#Gov. Cuomo nearly refers to himself as president in Freudian slip

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Freudian slip may have shown Friday when he nearly referred to himself as “President Cuomo.”

“Why didn’t you listen to president — Andrew — Cuomo,” the governor was forced to quickly correct himself,  “when he said 11 times there were other states that have Green Lights Laws?”

Cuomo made the comment during a coronavirus press briefing in Albany while discussing the federal government’s abandonment of a lawsuit banning New Yorkers from being included in the federally-run Trusted Traveler programs.

The Democratic governor has been cast into the national spotlight — and at times has thrust himself into it — throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and has often been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate.

But Cuomo, during the health crisis, has shot down having any thoughts of running for president as long as Joe Biden as the nominee.

During Friday’s briefing, Cuomo also slammed federal officials, calling for a federal investigation into the actions of Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf and Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli by Attorney General Bill Barr as well as by House Democratic leadership.

On Thursday, the Trump administration said it will let New Yorkers back into Trusted Traveler programs.

“You can’t play politics with government. You can’t use the Department of Justice as a political tool. You can’t use the Department of Homeland Security as a political tool, it doesn’t work that way. And it’s not just ‘not right’ and unethical and immoral, it’s illegal, it’s illegal,” Cuomo argued.

“I believe Mr. Wolf and Mr. Cuccinelli have possible criminal liability. I believe there is civil liability. It was a clear abuse of government power for political purposes,” Cuomo said, adding, “I also call on Speaker Pelosi, Congressman Nadler and Congressman Bennie Thompson to do a Congressional investigation on this issue. It has hurt New Yorkers, it’s hurt our economy.”

The controversy began in February when DHS blocked New Yorkers from the federal traveler program, arguing they needed additional access to state DMV records to ensure no undocumented persons were applying for the program under the Empire State’s new “Green Light Law” allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for and obtain drivers licenses.