Midmorning With Aundrea - October 16, 2020 (Part 3)

(Part 3 of 4) The grown daughters of Governor Andrew Cuomo have moved back home in the wake of the coronavirus.

On mid morning.

The pandemic has forced lifestyle changes on families across our land.

...including the family of the man who - for many months - was the public face at the center of the covid outbreak.

Tracy smith is at home... with the cuomos: gov.

Cuomo: 14:08:38 go ahead.

Daughter #2: 14:08:38 in name of the father, son, and holy spirit amen in this house...like so many other homes across america....sundays mean dinner with the family.

Nats dinner and in this family - like so many others - the adults kids have moved back home.

Michaela, mariah and cara kennedy cuomo - all quarantining together- with governor andrew cuomo - their dad cara kennedy- cuomo: 00:02:01 i actually rember when dad called me right at the beginning of this and said, "this i gonna be a big deal.

This is gonna be a really big deal and a really important time in this country's history.

And you should be here for it.// tracy smith: 00:02:55 so you-- governor, you kind of engineered this, getting all of your girls back together under one roof?

Governor andrew cuomo: 00:03:00 yeah.

I don't know that you can say that i could engineer anything with my girls.

But i was-- i was suggestive-- of the concept.

// i wanted them here.

I wanted them with me.

I needed them in many ways.

For 111 days straight - governor cuomo held briefings about covid 19.

He says he tried to present just the facts...but the facts were often grim.

On one day alone - april 9 - new york lost 799 lives to the virus.

Nats april 9 briefing 8:50 "tha is so shocking and painful and breathtaking i don't even have the words for it."

Cara: 14:30:12 sometimes he-- he would come home, and you could see it on him.

// and you would hear-- sort of this big deep breath that he takes.

And then you would know that he is stressed.

14:30:36 and i think that what i tried to do, and what i saw my sisters do is just say, "dad you are doing such a great job, and we are so proud of you.// 14:33:45 michaela every day i'd say, "how are yo gonna get better sleep tonight?"

Because we know that's so important for functioning.

Tracy smith: 14:33:53 did he sleep?

Michaela : 14:33:55 he didn't sleep for 111 days.

Just like their dad, and áhisá late dad governor mario cuomo..these young women have activism is in their blood.

Their mom - and cuomos former wife - kerry kennedy founded the robert f kennedy human rights project - named after their grandfather.

So of course, when the time came, the kennedy-cuomo daughters jumped right in to covid relief efforts.

A state contest for ads encouraging mask use was mariah's idea.

Nats ad "i wear mask" https://www.youtu be.com/watch?v=- l2srdl26q4&featur e=youtu.be the governor marshaled public support...and resources...and it worked...as new york covid numbers fell...the daughters say people across the world started asking his team's for advice...so they told their dad he had to do more.

Tracy smith: 13:28:46 it sounds like you guys kind of pushed him.

"we'r getting all these requests for, 'how'd you do it,' we need to come out with something"?

/ cara kennedy- cuomo: 13:28:53 right.// cara kennedy-cuomo: 13:27:22 i think, you know, from the first day, we were all saying, "yo have to write this down.

You have to communicate this somehow."/ the result is a new book: "america cris - leadership lessons from the covid 19 pandemic."

But to some, a book about "lessons" seems if not presumptuous - at least a bit premature.

' tracy smith: 00:21:17 do you see how some people say this is you taking a victory lap in the middle of a pandemic?

Governor andrew cuomo: 00:21:25 oh, there's no victory here.

The game isn't over.

This is halftime in the game.

Let's learn the lesson from the first half of the game and play a better second half.

But we have to play a whole second half of this game.

And there's gonna be another virus, and another infection, and another bacteria.

And we can't make the mistakes we made this time.

Still, to date, the state leads the nation in coronavirus deaths.

More than 30,000.

Tracy smith: 13:32:11 --you know that there are people out there saying, "wait a minute, wh is he setting himself up as the guy who did everything right.

S-- new york still has the largest number of deaths of any state."

Governor andrew cuomo: 13:32:21 well, new york has the largest number of deaths because new york had the largest number of cases.

We had a much worse infection rate than any other state.

And we had it before anyone knew anything about covid.// what happened in new york was unique.

We were ambushed.

Nobody knew the virus was here.

That's not true five months later.

Everybody knows it's here.

There is no reason that we still have this infection rate going up across the country.

There is just no reason.

Tracy smith: 13:34:15 and that's why you think it's urgent-- governor andrew cuomo: 13:34:16 yes.

Tracy smith: 13:34:17 --to get this-- governor andrew cuomo: 13:34:17 yes.

Tracy smith: 13:34:18 --message out?

"here's what yo can do" governor andrew cuomo: 13:34:19 yes.

