President Trump was on everybody’s mind as the four Democratic candidates running for New York attorney general faced off in Manhattan on Tuesday night.
City Public Advocate Letitia James, Fordham law school professor Zephyr Teachout, New York Rep. Sean Maloney and ex-Hillary Clinton aide Leecia Eve largely stayed clear of confronting each other during the debate, instead finding common ground in their distaste for Trump.
“Right now, we have someone in the White House who’s an affront to democracy,” James said at the amicable event at WeWork’s offices in Bryant Park. “At a time when the President of the United States won’t denounce white supremacists, we’re all in the boat together.”
James, who’s the front-runner with 26% of the vote, according to the latest poll from Quinnipiac University, has faced criticism from the other candidates over her closeness to Gov. Cuomo and recent insinuation that she’s not interested in becoming the “sheriff of Wall Street” as New York attorney general.
But such concerns were overshadowed by Trump on Tuesday.
“What you need right now in this office is someone who understands the threats coming from Washington,” said Maloney, who will vacate his congressional seat if he gets picked as state AG. “It’s not just Trump, the person, but Trump, the administration.”
State Attorney General Barbara Underwood, who’s stepping down after the midterms, got several shoutouts for filing a lawsuit in June accusing Trump and his family members of using the family’s namesake foundation to commit sweeping campaign finance law violations and self-dealing. Underwood replaced Eric Schneiderman after he resigned in the wake of shocking sexual misconduct allegations from multiple women.
The most heated moment of the Tuesday night debate came when moderator Mike Allen asked each candidate what their stance was on the ridesharing cap recently passed by the City Council, which halts the issuance of new licenses for most for-hire vehicles for a year in an effort to regulate apps like Uber and Lyft, whose rapid growth has derailed the city’s yellow cab industry.
James, Maloney and Eve came out against the cap, arguing it stifles economic growth. Teachout, on the other hand, refused to take a position, dodging several questions on the matter.
“You got to take a position,” James fired in response.
Wrapping up the forum, each candidate got a chance to take shots at Cuomo.
James, who has been endorsed by Cuomo, raised her hand in eagerness to answer.
“He’s got a huge personality. He’s also very peculiar,” she said without elaborating before explaining that Cuomo endorsed her because of her extensive public service resume.
Eve, who used to work as an aide for Cuomo, criticized the governor for closing down the Moreland Commission, which probed corruption in Albany. Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara picked up the investigation after Cuomo disbarred the commission, resulting in the convictions of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.
“I wouldn’t have closed down the Moreland Commission,” Eve said. “I think that was a mistake, I think that was a huge mistake.”
