Biden says apart from personal behavior, Cuomo did a "hell of a job" as governor

President Biden on Tuesday said outgoing New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has done a "hell of a job" as far as his performance as governor goes, while saying women who make allegations of sexual harassment should be believed. Mr. Biden specifically cited Cuomo's work on infrastructure and voting rights among a "whole range of things" he believes the governor has done well.  O'KEEFE: "One of the Democrats through the years that you spoke with about infrastructure the most was Andrew Cuomo, who is resigning, who announced he's resigning today. You had traveled New York with him when you were vice president to the launch of the reconstruction of LaGuardia. He was someone who supported your campaign early on. I know you called on him to resign. I know you condemned the alleged behavior. But you're someone who spends a lot of time with mayors and governors. How would you assess his ten-and-a-half years as governor of the state?" COLLINS: "Can I quickly follow up on your comment on Governor Cuomo? Can you really say that he has done a, quote, 'hell of a job' if he's accused of sexual harassing women, on the job?"

Mr. Biden made the comment Tuesday after saying he respects Cuomo's decision to resign. The president said last week that Cuomo "should resign," after an investigation from New York Attorney General Letitia James found he had sexually harassed 11 women, including staffers and people who did not work in his administration. Cuomo has not been criminally charged related to the accusations, although four New York county prosecutors said have asked James' office for more information. BIDEN: "In terms of his personal behavior or what he's done as a governor?" BIDEN: "Look, you're asking two different questions. The substantive, should he remain as governor is one question. And women should be believed when they make accusations that are able to on the face of them make sense, they're investigated, and the judgement was made that what they said was correct. That's one thing. The question is, did he do a good job on infrastructure? That was the question. He did." Mr. Biden distinguished between Cuomo's alleged conduct and his actions as governor as he took reporters' questions following remarks on the Senate passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, although he also later said he's "not" separating the two. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe asked the president to assess Cuomo's more than a decade in the governor's office.  O'KEEFE: "What he's done as a governor." COLLINS: "The question was how did he do as a governor?"