As part of CNN’s day-long-pants-wetting resulting from Arizona Senator Martha McSally (R) calling out CNN correspondent Manu Raju as a “liberal hack,” CNN hosts Chris “Fredo” Cuomo (Cuomo Prime Time) and Don Lemon (CNN Tonight) railed against the Senator during the handoff between their shows on Thursday. Cuomo lashed out by describing McSally, the first female U.S. combat pilot, as a “punk” and later argued that her criticism of his colleague “should hurt her.”
As he pivoted away from suggesting all Republican senators were liars, Cuomo started to target McSally. “That’s what’s so upsetting about McSally today. This is a woman with an amazing record of service to this country and she really acted like a punk today,” he declared in a huff. “She did a disservice to herself and the seat that she holds, which is John McCain's.”
Fredo called a historic combat veteran a “punk,” meanwhile he had never served a day in his life. On top of that, just last summer he was caught on video threatening to throw a Trump supporter down a flight of stairs for calling him “Fredo” (and lying that it was an “ethnic slur” to Italians). Then there was the time in 2016 when he got into a car accident while drag racing drunk, then fleeing the scene. Then there's his staunch support for the left-wing terrorist group, Antifa. Talk about acting like a punk.
In an apparent effort to argue that McSally was not a legitimate senator and thus didn’t deserve respect, Lemon kept hounding the fact she was appointed to the seat following McCain’s passing. “She was appointed. She lost, and through a fluke, like some would say, Trump won. But that's a whole 'nother show. But through a fluke, she was appointed,” he decried.
But that’s not what a “fluke” was. Apparently, Lemon wasn’t able to comprehend that appointing interim senators was a duty of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R). He also boasted about how McSally’s 2020 opponent was putting up a tough fight.
Cuomo agreed it would be a tough race and noted McSally had won before to get into Congress. But Lemon couldn’t let it go and had to bring up how she lost in 2018, saying: “She didn’t win last time.” He had a bit of a pouty face on for that chide.
After Cuomo explained that what McSally said wasn’t the worst thing he’s heard said to a journalist, Lemon went on a rant about how it “bothers” him that the media gets criticized and it’s found “acceptable”:
LEMON: That's what bothers me, the hypocrisy bothers me. And it bothers me that it's acceptable and it’s even lauded and applauded among a certain group in our country right now, because that is not acceptable.
Listen, we have to do jobs. You may not like it, that is a perfectly acceptable question and it is not a political question. It is not a biased question. Manu Raju is among the best. And Manu Raju is not a liberal hack. He is a very well respected seasoned reporter asking a legitimate question. If she couldn't answer it, if she can't stand the heat, then get out of the appointed kitchen, she shouldn't be there.
As they were winding down the transition, the duo exchanged their final condescending remarks against the Senator and their hope that her criticism of CNN would “hurt her” in her election:
CUOMO: And we’ll see what happens in her own election.
LEMON: It's sad.
CUOMO: It should hurt her.
LEMON: And it's sad. I think it will. I think people are over it. They’re sick of the craziness.
CUOMO: She’s just got to be better than this. Her past was. Her present, not so much.
That was not news. This is CNN.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN Tonight
January 16, 2020
10:01:30 p.m. Eastern(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: So look, he's president of the United States, fine. We also know he's about, at best, stretching what is true and most often abusing the truth and lying when he doesn't even have to. The question is, will senators in his party be the same way there? That’s what’s so upsetting about McSally today. This is a woman with an --
DON LEMON: Oh, man.
CUOMO: -- amazing record of service to this country and she really acted like a punk today. She did a disservice to herself and the seat that she holds, which is John McCain's.
LEMON: But she wasn't even elected.
CUOMO: Right, she was appointed. She was appointed.
LEMON: She was appointed. She lost, and through a fluke, like some would say, Trump won. But that's a whole 'nother show. But through a fluke, she was appointed. Trump wasn’t appointed, he actually won.
But through a fluke, she got the seat. And then, when she was asked a legitimate question that every single lawmaker, Democrat or Republican who has anything to do with this impeachment trial should be asked, do you want to hear new information? Do you want witnesses? Everyone should be asked that question. If you don't want to answer, guess what, you keep it pushing, keep moving. No comment, yes or no. You don't have to be rude. You don't have to degrade someone just because you can't answer the question. Or because you're afraid you're going to lose to someone who is also very respected back home. And I'm talking about Kelly.
CUOMO: Yeah. Sure, there's no question. She has a tough race on her hands. She's won before. She’s won in Congress. She has an amazing pedigree.
LEMON: She didn’t win last time.
CUOMO: The question is, is she ruining it all right now? Because, if you want to be John McCain, you can't be doing what she did today. And there's only going to be one John McCain. But we know why she's doing it. What bothers me isn’t what she did, I’ve seen a lot worse --
LEMON: No, it bothers me.
CUOMO: It’s why, though. We get disrespected all the time. We see politicians, look at the President of the United States. That's nothing compared to what he does. But it’s why. She wants to impress him. She didn't even support him in 2016. She called him out about his treatment of women. Now what is she doing?
LEMON: That's what bothers me, the hypocrisy bothers me. And it bothers me that it's acceptable and it’s even lauded and applauded among a certain group in our country right now, because that is not acceptable.
Listen, we have to do jobs. You may not like it, that is a perfectly acceptable question and it is not a political question. It is not a biased question. Manu Raju is among the best. And Manu Raju is not a liberal hack. He is a very well respected seasoned reporter asking a legitimate question. If she couldn't answer it, if she can't stand the heat, then get out of the appointed kitchen, she shouldn't be there.
CUOMO: There was no heat. She's just playing a game and then she tried to fundraise off of it, just like the fundraisers I get from Trump.
LEMON: I think it's going to backfire. People don’t like that.
CUOMP: I'm on the mailing list from the President. He reaches out to me on almost a daily basis.
LEMON: Same here.
CUOMO: “I need you, Chris.” “It’s time, Chris.” It’s me and you, Chris.” Now, she’s sending the same one. It's just the Trump play book. The question is, it's just obvious. And we’ll see what happens in her own election.
LEMON: It's sad.
CUOMO: It should hurt her.
LEMON: And it's sad. I think it will. I think people are over it. They’re sick of the craziness.
CUOMO: She’s just got to be better than this. Her past was. Her present, not so much.
LEMON: Thank you, sir. See you next time.
