“I have to tell you something. I’m all about the Epstein Files,” proclaimed NewsNation host Chris Cuomo to his colleague Elizabeth Vargas during the Tuesday night hand off to his show. Cuomo blustered about the files were “our best chance to see and expose and maybe change the two-tiered reality that we all know we live in.” But while Cuomo would go on to talk about the six names that were called out by House Democrats in the files, there was one name in the files he didn’t want to talk about: his.
A NewsBusters investigation of the Epstein Files released last week covered that not only was Cuomo discussed in the emails, he was on the short list of different dinner parties and events for Epstein. Epstein’s fixer Peggy Siegel also spent a weekend with Cuomo and his family.
For the rest of the hand off, he and Vargas made allusions to President Trump being in the files and suggested he was getting away with something (Click “expand”):
CUOMO: So, if you can finally get a window into who would ever can ever met – Forget about Elizabeth Vargas. This is easy. She wears white for a reason. But anybody at home. Can you imagine? Casually joking with someone that you have every reason to believe likes to assault young women.
VARGAS: No.
CUOMO: Can you imagine who that person is?
VARGAS: Or has been convicted and has been labeled a sex offender? Adjudicated as such.
“And now we've got names. And now we've got names and I believe it's not for the DOJ, but I believe it's very much for us,” he boasted.
WATCH: “I’m all about the Epstein Files,” proclaimed NewsNation host Chris Cuomo. He then said the files were “our best chance to see and expose and maybe change the two-tiered reality that we all know we live in.”
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) February 12, 2026
But his name is them, and he hasn't explained why. pic.twitter.com/6VPtiDPuri
If Cuomo’s righteous indignation over the release of names couldn’t get any more ironic, he would go on to declare: “Remember, this isn't just about what can be prosecuted, but we do have to figure that out. But it's not some gotcha game about people’s sex lives, okay? This is a far lower bar of humanity. Alright? Who participated and/or knew about assaulting females may be as young as nine years old.”
Reacting to a soundbite of a British journalist defending her name being in the files because she was someone important who had written about the Epstein case, Cuomo put himself on the high ground: “Listen, if you're in the files because you covered this story, it's not what we're talking about. And to casually dismiss it like that, shows exactly why this matter so much. They know they'll get away with it.”
Again, Cuomo was in the files and not because he was covering Epstein.
In an e-mail sent on March 31, 2012, Siegal was whining to Epstein about how he never went to the theater with her. She was also giving him an update about happenings in her life. One of which was how she was heading out to Long Island to spend the weekend with the Cuomo family. “Going to Southampton today to visit Cristina and Chris Cuomo and the 3 kids...till Sunday,” she wrote.
Siegal seemed to like the Cuomo’s quite a bit since she included them in a short list for some sort of two-day “spring break” bash in March of 2013. In an e-mail to Epstein, she asked:
Do you want film makers or media elite?
Tory Burch
Steve haft
Katie Couric
Chris Cuomo/Cristina CuomoWriters
Danny Strong
Chris Terrio- wrote Argo
Beau Willimon- wrote Ides of march/House of CardsBennett Miller- directed Moneyball and a new one not out yet about dupont and wrestlers
Lena Dunham- but Woody did not want to meet her a year ago
Rita wilson- tom is on stage in Nora's Lucky Guy
Martha stewart
Barry levinson
Zac Posen
Charlie Rose
I am still thinking. Have to see who is in town.
She also included the Cuomos on a guest list to a birthday party she was throwing for herself in July of that same year. “Are you in town? Would love for you to attend my birthday party next Tuesday, July 16'" at La Grenouille. Please see updated guest list below,” she wrote to Epstein.
Now, what was that saying about people who lived in glass houses?
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
NewsNation’s Cuomo
February 10, 2026
8:00:04 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: I have to tell you something. I am all about the Epstein files. We've always covered here. Okay? So, then what's new? I believe it is our best chance to see and expose and maybe change the two-tiered reality that we all know we live in because –
ELIZABETH VARGAS: Where the rich get away with everything and get everything.
CUOMO: What happens in corporate America is the same thing that happens in the administration of justice is the same thing that happens in the halls of power is the same thing that goes into the alchemy of the two-party. They're all the same people.
VARGAS: Mm-hm.
CUOMO: So, if you can finally get a window into who would ever can ever met – Forget about Elizabeth Vargas. This is easy. She wears white for a reason.
But anybody at home. Can you imagine? Casually joking with someone that you have every reason to believe likes to assault young women.
VARGAS: No.
CUOMO: Can you imagine who that person is?
VARGAS: Or has been convicted and has been labeled a sex offender? Adjudicated as such.
CUOMO: And now we've got names. And now we've got names and I believe it's not for the DOJ, but I believe it's very much for us.
(…)
8:03:14 p.m. Eastern
CUOMO: Remember, this isn't just about what can be prosecuted, but we do have to figure that out. But it's not some gotcha game about people’s sex lives, okay? This is a far lower bar of humanity. Alright? Who participated and/or knew about assaulting females may be as young as nine years old. It's about why people think it is okay to say anything like this.
[Cuts to video of Leading Britain’s Conversation]
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Everybody that was very powerful. So like, if you're on the scene and you were powerful - a like to be honest, like if you’re not in those files, it would be an insult because it just means that you a bit of loser.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Right. So the people who aren’t in the files are losers.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Yes!
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Are you in the files?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Well, of course I am. Because it's any journalist that wrote about it.
[Cuts back to live]
CUOMO: [Shakes his head] I don't know what the Hell she's talking about. [Mocks her accent] Listen, if you're in the files because you covered this story, it's not what we're talking about. And to casually dismiss it like that, shows exactly why this matter so much. They know they'll get away with it.
(…)
