Womp. Womp. Chris Cuomo has a law degree, right? What’s that rule about not asking questions you don’t know the answer to? The award for CNN’s most cringe worthy moment (as of all day Wednesday) goes to none other Cuomo after he tried to prove the case against Donald Trump.
The blunder occurred after impeachment inquiry testimony from Political Affairs Counselor David Holmes, in which he asserted he overheard a phone conversation between Trump and EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland. Upon learning this, President Trump tweeted the following dare; “Never have I been watching a person making a call, which was not on speaker phone, and been able to hear or understand a conversation. I’ve even tried, but to no avail. Try it live!”
Cuomo took up the President on his challenge and the failure commenced from there as he made the executive decision to call his mom live on the air:
Very interesting theory from our President that he has really good hearing, some would say the best hearing ever. And he's never been able to hear a phone call when it wasn't on speakerphone from anybody. So let's just play with that for a second. Mom can you hear me? Alright so if I were holding the phone here, I'm with Dana Bash, and you know how you are always telling me to let her talk because she's so smart and I shouldn't say so much?
The room was engulfed in an awkward silence as Cuomo could not hear his mother through the phone. Subsequent to a few more seconds of waiting, Cuomo tried again, this time eroding the entire purpose of the experiment by turning the speaker phone on; “Mom can you hear me?”
Not surprisingly, Cuomo received acknowledgment from his mom when the speaker phone was enabled. However, when he handed the floor to Dana Bash, he quickly turned the speaker off and the same non-response result followed.
The awkward nature of the call was so palpable, CNN’s David Urban jumped in to say; “I can't hear your mother, Chris. Just telling you… I'm sitting across the table.”
Cuomo abruptly ended the call with a denial of its failure; “This is not on speaker phone. Not on speaker phone. It's regular phone. It's two feet away from Dana, she can hear my mother. I'm not sure mom can hear us…”
You keep telling yourself that, Chris.
Transcript below. Click "expand" to read more.
CNN Impeachment Hearings
11/21/19
11:31:26 AM
CHRIS CUOMO: Very interesting theory from our President that he has really good hearing, some would say the best hearing ever. And he's never been able to hear a phone call when it wasn't on speakerphone from anybody. So let's just play with that for a second. Mom can you hear me? Alright so if I were holding the phone here, I'm with Dana Bash, and you know how you are always telling me to let her talk because she's so smart and I shouldn't say so much?
DANA BASH: I didn't know we were going to do science here.
CUOMO: Can you just say hello? Mom! She probably can't hear me. (Puts on speakerphone) Mom can you hear me?
CHRIS CUOMO MOM: Yes I can hear you. When you talk to me I hear you.
CUOMO: I'm talking to you, say hello to Dana Bash. (Takes off speaker)
BASH: Hi Mrs. Cuomo. How are you?
CUOMO: Alright. So-
DAVID URBAN: I can't hear your mother, Chris. Just telling you.
CUOMO: You're over there.
DAVID URBAN: I'm sitting across the table.
CUOMO: This is not on speakerphone. Not on speakerphone. It's regular phone. It's two feet away from Dana, she can hear my mother. I'm not sure mom can hear us. Mom thank you very much, thank you for not saying anything that will get me in trouble. I'll call you back. I love you.
