Gov. Andrew Cuomo turned a civic association event Thursday about a planned $13 billion overhaul of JFK Airport into a campaign-like bashing of President Trump and Republicans.
The fireworks started when Cuomo fielded softball questions from the audience during the Association for a Better New York breakfast following an update on the JFK renovations.
Cuomo, a Democrat who is running for a third term, was asked whether he supported the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court — which triggered a confrontation with state Republican chairman Ed Cox, who attended the event at Gotham Hall.
Cuomo said he opposes Kavanaugh’s confirmation because the nominee was “disrespectful” to the Senate Judiciary Committee and displayed “partisan anger” during a hearing last week.
“I did not see judicial temperament. I think they will confirm him. I believe the Republican Party is afraid not to confirm him,” Cuomo said.
“Even the New York Republicans are afraid to oppose him. You ask the New York Republicans where they stand, they won’t say they oppose Kavanaugh. They are all Trump mini-mes. And they’re all in line.”
Cox could be heard heckling Cuomo from the audience and giving the governor a thumbs down.
Cox told The Post that Republicans in New York back Kavanaugh’s nomination — though the GOP candidate for governor, Marc Molinaro, has not taken a stand.
“The governor said the Republican Party in New York was not supporting Kavanaugh. I said, `You’re wrong. We are supporting Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court,’” Cox recalled yelling at Cuomo.
Cuomo responded by calling Cox a “mini-me” of Trump, the same language he uses to criticize Molinaro.
After the event, Cox said it was wrong for ABNY and Cuomo to turn an event about infrastructure into a partisan, campaign-style rally a month before the Nov. 6 election.
“Cuomo started to make political statements that has nothing to with infrastructure,” Cox said.
Molinaro said ABNY has yet to invite him to address the group.
“Were I invited, I would say to @ABetterNY: I will cut your taxes, I have a real plan to fix the MTA and I promise to never threaten or shake you down,” Molinaro tweeted.
Molinaro also said it was “hypocritical” of Cuomo to attack Republicans as anti-women “when he worked in Albany with Vito Lopez, Sheldon Silver, Jeff Klein and Sam Hoyt,” referring to former lawmakers who were accused of either sexual misconduct or covering up inappropriate actions.
ABNY spokesman Ryan Carbain said, “The Power Breakfast was a policy event about infrastructure and improvements to JFK Airport, and not intended to be political.”
