In his opening monologue for Monday’s eponymous show, his first since the second assassination attempt on former President Trump, NewsNation host Chris Cuomo voiced his disgust and frustration with how many in the media and in the country were reacting to it. While he didn’t like that Trump had called Democrats a threat to democracy, he was “ashamed” of those who were being flippant, mocking, and lacking empathy. He even disclosed that he made a personal call to Trump to check in on him.
Cuomo explained that he had gone through several drafts for his opening monologue but “it wasn't even landing right with me. So, I called former President Trump.” He said he didn’t ask him pressing questions nor grill him about rhetoric. “I just want to know how his family's taking this. Because I grew up like that. I grew up worried about who was going to try to hurt my father,” he said.
Expanding on that fear about his father (Mario Cuomo (D)), Cuomo recalled an incident that frightened him as child, where his father chased down someone who accosted him (Click “expand”):
And I told you this story last week that I remember this day. I was 7, 8, years old. Okay? And I remember him jumping off that stage in some ugly hound’s tooth blazer. And running up the front of an auditorium because someone had thrown a pie, it had a coconut shell at Abe Beame, who was mayor, and um – Bella Abzug who was running for mayor. She used to where these big beautiful hats. And my father's on the stage with them in this mayoral debate or discussion, whatever you got killed. He lost so many elections before he won one. And the guy throws that thing and my father jumps off the stage and goes running up and throws him on the ground, holds him down. And I was so scared.
“I called [Trump] today because I am ashamed of how we are responding and not responding to the threats on him. And I feel for his family,” he said.
He confronted those who would say Trump “asked for” the attempt on his life. “Listen, that's your choice and I think it's a wrong choice,” he chided. “We got to get out of the judgment business on unless its judging ourselves and you gotta start rewarding things that are better.”
Cuomo marveled at Trump’s resilience given he faced his own mortality twice in two months:
And I got to tell you. I don't know how he stays in the race. I don't know how he got up after being shot in the head. And you people who try to mitigate that, you need to check yourself. He gets up, pumping his fist, stays in the race, barely even talks about it.
“If I had been through what that guy's been through in the last 2 months, you would not know where I am. You would never see me on TV again. No way I would do that. I don't know how he does it,” he added later.
Disgusted by the way the Biden administration and the Harris/Walz ticket were under playing what happened, Cuomo expressed deep concern about where the country was heading:
I am worried about us. I am ashamed of what's happening around us right now and the relative lack of concern about it. I just don't see how we get anywhere better than where we are right now.
(…)
I criticize him all the time. That's my job. And he deserves it. But he doesn't deserve this. A guy pointing an AK-47 at him while he’s playing golf? And we take solace in the fact that the guy didn't get any rounds off?! That does not work for me.
Further talking about how this affected Trump’s family, Cuomo slammed those who were “giving crap to Melania Trump worrying about whether or not there was a plot around her husband.”
“How could she not?!” he exclaimed. “I don't think she's right, but I totally get why she feels that way! And people mock her?! And then her husband as a guy pointed with an AK-47; where are those people apologizing?!”
Unsure where America was going from here, Cuomo lamented: “It has gotten out of control, too far from where we need to be and how we need to be. And I don't know what to do about it. I don’t know.”
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
NewsNation’s Cuomo
September 17, 2024
8:08:16 p.m. Eastern(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: Here's what I did. I didn't know what to say. I kept going through drafts. And I just wasn't getting anywhere. It wasn't even landing right with me. So, I called former President Trump. And I didn't ask him any questions, I didn't go after him about his role. I just want to know how his family's taking this. Because I grew up like that. I grew up worried about who was going to try to hurt my father.
And I told you this story last week that I remember this day. I was 7, 8, years old. Okay? And I remember him jumping off that stage in some ugly hound’s tooth blazer. And running up the front of an auditorium because someone had thrown a pie, it had a coconut shell at Abe Beame, who was mayor, and um – Bella Abzug who was running for mayor. She used to where these big beautiful hats. And my father's on the stage with them in this mayoral debate or discussion, whatever you got killed. He lost so many elections before he won one. And the guy throws that thing and my father jumps off the stage and goes running up and throws him on the ground, holds him down. And I was so scared.
And you can think what you want about Trump. He does not have many more full-throated critics of what he says and does that me. Okay? And yet, I called him today because I am ashamed of how we are responding and not responding to the threats on him. And I feel for his family.
And I know you can roll your eyes and say, ‘oh, yeah, he asked for it.’ Listen, that's your choice and I think it's a wrong choice. Okay? We got to get out of the judgment business on unless its judging ourselves and you gotta start rewarding things that are better.
And I got to tell you. I don't know how he stays in the race. I don't know how he got up after being shot in the head. And you people who try to mitigate that, you need to check yourself. He gets up, pumping his fist, stays in the race, barely even talks about it.
Now, look. I do believe. He has wasted opportunities and he has another one now. Who better than Trump to say, ‘we can do better, I can do better?’ I know he keeps doubling down on his angry rhetoric. How can you not, it keeps working for him? I don't know that it gets him elected. My theory is that he needs to expand. He had a chance to do it after he was the target of an assassination. At the RNC, he had a chance to say, ‘I know what got me here. It's not going to get me where I want us to be.’ He did not take that chance.
He now has another chance. ‘Oh, you're supporting Trump!’ I’m supporting us. The idea that I am a Trump supporter is laughable to the man on your screen right now. That is not what this is. I am worried about us. I am ashamed of what's happening around us right now and the relative lack of concern about it. I just don't see how we get anywhere better than where we are right now.
Look, I'm not blaming Democrats. I'm really not. I blame the guy and whatever disease he has that the people around him either knew about and did nothing about. The guy was arrested 20 years ago for barricading himself in a room with all these weapons. Where are we caring about one another?! Where are we taking care of our own?! Where are we pushing to get help?! We’re leaving people languishing, dying on the streets. What is going on with us? I don't get it. That's why I reached out to Trump.
I wanted to just say, ‘Listen. I'm really sorry that this is going on and it's being dealt with this way.’ Not because I'm in favor of his politics or what he says. I criticize him all the time. That's my job. And he deserves it. But he doesn't deserve this. A guy pointing an AK-47 at him while he’s playing golf? And we take solace in the fact that the guy didn't get any rounds off?! That does not work for me.
If I had been through what that guy's been through in the last 2 months, you would not know where I am. You would never see me on TV again. No way I would do that. I don't know how he does it. He’s got kids. They're adults, but he's got grandkids. He's got a wife. People giving shi – giving crap to Melania Trump worrying about whether or not there was a plot around her husband. How could she not?! I don't think she's right, but I totally get why she feels that way! And people mock her? And then her husband as a guy pointed with an AK-47; where are those people apologizing?!
That's what it's time for; ‘I should not have come at you, Melania Trump for suggesting that maybe there was something more a foot. I get your paranoia. I get your feelings. You have a right to that.’ There's nothing wrong with saying that would be the basic decent human being!
It has gotten out of control, too far from where we need to be and how we need to be. And I don't know what to do about it. I don’t know.
(…)
