The liberal hosts at The View all gave CNN’s Chris Cuomo a pass Friday, after he got caught participating in strategy sessions with his governor brother’s legal team advising the elder Cuomo on his sexual harassment scandals. Desperate liberal hosts Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin even tried to change the topic to Fox News to avoid criticizing Cuomo and CNN.
Back in February, the hosts briefly gave more attention to Andrew Cuomo’s controversies than even ABC News did, have all but dropped their focus on the Democrat since March. With his journalist brother, Chris, being forced to apologize to his colleagues last night, yet still avoiding punishment by the network for his unethical behavior, there was ample opportunity for the hosts to criticize Cuomo and CNN.
But instead, they defended the journalist and the liberal network who employs him. Perhaps because all three of the liberal View hosts currently or used to work for the network, themselves.
Former CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin saw absolutely nothing wrong with the situation.
"People that have access oftentimes get jobs in these networks use that access so they can get guests on the show. So for me that wasn't a mistake. That wasn't unusual of the network. We see it all across the country," she shrugged. Hostin immediately tried to turn the focus onto Fox News:
I mean, I think this is sort of faux outrage coming from the right because if, like you said, Joy, think about Fox News. When you have Sean Hannity who was really the unofficial adviser to the White House. Fox News Channel became the White House news channel and then you also have Governor DeSantis who signs a voter suppression bill, but only invites Fox News to cover it. This is something that goes on across the spectrum. I think by far Chris Cuomo and Andrew Cuomo have been more transparent about their relationship than you've seen on other networks like Fox News.
At the end of her response, she casually admitted to being friends with not just her former colleague, but the entire Cuomo family:
Of course I'm sort of biased myself because Chris Cuomo is my friend, my former colleague. I know Chris's sister Maria. I'm friends with her. I know Governor Cuomo. I hold that family in high regard but I think they're dealing with this very transparently and I appreciate the transparency.
Joy Behar, who once hosted a talk show on CNN’s sister network, HLN, also admitted she “knew” the family and tried to downplay the scandal:
"They're a very tight family. I know the family. They're very, very close," she said, adding later, "His mistake was he had other people in the phone call. There's nothing wrong with talking to your brother. But when you have other people in the conversation, you're going to be you know-- there's no reason why brothers can't talk to each other."
After Meghan McCain was the lone host to go after Cuomo, Behar tried to change the focus to Fox News.
Well you mentioned Fox, and it It turns out Hannity was Trump's adviser and also gave family members strategy and messaging. Here's a quote from Hannity: 'Do I talk to my friend who I’ve known for years and speak my mind? I can't not speak my mind.' I don't remember him being chastised for also advising Trump. But supposedly he's a journalist so it happens in a lot of stations, not just CNN.
Friday co-host and CNN contributor Ana Navarro also gave Cuomo a pass, stating that an apology was all that was necessary. She too admitted that she was good friends with him and so it was difficult for her to criticize him:
Look, I think he took responsibility for it. He acknowledge it yesterday. Let me start by saying, I work for CNN. I’m a CNNer. Chris Cuomo is my friend. He's my colleague. I love the guy. It's difficult to speak about people you know and love on TV, to be unvarnished and objective about it. It's difficult for me and he's not even a blood relative. He's a friend and somebody I work with and I love.
Navarro did claim that she has been able to talk about Andrew Cuomo on CNN without impunity before defending Chris Cuomo’s actions:
So, despite the fact he may have participated or did participate in this, that he's taken responsibility, that he admitted it was a lack of judgment, I can tell you one he's not talking about his brother on air. Two, he's not trying to influence how the network covers his brother. Three, he's not talking to other contributors and hosts because I've talked to some of the hosts about this as well, trying to influence what we say.
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Read partial transcript below:
The View
5/21/2021
SUNNY HOSTIN: People that have access oftentimes get jobs in these networks use that access so they can get guests on the show. So for me that wasn't a mistake. That wasn't unusual of the network. We see it all across the country. I mean, I think this is sort of faux outrage coming from the right because if, like you said, Joy, think about Fox News. When you have Sean Hannity who was really the unofficial adviser to the White House. Fox News Channel became the White House news channel and then you also have Governor DeSantis who signs a voter suppression bill, but only invites Fox News to cover it. This is something that goes on across the spectrum. I think by far Chris Cuomo and Andrew Cuomo have been more transparent about their relationship than you've seen on other networks like Fox News. Of course I'm sort of biased myself because Chris Cuomo is my friend, my former colleague. I know Chris' sister Maria. I'm friends with her. I know Governor Cuomo. I hold that family in high regard but I think they're dealing with this very transparently and I appreciate the transparency.
…
JOY BEHAR: So, CNN said it was inappropriate for Chris to take part in these meetings, but he won't face any disciplinary action over it. Ana, should he face disciplinary action?
ANA NAVARRO: Look, I think he took responsibility for it. He acknowledge it yesterday. Let me start by saying, I work for CNN. I’m a CNNer. Chris Cuomo is my friend. He's my colleague. I love the guy. It's difficult to speak about people you know and love on TV, to be unvarnished and objective about it. It's difficult for me and he's not even a blood relative. He's a friend and somebody I work with and I love. I can tell you this much from my personal experience, I have spoken about the Andrew Cuomo situation at length on this show, on CNN on social media. I have never once got any chastisement, I have never gotten any communication or any feedback on anything from Chris Cuomo trying to influence what I say or angry at something I may have said negative about his brother. So, despite the fact he may have participated or did participate in this, that he's taken responsibility, that he admitted it was a lack of judgment, I can tell you one, he's not talking about his brother on air. Two, he's not trying to influence how the network covers his brother. Three, he's not talking to other contributors and hosts because I've talked to some of the hosts about this as well, trying to influence what we say. So you know, It's a difficult situation. I think we understand it. Sometimes we have to come on here and talk about people that we love, that we know and you know, it's not a pleasant thing, but you got to do it.
BEHAR: Okay. So Chris recused himself from covering his brother on TV, but said, quote, of course he's going to give him advice privately if he's asking for it, unquote. They're a very tight family. I know the family. They’re very very close. Well, Meghan, is that wrong do you think?
….
BEHAR: Well you mentioned Fox, and it It turns out Hannity was Trump's adviser and also gave family members strategy and messaging. Here's a quote from Hannity, do I talk to my friend who I’ve known for years and speak my mind? I can't not speak my mind. I don't remember him being chastised for also advising trump. But supposedly he's a journalist so it happens in a lot of stations, not just CNN.
…
MEGHAN MCCAIN: ...Fox is above board about it. They talk about it. Chris Cuomo pretended like he wasn't. He got caught. That's the difference.
BEHAR: His mistake was he had other people in the phone call. There's nothing wrong with talking to your brother. But when you have other people in the conversation, you're going to be you know-- there's no reason why brothers can't talk to each other. I'm sure you would do the same thing, if your brother was in trouble.
