NewsNation primetime host Chris Cuomo dropped some major truth bombs on his eponymous show Thursday night; directly addressing the folks in the White House he’s been told “monitor” what he says and calling out how the American and Israeli hostages stolen by Hamas terrorists “have become an afterthought” to President Biden, who dropped them below reelection as a priority. He called it all “unforgivable.”
At the top of his show, Cuomo noted “that people in the White House monitor what I say” and warned that since officials “won't come on the show,” he was “forced to speak at you rather than to you. This is not my choice.”
Cuomo chided the Biden administration for their “half-speak” and “treating the war against Israel as if it were another political point of compromise.” He said the White House was using "appeasement in a situation that is not about balance” but “about realities.”
“And I get how worried you are that you're not going have the same base year the last time. But that is not an excuse to be weak,” he directly shouted at Biden, who he declared had “forgotten” the hostages by not making their release the first condition of a ceasefire:
There's a primary reality, okay? And we seemed to have forgotten it. Hamas is a terror organization. You designated them as that! They stole people. They need to give the people they stole back to us, to Israel, first! The hostages have become an afterthought! And that is wrong! And the reason it has happened is even more wrong! The reason it has happened is because other political exigencies and agendas have overtaken the relevance!
Cuomo rightfully dubbed the hostages “the most wrongfully injured victims in the entire situation,” and pointed out that Biden’s capitulation was evidence that Israel was receiving the short end of a double standard that benefited Hamas; one that the U.S. would not stand for if it was in Israel’s position (Click "expand"):
Now. If Hamas gives back the hostages, which you would likely require as a sine qua non – without this nothing – in any other situation. Certainly if it were you in Israel's position. Then you have leverage. You have a basis for an exchange of wants. Not, “Stop, ceasefire, expose yourself, and then we hope to get the hostages back.” You wouldn't do that. You're asking Israel to do what you never would. And I don't know who else has: Pulling back under threat – existential threat, meaning they want you exterminated. And, by the way, you don't get your people back first.
And it does feed the idea. I know you hear this, especially you, Tony. And I know I hear it cause I know who's talked to you about it. That it feeds this malignancy that Jews are treated differently. That Hamas is given more of a break, than your main ally. Why even mention ceasefire before they give back the hostages?
The shellacking didn’t stop there.
Looking directly into the camera, Cuomo declared that Biden was treating the war “like it's a debate about the debt ceiling. Like it’s brinksmanship. Lie it’s a fake deadline.” “There is too much blood on the floor for this to be about a typical compromise and you know it!” he exclaimed.
Throughout his opening monologue, Cuomo spelled out how Biden was putting Israel in an impossible situation with his misplaced expectation for a ceasefire (Click "expand"):
So stop treating this as if Israel should be the bigger person. They are convinced they were targeted for extermination.
(…)
You can provide no assurance that Israel would not be hit immediately because that's what Hamas has promised. That's what Hezbollah is doing. And the other Iranian proxies – now be honest – you have ignored. You have given Iran a pass. You have given them back billions of dollars. If you're going make Israel take on Iran for you, then at least give them a chance to be successful.
(…)
Enact a ceasefire immediately? Why, when they're not going to be safe?
Cuomo kept the focus on the hostages, noting they “deserve the attention” and it’s “unforgivable” how they’ve been forgotten by the Biden administration.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
NewsNation’s Cuomo
April 4, 2024
8:03:32 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: I know that people in the White House monitor what I say. Good. And because President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken won't come on the show, I am forced to speak at you rather than to you. This is not my choice.
I understand. Talk to people within your party at very high levels elected and unelected all the time. I know that the war in the Middle East is a major concern for you in the election. And I think that explains why you misplayed it the way you did today. Okay?
You gave a mixed message. You talked tough in what sounded like a threat to your main ally in the region and then you said you're giving them more weapons. You're treating the war against Israel as if it were another political point of compromise. This is wrong, but this is wrong and we need to do better here in the has to be change and blah blah blah ceasefire. A lot of words. A lot of conditional language. A lot of half speak. A lot of appeasement in a situation that is not about balance. It is about realities.
And I get the pressure from the left. I get it and I get how tight the race is. And I get how worried you are that you're not going have the same base year the last time. But that is not an excuse to be weak.
There's a primary reality, okay? And we seemed to have forgotten it. Hamas is a terror organization. You designated them as that! They stole people. They need to give the people they stole back to us, to Israel, first! The hostages have become an afterthought! And that is wrong! And the reason it has happened is even more wrong! The reason it has happened is because other political exigencies and agendas have overtaken the relevance!
The aid workers being hit. Horrible. Matters, of course. Deserves attention, absolutely. But also makes the lack of attention to the hostages apparent.
