The second week in August began with a bang as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo dramatically resigned following a damning report accusing him of sexual harassment. It ended, however, with increasing fears that Afghanistan could fall to the Taliban in just a number of days and with it, criticism on how the Biden administration has handled the withdrawal from the war-torn country.
Here are the quotes of the week.
“BULLIES NEVER FIGHT!”
– Former President Donald Trump sends out a cryptic message to his followers, perhaps in reference to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation.
“Government operations and wasting energy on distraction is the last thing government should be. I cannot be the cause. New York tough means New York loving. And I love New York, and I love you. Everything I have ever done has been motivated by that love, and I would never want to be unhelpful in any way.
I want them to know from the bottom of my heart that I never did, and I never would intentionally disrespect a woman, treat any woman differently than I would want them treated, and that is the God honest truth.
Your dad made mistakes. And he apologized, and he learned from it, and that’s what life is all about.”
– New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his sudden resignation speech after a damning sexual harassment report sunk his career.
“I agree with Gov. Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers.
As someone who has served at all levels of government and is next in the line of succession, I am prepared to lead as New York State’s 57th governor.
– New York’s Lt. Gov Kathy Hochul, who will take over from Cuomo when he resigns toward the end of August.
“I think it’s very clear that the governor [Cuomo] and I have not been close, physically or otherwise, in terms of much time. I’ve been traveling the state and do not spend much time in his presence.”
– Hochul, the day after Cuomo’s resignation.
“It looks at best naïve and at worst ignorant. Weakness begets war, and you can see what weak leadership ultimately leads to.”
– Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and the Biden administration’s role in it.
“The Taliban also has to make an assessment about what they want their role to be in the international community.”
– White House press secretary Jen Psaki, on the Taliban in Afghanistan, a statement she was widely mocked for.
“You no longer value me or many other teachers you have employed in this county. So since my contract outlines the power that you have over my employment in Loudoun County Public Schools, I thought it necessary to resign in front of you.
School board, I quit.
I quit your policies, I quit your training, and I quit being a cog in a machine that tells me to push highly politicized agendas on our most vulnerable constituents — the children.
I will find employment elsewhere. I encourage all parents and staff in this county to flood the private schools.”
– Loudoun County, Virginia, school teacher Laura Morris, whose passionate resignation speech in front of the school board went viral earlier this week.
“A couple of days ago, I was down in Mexico, and I said look, you know, ‘If our borders are the first line of defense, we’re going to lose, and this is unsustainable. We can’t continue like this, our people in the field can’t continue, and our system isn’t built for it.”
– DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in leaked audio obtained by Fox News.
“I’d give him an ‘F.’ You know, you’d like to call him a crackpot. No, he’s not. [Sen.] Rand Paul is a crackpot because he believes crazy things. DeSantis doesn’t even believe what he’s talking about. He’s totally unfit to govern in any way, and he’s an embarrassment to every governor, I mean every governor, both Republicans and Democrats. A guy like this should never be in public authority.”
– One-time presidential contender Howard Dean on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a segment of MSNBC’s The Beat with Ari Melber.
