Blanket-wrapped Cuomo sparks social media flurry amid calls to resign

One user describes photograph of governor outside executive mansion as ‘bleak’

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has sparked a flurry of derisive reactions on social media after being photographed wrapped in a blanket amid a politically disastrous week.

A number of high-profile Democrats have joined calls for Mr Cuomo to resign this week following a slew of sexual harassment allegations as state legislators move forward with plans to impeach.

Mr Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing and has refused calls to resign.

In the midst of the scandal, Mr Cuomo was photographed on the grounds of the governor’s mansionon Friday with a blanket wrapped over his shoulders while speaking intently on the phone.

The photo quickly sparked a torrent of jokes on Twitter, with a number of users sharing memes and jokes directed at the image.

One user branded the scene “bleak” while others joked that celebrities such as Lenny Kravitz had pulled off the oversized blanket look “better”.

One user went so far as to create a Twitter account dedicated to Mr Cuomo’s blanket, with comedian JL Cauvin parodying the photo as “spring’s hottest fashion” accessory.

A number of people debated what beverage Mr Cuomo was holding in his hand in the photograph, with Business Insider reporting that the bottle appears to be Saratoga Spring Water.

Six women have come forward with what Congressman Jamaal Bowman and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have called “consistent and highly detailed” accounts of their experience with Mr Cuomo, the latest of which was referred to police.

The governor has denied the allegations and repeatedly rejected demands to resign from his colleagues, insisting that members of his own party have bowed to “cancel culture”.

The state’s Democratic attorney general, Letitia James, announced an investigation into the sexual assault allegations, which will be headed by a former federal prosecutor and an employment lawyer.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has said that Mr Cuomo can “no longer serve as governor.”

“The latest report, and the fact that we can talk about how many people have been come forward with accusations. It’s not one, it’s not two, it’s not three, it’s not four, it’s not five – it’s six women who have come forward,” he said.