In arguably his most toxic diatribe to date, CNN host Chris “Fredo” Cuomo ended Tuesday’s Cuomo PrimeTime by lashing out at Fox News in the vilest of ways: Falsely declaring that they were totally fine with 10,000 more Americans dying from the coronavirus.
“But right now, the American family is in a period of dysfunction, we're estranged and acting strangely. 10,000 more Americans could die by August because so many places are relaxing social distancing? What happened to no man left behind? Now it's 10,000 is okay,” Cuomo asked, in a “closing argument” he draped under the veil of Mother’s Day.
Cuomo blasted President Trump for the new safety measures implemented at the White House, and suggested Fox News was “okay” with innocent people dying by the thousands:
The President traces and tests every damn day. And everyone around him has a mask on. Now, he doesn't because he wants to keep up the Fox farce, this BS that COVID-19's overrated. I guess the anti-elitists over there are okay with 10,000 more dead. These liars and race-baiters want you to think Fauci is not to be believed, that social distancing is about stealing your freedom.
It was an echo of a claim he made earlier in his poorly rated show. Cuomo called them “race-baiters” yet he was the one saying they were specifically happy to let the “brown working-class” die:
Talk about being elitist. If that’s okay, who do you think those 10,000 people are going to be? Who’s getting affected the most? The working class. The brown working class. Who’s most afraid of reopening too soon? The brown working class. Who is getting sick the most? The brown working class. Who’s dying the most? They are. There's nothing elitist about that. It's everything that's elitist.
And his rant was “misleading,” as Fox News contributor Dr. Nichole Saphier wrote in response to a video tweet of Cuomo. “More Caucasian-Americans have died from COVID19 however people of color are having a disproportionately higher death rate largely due to higher prevalence of comorbidities and multigenerational housing situations, both increasing mortality of COVID19,” she explained.
Back in his closing poison, Cuomo smeared Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (R). “Remember, that beard, that's Paul's COVID beard. He had the virus. And he still seems to be suffering from a type of sickness, but one of the soul,” Cuomo sneered after playing a video of the Senator pointing out that his state had not had “pandemic levels” of cases. And Paul was a licensed physician.
Speaking of a “sickness of the soul,” Cuomo was the same guy who repeatedly sang the praises of Antifa, the radical left-wing terrorist group. And his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had forced elderly COVID-positive patients into nursing homes, killing an untold number of people.
Earlier in the program, Fredo lashed at Trump’s supporters for sticking by him during the crisis. “If only we had the herd immunity to COVID-19 that so many of these folks have to the truth,” he spat.
Ironically, his parting swipe at Fox News counted against him. “Remember what your mother told you about people who have nothing good to say. They should say nothing at all.”
And they whine about Republicans not going on their network. Fredo should take his own advice. Maybe it would help his ratings, which Nielsen pegged as having tumbled 46 percent in the 25-54 demo and 30 percent in total viewers since the week of March 30 when he was diagnosed with COVID-19.
This is CNN.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time
May 12, 2020
9:02:20 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: 10,000 more people will die, potentially, from reopening too soon. What a question we have to ask ourselves. Is that worth it?
Now, if you don't like the number, complain to the White House. The key coronavirus model, often cited by them, projects that by just August, we'll go from the 82,000 plus lives we've already to maybe 147,000, due in large part to reopening. Now, this estimate is nearly double the forecast of 74,000 from just two weeks ago.
10,000 more than predicted just over the weekend. Why? You know why. Because that's what happens when you stop socially distancing and isolating. Is this what prevailing looks like?
Even Republicans had to admit that we still have not responded, we have not seized the moment when it comes to testing, and that testing is absolutely essential to building the trust need to reopen. A Republican-led Senate committee did not perpetuate this President's poppycock.
(…)
CUOMO: Now, ordinarily, Lamar Alexander, head of the committee, you know, Mitt Romney, the party’s one-time choice for president, would be believed. But not now. Not now.
Trump's grip on his party strangulates any gasps of truth even from senior members. Despite being wrong consistently, misleading consistently, and outright lying too often. Most Republicans in our new CNN poll still say they trust Trump.
If only we had the herd immunity to COVID-19 that so many of these folks have to the truth. Only Fauci, Dr. Fauci approaches Trump-ish trust with the right. Will they listen to him when he says something that this President has never even come close to suggesting?
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI: My concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks. [Transition] If you think we have it completely under control, we don't. [Transition] The right direction does not mean we have, by any means, total control of this outbreak.
CUOMO: CDC head says the same thing. The proposition is, how can we beat the virus if we can't even get on the same page about how important the fight is? If we can't even agree on what it takes to win?
(…)
9:10:16 p.m. Eastern
CUOMO: It's an interesting juxtaposition, Sanjay, that the President's thing is about being anti-elitist. His buddies over at Fox [News], state T.V., anti-elitist. 10,000 deaths are the price tag their model puts on this.
Talk about being elitist. If that’s okay, who do you think those 10,000 people are going to be? Who’s getting affected the most? The working class. The brown working class. Who’s most afraid of reopening too soon? The brown working class. Who is getting sick the most? The brown working class. Who’s dying the most? They are. There's nothing elitist about that. It's everything that's elitist.
(…)
9:57:55 p.m. Eastern
CUOMO: We take care of family because we're devoted to something bigger than them or us. The cause of the collective. But right now the American family is in a period of dysfunction, we're estranged and acting strangely. 10,000 more Americans could die by August because so many places are relaxing social distancing? What happened to no man left behind? Now it's 10,000 is okay?
Look, it's common sense that that's what would happen. You don't need the models to tell you that. If you stop social distancing. That's why those who attack this reality do it with snark and cynical self-interest, like Senator Rand Paul did today.
SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): We never really reached any sort of pandemic levels in Kentucky and other states. We have less deaths in Kentucky than we have in an average flu season. It's not to say this isn't deadly, but, really, outside of New England, we've had a relatively benign course for this virus nationwide.
CUOMO: Remember, that beard, that's Paul's COVID beard. He had the virus. And he still seems to be suffering from a type of sickness, but one of the soul. Does he really think that he has no obligation to anyone but his state?
America's never won by going every man and woman for themselves. Only when we are all in do we win. We are not prevailing. Not until we show the desperation to get tracing and testing. Until that, we'll be failing because we're failing to give the truth to the people, which will give them the trust they need to reopen.
You can't wish a virus away. It won't miraculously disappear. The President traces and tests every damn day. And everyone around him has a mask on. Now, he doesn't because he wants to keep up the Fox farce, this BS that COVID-19's overrated. I guess the anti-elitists over there are okay with 10,000 more dead. These liars and race-baiters want you to think Fauci is not to be believed, that social distancing is about stealing your freedom.
Remember what your mother told you about people who have nothing good to say. They should say nothing at all.
(…)