Nats mathilda zoom in briefing the governor knows his family has been lucky.

For months, he could only talk with his 89 year old mother matilda via zoom, but they finally had a face to face visit.

1339:39 :t turned out fine at the end of the day.

But it was-- i feel like i lost a lot of time with her that i just wish that i hadn't.

Tracy smith: 00:00:10 is your dad touchy feely?

Michaela kennedy- cuomo: 00:00:12 i think so.// i think that your-- his confidence and his masculinity and stoicism allowed him to be able to admit his vulnerabilities and emotions that, "i a scared right now.// 00:01:15 and i think that, is he touchy feely?

No.

But i think he is an amazing-- ly vulnerable man.

Do you like that?

Governor andrew cuomo: 00:01:32 i'll take that.

Sensitive.

I'm a sensitive soul-- michaela kennedy- cuomo: 00:01:34 sensitive.

Tracy smith: 00:01:34 sensitive?

Are you a sensitive soul?

Yes-- governor andrew cuomo: 00:01:36 i'm a sensitive soul.

The governor's girls have become his roommates and his co-workers... and his fiercest defenders.

Tracy smith: 00:15:47 so as protective as you are of your dad and as much as you wanna protect him, i would imagine there will come a time when you guys are gonna leave again, right-- governor andrew cuomo: 00:15:59 nope.

There will never come a time when they leave.

That is not going to happen.

Why would they want to leave?

Tracy smith: 00:16:07 they do have exciting lives of their own.

They might wanna-- governor andrew cuomo: 00:16:10 they can-- tracy smith: 00:16:10 --go pursue those.

Governor andrew cuomo: 00:16:12 no, they can do that with me.

Right?

You can stay here with me and do whatever you wanna do.// tracy smith: 00:16:21 are you-- are-- are-- are you guys-- in all seriousness, are you a little worried about dad all alone in this big, old house?

Michaela kennedy- cuomo: 00:16:30 yeah, i am.

I think that-- it-- it's brought me joy to see the joy that cara, mariah and i being home brings to dad.

And everybody in his team around him always says, "you dad is a different person when you guys are around."/ 00:16:55 but having that comedic relief and also love-- it-- it makes me sad to think about dad not being-- having that.//.

But i know that he'll travel to any part of new york state-- to be with us.

And he'll let everybody know around us that we're his daughter and be careful when you're around her.

H-- you guys are the social media savvy ones.

Have you helped your dad with his dating life?

Gotten online for him?

Set up a profile and anything like that?

Governor andrew cuomo: 00:19:14 nothing.

Cara kennedy- cuomo: 00:19:15 no online profiles.

Governor andrew cuomo: 00:19:17 no online profile.

Cara kennedy- cuomo: 00:19:19 he hasn't hit bumble quite yet, but.

Governor andrew cuomo: 00:19:22 no offers.

Tracy smith: 00:19:24 no encouragement?

Governor andrew cuomo: 00:19:26 no encouragement.?

Cara kennedy- cuomo: 00:19:27 he's busy right now.

He can get to dating post global pandemic.

Sorry.

Of course there's always the possibility that dad will be the one to move away from albany...though he's repeatedly insited he has no interest in going to washington.

Tracy smith: 13:46:07 so as much as he says, "i'm governo of new york for as long as they'll have me," do yo guys maybe have higher aspirations for him?

Michaela kennedy- cuomo: 13:46:14 i kind of feel a little bit the opposite.

I feel like, as a, like, daughter a little bit more self- minded-- i like dad being in new york.

He really likes it here.

Who wishes that i had someone i could vote for who would be more inspiring and someone who seems more competent or just, like, anyone in washington who seems competent, empathetic-- would make me feel a lot better.

And so if that were dad, i'd be a really grateful and proud american.

And-- i guess a busier daughter.

For now, the governor and other leaders have their hands full with the virus.

President trump - whom cuomo blames for mushandling the countrys response.

- has the disease himself.

And as cuomo said, its only halftime.

Tracy smith: 13:42:07 i'm wondering when you heard that the president was diagnosed with covid, whether it shocked you?

Governor andrew cuomo: 13:42:15 it did shock me.

It shocked me because i was aware of-- the protections he had around him.// governor andrew cuomo: 13:42:52 the-- i think it is-- i think in many ways, it's another wakeup call for this country.// i think this says to everyone, this is real.

You can get it.

Even the president of the united states can get it.

13:43:50 and i also hope it's a moment where this nation just puts aside the ugly politics that has become the way of this country, you know?//13:44:19 this is just a moment for humanity-- and love and compassion.

And i wish him the best.

And i wish his family the best.

And i hope-- i'm sure they're living with santa and rudolph.

Santa and rudolph.

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