Still, fingers that already found New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are now also pointing at Cuomo for missteps managing the pandemic response.

Cuomo’s PowerPoints and years of crisis management have partially shielded him from the criticism de Blasio has gotten for his handling of the public health crisis. But de Blasio was out in front of Cuomo at several key moments in the pandemic, only to be undermined by the governor, who then adopted the same policies days or weeks later.

Something Cuomo’s never quite taken to is the ability to accept a hit, “whether or not it’s earned,” said one former administration official who asked not to be named because of deep ties in New York politics. And after nearly 90 days of hard-charging disaster response, the governor and his administration could alienate a new fan base with a search for a scapegoat even as they move toward rebuilding New York.