Hitting the aid workers, angels among us is, of course, an acceptable. Everybody knows that. It also must be explained and you should have called for that explanation today, because, you know, they already know the reason this is a very sophisticated organization at the IDF. How can you focus on the aid workers who bravely took the risk to be there – angels among us. That's why I and the team are willing to risk going there to see their work in action so people can see the need.
But if you're going to say that what happened to them demands action. How do you not start with the return of the hostages as the most wrongfully injured victims in the entire situation. Every time you speak about what must happen and you do not begin with, “Hey terrorists, give back who you stole,” you are giving terrorists a pass. Every time you don't start there, you lose the Israeli ear.
Now. If Hamas gives back the hostages, which you would likely require as a sine qua non – without this nothing – in any other situation. Certainly if it were you in Israel's position. Then you have leverage. You have a basis for an exchange of wants. Not, “Stop, ceasefire, expose yourself, and then we hope to get the hostages back.” You wouldn't do that. You're asking Israel to do what you never would. And I don't know who else has: Pulling back under threat – existential threat, meaning they want you exterminated. And, by the way, you don't get your people back first.
And it does feed the idea. I know you hear this, especially you, Tony. And I know I hear it cause I know who's talked to you about it. That it feeds this malignancy that Jews are treated differently. That Hamas is given more of a break, than your main ally. Why even mention ceasefire before they give back the hostages?
Now, there's an obvious reason. Too much death in Gaza. Too many innocence dying in Gaza. Children dying, starving in Gaza. You are right. We must all agree. But what has the best chance of motivating a mitigation? Threats to Israel? Never. Political pressure on Bibi? He loves it. All the more reason to force the main want: get the hostages back.
You know what response I get to this? “Yeah. You know, but Hams, they don't want to give them back. You know, they’re bad guys. They need the leverage.” Really? So, instead you want to force Israel to relent. Imagine how much stronger the message to Bibi would be if you came in saying, “We told Hamas they have until X to hand over the hostages or else. And when they do. You need to do X, Y, and Z.”
The people in Gaza are calling for the release of the hostages more vehemently than you are. They know Hamas has put them in this Hell. What do you know? Then you have a basis for telling Israel there has to be change. Otherwise you're basically asking Israel to give Hamas the win and withdraw. It will not happen. You know this, which means you went in today saying those things to Bibi, having them reported when, you know, it's not going to happen, not under Bibi – Not under any one, if the surveys are to be believed.
So stop treating this as if Israel should be the bigger person. They are convinced they were targeted for extermination. Stop treating this like it's a debate about the debt ceiling. Like it’s brinksmanship. Lie it’s a fake deadline. There is too much blood on the floor for this to be about a typical compromise and you know it!
The place to push is obvious: Hostages. And with Israel: aid. Several reasons. It's the right thing to do as a moral authority. People are starving. It's bad and it makes Israel look bad. There is a less aid getting in them before October 7th and there is more need for it than ever. You are making a generation ready for radicalization and that's understandable. If all, you know, is a life of squalor in death. What do you think is going to happen? And they're going to blame America's much as Israel.
This is also a chance to widen the role of other allies to make this more regional with players and more stakeholders, even if they're only monitoring and securing aid, which you can argue Israel should not be in sole control. And then you will have more reason to have peace because there's much more precedent of an international coalition monitoring humanitarian aid, than there is for asking for a withdrawal without any assurance of safety.
You can provide no assurance that Israel would not be hit immediately because that's what Hamas has promised. That's what Hezbollah is doing. And the other Iranian proxies – now be honest – you have ignored. You have given Iran a pass. You have given them back billions of dollars. If you're going make Israel take on Iran for you, then at least give them a chance to be successful.
This is not ending anytime soon. And you should tell the American people. It will likely get worse. And you should tell the American people. Aid is the place that makes the most sense that is most needed and has the best chance of making a positive difference. What you are saying today was a mixed message that made nothing better. It may have pleased your left flank that is hyper-sympathetic to the suffering in Gaza and there's nothing wrong with seeing the humanity in that. But that's not your job. Your job is to do something about it. And if you want to help it, stop deal with the suffering and do it smart. That's why you're running for office. And if you keep it like today, you're right. This issue may beat you.
So, this is the news, right? Biden first call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the aid workers were killed. And now they're saying, “strong rebuke.” What strong rebuke?! Enact a ceasefire immediately? Why, when they're not going to be safe? Look, I get it. I love the idea. Let's stop today, everybody go back to your corners, let's try to be reasonable. It's not going to happen. But the hostages deserve the attention. It is unforgivable how we have forgot.
(…)
