In arguably one of Fredo’s sleaziest diatribes, Prime Time host Chris Cuomo closed out his Tuesday kangaroo court with a “Closing Argument” insisting that President Trump was a poor leader because he didn’t lose sleep. According to Cuomo, not only was Trump a poor leader but he also “doesn’t care” about dead soldiers, America’s problems, or the deaths of shooting victims.
Following a previous segment pointing out lies Trump had told, Cuomo suddenly found that “the President told us a very important truth today.” The truth was that he didn’t lose sleep. “Well, nothing keeps me up at night,” Trump said to a question about China’s military power in the region.
The President wears the tough guy persona and is known as a “counter-puncher,” so an answer like that was par for the course. But to Cuomo, that answer meant something insidious.
“Military and political leaders have written many a tome about coping with the obvious and extant pressures that inhabit if not haunt nightly slumber for a leader, because a leader feels the pain of those they lead, it is a burden they shoulder,” Cuomo opined. He eventually suggested Trump thought of himself as a “king,” just without the weighted burdens of the crown, like Shakespeare’s Henry IV.
To show the burden of the presidency, Cuomo sought to compare the looks of past presidents (before and after office) with President Trump:
Look at how different—here’s a great example of this – Look at presidents when they come in and when they leave. I mean, come on, look at Clinton's hair, went white. George W. Bush looks like he got a beat down. Obama looks like his own grandfather. I mean, look at it. This is very hard job because of the stress that they carry with them.
“Now let's look at this President … He looks exactly the same. His hair is, I don't know what's going on with that. But he may do things that presidents in the past haven't done to augment their physical reality,” Fredo mocked seeming to suggest Trump dyed his hair or had some facial work done.
“But it could also be he doesn't care the way others have,” he bitterly proclaimed. “He chases the easy slumber of blaming others and sowing the seeds of discord and division.”
From there, the CNN host ranted about how there were people in the country those lost sleep because of Trump, like farmers and illegal immigrants. “Surely, there are people all across this country who have had bad dreams about where we’re headed and whether we’re going to have five more years like this,” he chided.
Cuomo lectured Trump about how he “could use a sleepless night or two, less executive time, fewer hours in front of the TV, and on the golf course.”
What made the diatribe really sleazily was Cuomo’s suggestion that Trump didn’t care about the lives of the people killed in mass shootings or the soldiers who died overseas. In effect, Cuomo used their deaths as his soapbox to launch his attack (click “expand”):
And if policy doesn't haunt his sleep, certainly the problems for people should, no? Imagine sleeping at night or sleeping easily, nothing keeping you up when people are dying when they shouldn't. Concerts, movies, churches, synagogues, malls, high schools. Hundreds of innocents murdered in mass shootings on your watch. I'm not arguing that he's to blame. The murderers, the murderers bear that burden. But imagine being him and having the power to do something about it and doing nothing. How would you sleep? Kids in cages at your command, calling for raids that leaves families crying in the streets.
Could you imagine dealing with that and sleeping easy?
Now, if not them then surely someone like Private First Class Brandon Kreischer or Specialist Michael Nance, they have to be worth lost sleep. Paratroopers dying in combat in Afghanistan less than a month ago. This President has only visited once, but shouldn't that visit his sleep every night? Shouldn't he process that pain and lose sleep? Isn't that what the job is about? Doesn't he see their faces?
“Can you imagine all of this on your shoulders and not needing a bottle of Ambien to just take a nap. How about this, care more. Mr. President, you may sleep less but the rest of this country may rest a little easier,” Cuomo concluded.
Since Cuomo was interested in that kind of thought experiment, did he lose sleep over his support for Antifa terrorists? Did he lose sleep when they tried to firebomb and ICE detention center?
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time
August 20, 2019
9:55:20 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: I argue this, the President told us a very important truth today. Listen.
UNIDENTIFIED JOURNALIST: Is that something that keeps you up at a night?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, nothing keeps me up at night.
CUOMO: Now, he was answering a question about China's military strength. But that answer is comprehensive. Just for contrast.
BARBARA WALTERS: What is your biggest fear?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Well, there are a lot of things that keep me up at night.
CUOMO: You already hear the Trump folks saying, “Obama was weak, a strong man sleeps easy.” But that defies reason and history.
Military and political leaders have written many a tome about coping with the obvious and extant pressures that inhabit if not haunt nightly slumber for a leader, because a leader feels the pain of those they lead, it is a burden they shoulder. And it is that empathy, that feeling that others are feeling that motivates their response. Literature abounds with references to the same most notably, quote, “uneasy lies ahead that wears a crown.” That’s Shakespeare, right?
And though like his Henry IV, this President who often postures as a demagogic autocrat if not a king, frets openly about constant attacks. He also had an eldest son, Hal, who kept poor company with a lousy lot. This President however seems not to worry at night as Henry did. And the point is presidents should have a lot of heavy burdens that weigh on them, and yes, keep them up at night. Waiting for that 3:00 a.m. call, the need that they can't satisfy, the pain they must work tirelessly to address.
Look at how different—here’s a great example of this – Look at presidents when they come in and when they leave. I mean, come on, look at Clinton's hair, went white. George W. Bush looks like he got a beat down. Obama looks like his own grandfather. I mean, look at it. This is very hard job because of the stress that they carry with them.
Now let's look at this president. It's been almost three years since Trump won the presidency. He looks exactly the same. His hair is, I don't know what's going on with that. But he may do things that presidents in the past haven't done to augment their physical reality, but it could also be he doesn't care the way others have.
He seems content to vent and foment problems. Look at Denmark, look at the situation he's making up out of nowhere, discord for no reason. He doesn’t deal with the trying business of compromise. He has no real deals going with Congress right now. Think about that with all the problems we have. He certainly doesn't sweat building unity. He chases the easy slumber of blaming other and sowing the seeds of discord and division.
The farmers who toss a turn wondering when these tariffs will end. Those cast into the bucket of others, “themes” worrying at night about their place and their kid’s futures. Surely, there are people all across this country who have had bad dreams about where we’re headed and whether we’re going to have five more years like this.
Now, while I wish poor sleep on no man maybe this President could use a sleepless night or two, less executive time, fewer hours in front of the TV, and on the golf course. Maybe he should focus on fixing things, carrying that burden. Because that's the job, and it should get hard. Messing with Iran, big talk about China, that's easy. Getting a deal, not so easy.
And if policy doesn't haunt his sleep, certainly the problems for people should, no? Imagine sleeping at night or sleeping easily, nothing keeping you up when people are dying when they shouldn't. Concerts, movies, churches, synagogues, malls, high schools. Hundreds of innocents murdered in mass shootings on your watch. I'm not arguing that he's to blame. The murderers, the murderers bear that burden. But imagine being him and having the power to do something about it and doing nothing. How would you sleep? Kids in cages at your command, calling for raids that leaves families crying in the streets.
Could you imagine dealing with that and sleeping easy?
Now, if not them then surely someone like Private First Class Brandon Kreischer or Specialist Michael Nance, they have to be worth lost sleep. Paratroopers dying in combat in Afghanistan less than a month ago. This President has only visited once, but shouldn't that visit his sleep every night? Shouldn't he process that pain and lose sleep? Isn't that what the job is about? Doesn't he see their faces?
Can you imagine all of this on your shoulders and not needing a bottle of Ambien to just take a nap. How about this, care more. Mr. President, you may sleep less but the rest of this country may rest a little easier.
