New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo can't give his mother, Matilda, a hug on Mother's Day due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he did the next best thing: invited her to join his daily coronavirus briefing via video.
"Happy Mother's Day to you, Mom. I miss you. I love you so, so much. I wish I could be with you but I can't be, but I can't be because I love you," Cuomo said.
Matilda Cuomo, who was the former first lady of New York for 12 years when her late husband, Mario Cuomo, was governor, smiled and told her son, "I miss you, too. A lot. And your beautiful daughters."
Cuomo was joined in-person by his daughter, Michaela. His other two daughters, Cara and Mariah, also appeared over video to wish their grandmother a happy Mother's Day.
Of course, Cuomo, who is the oldest sibling in his family, couldn't let the opportunity slide without mentioning that he thinks he's his mother's favorite child.
"I know I am your favorite deep down inside, but you don't want to say it," he said.
Matilda Cuomo praised the work her son is doing to help families but did not say whether he was indeed her favorite child.
Gov. Cuomo has spoken lovingly about his mother throughout the coronavirus pandemic and has used her as an example of why it is so important for everyone to stay home and protect the elderly and immune-compromised from the virus. He named Matilda's Law after her, which requires New Yorkers to stay home and limit visitation to immediate family members within their household.
Cuomo also paid tribute to his mother on social media. He shared a screenshot of their Mother's Day video chat on Twitter.
"Happy #MothersDay to my mother Matilda. While I can’t be with you, it is great to see you. You have always been pure love," he wrote. "And to all moms: Whether separated by distance or staying home together, we love and appreciate you."
He took it a step further on Instagram, where he once again made the claim that he's Matilda's favorite son. Cuomo shared a photo of him and his little brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, posing with their mother.
"Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. Love this photo of you with your favorite son ....and @chriscuomo," he wrote.
As of Sunday afternoon, Chris Cuomo, who has had plenty of funny exchanges with his brother throughout the pandemic, had yet to respond.