Ever since the 2020 election, CNN Prime Time host Chris Cuomo had been using more and more hate-filled and sometimes violent rhetoric to whip up his audience against the Republican Party on nearly every major issue. But on Monday, the Antifa terrorist-backing host claimed the GOP was waging a “holy war” against the United States to bring back Jim Crow laws. He also appeared to make up polling numbers to smear the party he despises.
Definitively declaring it’s “what I think” during his opening tirade, Cuomo smeared the GOP with lies. “My argument is, this is becoming some kind of perverse holy war for you guys. Hopefully, once again, Democrats will find a way to fight off the obvious intentions of people like Senator [Ron] Johnson [R-WI],” he sneered.
This came after Cuomo spent several minutes claiming Johnson was a racist for saying he would be afraid if Antifa and Black Lives Matter (the two groups who rioted and tore cities apart last summer) if they were raiding the Capitol. And in lashing out at the Senator, he left out the Antifa part and asserted the right only saw race:
“This has nothing to do with race.” Why distinguish between rioters by race? “Has nothing to do with race.” Why say the places where the election was rigged -- which it was not -- are predominantly minority areas? Why do you bring back the most odious laws suppressing the black vote, almost by design, since Jim Crow?
“You want a nice activity,” he rhetorically asked his viewers. “Google ‘Jim Crow Laws’ in states where they existed and compare them to the language, phraseology, and the intention of what’s sold in over 40 states right now, some 250 plus bills. Take a look and be shocked at the similarity.”
But despite Cuomo’s firm assurances that the Republican Party was trying to resurrect Jim Crow laws and demanded they come on his show to answer for their racism, Cuomo didn’t cite any particular legislation, didn’t highlight any particular language, nor did he show what the shocking similarities were.
Then again, “Google it” was the argument of those who were making claims they couldn’t back up.
At one point in his rant, Cuomo wanted to talk about the “better Johnson” and praised former President Lyndon B. Johnson. But even though President Johnson did sign the Civil Rights Act into law, he was a well-known racist who spoke about the black community using repugnant terms (See, Chris? We linked to a source).
But pushing false claims of racism wasn’t the only ridiculous thing about Cuomo’s rant.
In a bizarre start to his monologue, Cuomo tried to bash Republican men for supposedly being against getting the vaccine; claiming it was a sign of “toxic opposition.” “They have over 40 percent, within the number, of Republican men. 41 percent don't want to take the vaccine. It is staggeringly high,” he proclaimed. But that’s not what the on-screen graphic said.
According to the graphic, that 41 percent was Republican men who “have gotten or will get COVID-19 vaccine ASAP.” That’s the opposite of what he was saying. Doing our due diligence, NewsBusters set out to try to find the poll Cuomo was citing in an attempt to make sense of the claims.
The graphic claimed the number came from Axios/Ipsos polling data (February 26 to March 1). But a robust search of the Axios and Ipsos websites turned up no such polling data. We did find a similar number on Axios claiming “Nearly half of Republican men — 49% — say they won't choose to be vaccinated if a vaccine is available to them.” But they were citing NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist data, which had a margin of error of 3.4 (so not the best MOE).
So, did CNN and Cuomo fabricate a poll from another outlet to smear Republicans?
Chris Cuomo's smears and lies against Republicans were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from AT&T and E-Trade. Their contact information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time
March 15, 2021
9:00:30 p.m. Eastern(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: Toxic opposition. Look who does not want the vaccine. Look at the number on your screen. Trump's main base of support. Why? No number, I promise you it's there. We're doing a whole segment on it tonight. Okay? They have over 40 percent, within the number, of Republican men. 41 percent don't want to take the vaccine. It is staggeringly high.
(…)
Why don't they want it, these white men who by and large were Trumpers? Trump's whole game was the vaccine when it came to fighting the pandemic. Remember? The magic pill, this is it, Operation Warp Speed. If you look at it more closely, Trump has always pushed his base, and that's what that demographic is, to believe only him. And now, for some of them, taking the vaccine is oddly compliance, surrender, a nod to Biden being president. And also, Trump won't tell them any differently. He won't tell them to take it.
(…)
9:07:49 p.m. Eastern
CUOMO: “This has nothing to do with race.” Why distinguish between rioters by race? “Has nothing to do with race.” Why say the places where the election was rigged -- which it was not -- are predominantly minoritys areas? Why do you bring back the most odious laws suppressing the black vote, almost by design, since Jim Crow?
You want a nice activity? Google “Jim Crow Laws” in states where they existed and compare them to the language, phraseology, and the intention of what’s sold in over 40 states right now, some 250 plus bills. Take a look and be shocked at the similarity.
Look, he [Sen. Ron Johnson] and anyone in that party who are for these laws are welcome to come on the show. Explain how these are about keeping the election safe, and that’s what you have to do limit access to the polls. Tell me how that makes it safe. Tell me why you call HR1 the devil's work. Because it is the only single act that can stop this wave of legislation.
And here’s what I think. I never heard you use the devil's work thing about ObamaCare. Why about this? My argument is, this is becoming some kind of perverse holy war for you guys. Hopefully, once again, Democrats will find a way to fight off the obvious intentions of people like Senator Johnson. They did it back in the day with a better Johnson. And here were his words about what they tried in the '60s.
LYNDON B. JOHNSON: The Constitution says no person should be kept from voting because of his race or his color. [Transition] It is wrong, deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country. [Transition] All Americans must have the privileges of citizenship regardless of race.
CUOMO: You know, I used to hear that and be like, “Yeah, no kidding. Boy, we’ve come a long way.” Have we? Have we?
(…)
