Ortt criticizes Cuomo for comment, ‘America was never that great’
State Sen. Robert Ortt is criticizing Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a speech earlier today in Manhattan when he said, “We’re not going to make America great again. It was never that great.”
Cuomo was giving a speech, taking President Donald Trump to task over his comments and policies toward women. The governor was speaking about a need more women’s rights. He signed a bill to make sex trafficking in New York a felony.
But the governor has drawn more media attention when he addressed Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again,” saying Trump policies are moving the country backward.
“The simple point is all this comes down to this: We’re not going to make America great again. It was never that great,” Cuomo said.
He followed by saying, “We have not reached greatness. We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged. We will reach greatness when discrimination and stereotyping against women — 51 percent of our population — is gone.”
Ortt is among the many Republican officials criticizing Cuomo’s comments.
“America has been and continues to be the greatest country humanity has ever seen,” Ortt said in statement. “Gov. Cuomo’s belief that our country has never been great is not only dishonest but also insulting. His choice of language reeks of political pandering and does a disservice to the men and women who not only risk their lives daily, but those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and died under the belief that our country is the greatest the world has ever seen. Instead of trying to score political points with democratic socialists and outright communists, Gov. Cuomo should remember why his family, like mine, came to this country all those years ago – because it was and still is – the greatest country ever.”
Cuomo’s press secretary, Dani Lever, issued a statement this afternoon, offering more clarification to the governor’s comments.
“Jessica Proud, spokesperson for the Republican Party said, ‘America is & always has been the greatest.’ She should talk to President Trump who says make America great again – which obviously means he doesn’t think it is great now.
“Governor Cuomo disagrees with the President. The Governor believes America is great and that her full greatness will be fully realized when every man, woman, and child has full equality. America has not yet reached its maximum potential.
“When the President speaks about making America great again – going back in time – he ignores the pain so many endured and that we suffered from slavery, discrimination, segregation, sexism and marginalized women’s contributions. The Governor believes that when everyone is fully included and everyone is contributing to their maximum potential, that is when America will achieve maximum greatness.”
