It was an aside to a speech Gov. Andrew Cuomo had to walk back.

“We're not going to make America great again. It was never that great. We have not reached greatness,” Cuomo said.

Mocking President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign slogan of ‘Make America Great Again,’ Cuomo created a firestorm this week and provided an opening to Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro.

“I was so ashamed and shocked that a man who has lived in privilege, he was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple, can think America was never great,” Molinaro said.

Molinaro quickly condemned the remark and began fundraising off it. At the same time, he appeared on Fox & Friends, a show the president himself is known to watch.

“Even with our imperfections, this nation with its promise, its purpose and its people, has always been great,” said Molinaro.

Trump also tweeted criticism of the governor, posting that Cuomo is having a "meltdown." The exchange is an escalation of the war of words between the Democratic governor and the Republican president.

Meanwhile, some Democrats distanced themselves from the remarks. Congressional candidate Anthony Brindisi said Cuomo was wrong. But Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who is running for attorney general, was more forgiving.

“I have watched this governor contribute to making America greater by passing marriage equality in New York and I think he misspoke,” said Maloney.

And then there was the context Cuomo was speaking in — the idea that America won't truly be a great nation until problems like discrimination are solved.

“We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged. We will reach greatness when discrimination and stereotyping against women is gone,” said Cuomo.

Cuomo has since walked the comment back, with a spokeswoman in a statement saying the governor does believe America is great.