Among her other consulting roles before working with Buttigieg, Smith served as de Blasio’s spokeswoman during his 2013 mayoral race. After de Blasio’s victory, however, Smith was denied a spot in his administration after intense tabloid coverage of her relationship with former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Smith was also Cuomo’s spokeswoman when the governor successfully ran for reelection in 2018, securing a third term in office. His years-long feud with de Blasio is well-documented in New York politics.
“Crises are where you really see who has what it takes to be a leader. And, you know, you’ve seen it, I think, with Andrew Cuomo,” Smith said Monday, adding that “he’s really risen to this challenge” as de Blasio has “really shrunk away.”
Smith similarly charged that the mayor “has not led by example” — citing his heavily criticized March visit to his Park Slope YMCA, his exercise routine in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, his announcement that the city would proceed with its Fourth of July fireworks celebrations, and his plans to throw a ticker tape parade for health care workers and first responders after the outbreak has passed.
“I think this is a good lesson for New Yorkers that maybe … we should really put competence as the number one thing for our next mayor. And I don’t think that will be a hard sell after how Bill de Blasio has done over the last few months,” Smith said.
Cuomo, meanwhile, has seen his approval rating and public profile soar as he has sought to manage the epicenter of America’s coronavirus outbreak. And although his early response to the disease’s spread has drawn some scrutiny, the governor has continued to receive praise for his command of the state’s bureaucracy and data-driven daily news briefings.
“There are tremendous, tremendous challenges in New York. And what’s notable, I think, about Gov. Cuomo’s leadership is that unlike Donald Trump, he’s willing to admit when he makes mistakes. He’s willing to, sort of, reverse course on actions and to take blame when things don’t go right,” Smith said. “And it’s been a striking contrast with both Bill de Blasio and Donald Trump.”
