergency field hospital for patients suffering from the coronavirus in New York’s Central Park. Picture: AFP

Asked about Mr Biden, Andrew Cuomo said: “I worked with him when he was vice-president. He has been a tremendous asset to the state of New York when he was the vice-president with President Obama. I can’t say enough good things about Joe Biden, he’s a great public servant. He’s been extraordinary on a number of levels.”

President Trump had earlier said that he “wouldn’t mind running against Andrew” as he criticised Mr Biden, who remains the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination after a series of primary election victories.

The Times