Media top headlines August 3
In media news today, CNN's Jake Tapper defends Nancy Pelosi after Sen. Susan Collins knocks speaker for 'partisan' Jan. 6 committee, PBS' Yamiche Alcindor lobbies Biden to extend eviction moratorium, and the Washingtonian attempts to cover for DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's photo scandal
Embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D., set Twitter ablaze Tuesday with a bizarre slideshow of him touching and kissing people during a pre-recorded denial that he sexually harassed multiple women.
"I do it with everyone. Black and White, young and old, straight and LGBTQ, powerful people, friends, strangers, people who I meet on the street," Cuomo said as the slideshow played, providing evidence that he's touched all sorts of people.
"Doing it to everyone does not make it OK," Fox News’ Emily Compagno said Tuesday.
The slideshow showed Cuomo hugging, kissing or touching everyone from random New Yorkers to Robert De Niro and Bill Clinton.
"A slideshow of @NYGovCuomo kissing people does NOT negate that he sexually harassed his employees," New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi tweeted.
CUOMO SEXUALLY HARASSED MULTIPLE WOMEN IN VIOLATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, AG FINDS
New York Attorney General Letitia James, D., announced her investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo, which included interviews with 179 people, found he had harassed and inappropriately touched 11 women in his orbit from 2013 to 2020.
Cuomo delivered a video address shortly after the release of the bombshell report that corroborated accounts of the accusers, nine of whom are current or former state employees. The allegations included claims that Cuomo made inappropriate comments or touched them without consent.
Cuomo also said his lawyer prepared a rebuttal document that responds to each of the attorney general's office's findings. The lengthy document features a variety of photographs – similar to the slideshow – of Cuomo touching and kissing various people, both men and women, to prove his interactions with accusers are no different than "thousands of similar interactions that he and other politicians" have had during their careers.
"Gov Andrew Cuomo: I Didn’t Harass Those Women, I’m Just Italian," Spectator U.S. editor Amber Athey tweeted, mocking the governor’s denial.
CUOMO SEXUAL HARASSMENT INVESTIGATION: READ THE FULL REPORT
Journalist Siraj Hashmi called the slideshow "psychotic," while many questioned who was given the task of putting it together.
Many others took to Twitter with thoughts on the strange montage:
Following James' assessment that Cuomo had violated state and federal law through his conduct, the Albany County prosecutor said the governor is now under criminal investigation.
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Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.