Wednesday night was Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (D-NY) 11th appearance on his brother, Chris Cuomo’s CNN PrimeTime show since the start of the pandemic, and seemingly his last. And it was the first time that Chris had mentioned the massive death toll in New York’s nursing homes. In reality, Andrew had ordered that infected elderly patients be returned to their facilities. But according to Chris, who would later admit he was not an “objective” journalist, the deaths were the fault of the nursing home “operators.”
“Nursing homes, people died there. They didn't have to, it was mismanaged and the operators have been given immunity. What do you have to say about that,” Chris asked his brother in the second half of their interview.
After Andrew’s first answer, Chris pressed him on the “immunity” for nursing home operators. “The operators he very strict laws in this state. And if they violated the law, they're going to be held fully accountable. We have an ongoing investigation now with the Department of Health and the attorney general to make sure every operator was following the law during this crisis,” Andrew responded.
At no time, was Andrew’s order to put coronavirus patients in nursing homes addressed. But he would later argue: "But the results are there for all to see. Was it perfect? No. You tell me what is. But look at the state our country’s in."
After another few minutes went by, Chris took to heaping undue praise onto his brother and invoking the memory of their late father, Mario Cuomo. “And everything that he ever said mattered to him about public service, is what you demonstrated right here and right now, during this period, when your state needed it most. And I hear it'll the time,” Chris gushed.
Adding: “I'm wowed by what you did, and more importantly, I'm wowed by how you did it. This was very hard. I know it's not over. But obviously, I love you as a brother, obviously, I'll never be objective, obviously, I think you're the best politician in the country. But I hope you feel good about what you did for your people because I know they appreciate it. (…) But I've never seen anything like what you did and that's why I'm so happy to have had you on the show. And I hope you know that.”
Ever since CNN started to having Chris interview his brother almost routinely, there have been concerns about it breaking the bounds of journalistic ethics. And those concerns were proved warranted when they joked about coronavirus testing. Appearing to address those concerns, Chris argued that a lack of presidential leadership meant it was fine to have ridiculous interviews with this brother (click “expand”):
Me having you on the show is an unusual thing. We've never really done it, but this was an unusual time. And they were unusual needs. And you stepped up in an unusual way that really was created by a vacuum of power on the federal level. (…) But these unusual times have demonstrated some unusual characteristics in people. And, of course, I won't always be able to keep having you on the show. It will never be seen as fair in people's eyes, and we both get that, and that's okay. You have plenty of people to talk to.
Following the interview, and before the commercial break, Chris circled back around and admitted again that he wasn’t an objective journalist. “Unusual times, right? He's my big brother, I love him, of course, I'm not objective, but let's call it straight. Look at the state,” he declared.
Okay, let’s look at New York, it leads all other states in coronavirus deaths. This is CNN.
Cuomo’s interview was sponsored by Tempur-Pedic. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Cuomo PrimeTime
June 24, 2020
9:20:20 p.m. Eastern(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: Nursing homes, people died there. They didn't have to, it was mismanaged and the operators have been given immunity. What do you have to say about that?
ANDREW CUOMO: Several statements that are not correct, but that's okay, it's your show, you say whatever you want to say.
(…)
C. CUOMO: And giving the operators immunity?
A. CUOMO: The operators he very strict laws in this state. And if they violated the law, they're going to be held fully accountable. We have an ongoing investigation now with the Department of Health and the attorney general to make sure every operator was following the law during this crisis.
(…)
9:27:27 p.m. Eastern
C. CUOMO: Me having you on the show is an unusual thing. We've never really done it, but this was an unusual time. And they were unusual needs. And you stepped up in an unusual way that really was created by a vacuum of power on the federal level. And you're not the only one, there are other governors, you've been very good and collaborative with Hogan down in Maryland and Whitmer and DeWine, and the ones in the northeast region.
But these unusual times have demonstrated some unusual characteristics in people. And, of course, I won't always be able to keep having you on the show. It will never be seen as fair in people's eyes, and we both get that, and that's okay. You have plenty of people to talk to.
But I want you to know that June is a big month for us, right? We got mom and pop's anniversary on the 5th, pop's birthday on the 15th. And this is what he always wanted. He was proud when you became governor, because of what he knew you would do. Remember that whole talk he gave us about, “I'm not proud, I don't believe in pride, pride is a deadly sin,” and all that. What he wanted to see is what you do with the opportunity.
And everything that he ever said mattered to him about public service, is what you demonstrated right here and right now, during this period, when your state needed it most. And I hear it'll the time. Not everybody likes you, not everybody likes me, everybody seems to like pop now, that's the benefit of being out for a while; may be gone.
I just hope you recognize what even I'm able to recognize, being spawned from the same wolf pack. I hope you are able to appreciate what you did in your state and what it means for the rest of the country now, and what it will always mean to those who love and care about you the most. I'm wowed by what you did, and more importantly, I'm wowed by how you did it. This was very hard. I know it's not over. But obviously, I love you as a brother, obviously, I'll never be objective, obviously I think you're the best politician in the country. But I hope you feel good about what you did for your people because I know they appreciate it. Nothing's perfect, you'll have your critics
A. CUOMO: Thank you.
C. CUOMO: But I've never seen anything like what you did and that's why I'm so happy to have had you on the show. And I hope you know that.
(…)
9:31:03 p.m. Eastern
C. CUOMO: Unusual times, right? He's my big brother, I love him, of course, I'm not objective, but let's call it straight. Look at the state. Look at the numbers. Look at New Jersey. Look at Connecticut. Look how they came together. Yeah, he's my brother. There's no question, I can cry about it in a second.
But the results are there for all to see. Was it perfect? No. You tell me what is. But look at the state our country’s in. And if you don't think this is going to be reflected in what happens in November, then you haven't been paying attention.
(…)
