During his closing argument Tuesday night, CNN host Chris Cuomo attempted to make the case that “Trump Plays the Victim, but Creates His Own Crises.” Throughout the closing monologue, Cuomo accused President Trump of repeatedly breaking the law and expressed his hope that “we will never have a President who causes this much chaos again.”
The need for a laugh track began early. “Two things need to stop tonight; like now. First, the idea that anyone who disagrees with the President hates him,” he said, playing clips of Trump supporters. “This is cheap, this is destructive, and they know it and do it anyway.”
This, from the network that puts on Trump Derangement Syndrome examples like the guy who claimed President Trump would kill more people than Stalin, Hitler, and Mao combined. Who’s “cheap and destructive”? Tap-dancing on the party line, Cuomo just sounds like another liberal New York Democrat, like the partisan son of the late Gov. Mario Cuomo.
After slamming the idea supposedly pushed by Trump and his allies that “anyone who disagrees with the President hates him,” Cuomo gleefully cited a Washington Post article (from April) finding that 21 Republican-appointed judges have ruled against the Trump administration. According to Cuomo, “the problem is not the judge. It’s the constant violation of the law by this President.”
Later, Cuomo played clips of President Trump making his displeasure with the investigations that have sucked up all the oxygen in the media and the Democratic Party by arguing “it’s a shame that your President has had to go through with this” and “no President should ever have to go through this again.” At this point, Cuomo jumped into full-blown activism mode: “I hope he’s right. God willing, we will never have a President who causes this much chaos again.”
Cuomo concluded that the chances of his dreams coming true “may be better if the man responsible for the chaos right now does get impeached.” Appearing to enjoy himself, Cuomo announced that “if he gets impeached, that is a permanent stain. It will be the first thing people will know about his presidency forever...His name will be glued to being impeached for eternity.” Is that the way Cuomo feels about Bill Clinton?
It must have given Cuomo great pride to report that a CNN poll found that a majority of Americans do not “just say he should be accused or impeached, they say he should be removed.” He didn’t note the CNN poll needle didn’t move an inch in Adam Schiff’s direction after public hearings.
As his monologue came to a close, Cuomo declared “whatever happens next with impeachment, know this, this President can blame the person who is always apparently foremost in his mind: himself.” While Cuomo did try and make it sound like he cared about the President by saying “God protect him and keep him and his family well,” his closing argument made it perfectly clear that he would like to see Trump impeached and removed, or, at the very least, defeated in his re-election bid.
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A transcript of the relevant portion of Tuesday’s edition of Cuomo Prime Time is below. Click “expand” to read more.
Cuomo Prime Time
11/26/19
09:50 PM
CHRIS CUOMO: Two things need to stop tonight; like now. First, the idea that anyone who disagrees with the President hates him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
COREY LEWANDOWSKI: I think they hate this President more than they love their country.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I know you hate Trump.
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: Do they love America more than they hate this President?
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
CUOMO: This is cheap, this is destructive, and they know it and do it anyway. A Washington Post count in April found 21 of the judges who’ve ruled against this administration were put on the bench by Republicans. Big cases: DACA, Mueller’s Special Counsel appointment, family separation, sanctuary cities. All handed down by Republican-appointed judges, okay? Why? The problem is not the judge. It’s the constant violation of the law by this President. In fact, the only person in this mix who uses animus in place of any legitimate dispute is our President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Shifty Schiff.
TRUMP: Little pencil neck Adam Schiff.
TRUMP: Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren.
TRUMP: Sleepy Joe.
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: Crazy Bernie.
TRUMP: Crying Chuck. Crazy Nancy.
TRUMP: These are maniacs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Not just politicians. He says it about us in the press. They made fun of my mother last week. I would laugh if it weren’t so embarrassing. The second thing that needs to stop is the idea that this President is a victim of anything other than his mouth, his motives, and his moves. The last almost three years have been filled with investigations. They are right about that but why? His mouth, his motives, his moves, and those around him. Examples: the taxes, he wouldn’t put them out. He says he’s under audit but he won’t prove it. He keeps sheltering Putin in a way that raises questions about being compromised. The Russia probe started by what his people said and what his people did and by this President’s constant solicitation of, help to, and denial of the obvious Russian interference to this day. And this whole Ukraine mess, it’s about what he and his personal lawyer planned to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: So, you did ask Ukraine to look into Joe Biden?
RUDY GIULIANI: Of course I did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: That’s fine. Again, I don’t think this is about Rudy. I think this is about Rudy doing what his client wanted him to do the way he allowed him to do it. This President is making his own mess. Further to the point, Mueller outlined instance after instance of obstruction by the President himself. So, why didn’t they move on it? Democratic leadership chose not to move on impeachment. You could say it was a political thing. They didn’t think they had the votes or what…whatever but they didn’t do it. Add them, now all of a sudden, if you look at everything that has happened, there’s no need to make it up. They’re all of his own making. He plays the system and when caught, this President plays the victim.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
TRUMP: It’s a shame that your President has had to go through this.
TRUMP: No President should ever have to go through this again.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
CUOMO: I hope he’s right. God willing, we will never have a President who causes this much chaos again and you know what? The chances of that may be better if the man responsible for the chaos right now does get impeached. Why? Look, I think you can argue it either way. I have on this show. Some of you like that, some of you don’t. That’s the show. It’s for people with open minds but if he gets impeached, that is a permanent stain. It will be the first thing people will know about his presidency forever. Trump said in a tweet he never imagined his name connected to the word but I believe that and it may be his worst fear and it will be realized. His name will be glued to being impeached for eternity. Now, he can complain to the red hat rallies of thousands who agree with him no matter what he says but the country has made their sympathies clear, a majority doesn’t just say this is a good process; doesn’t just say he should be accused or impeached. They say he should be removed. I don’t see that as being likely politically and as for those who support him most, you see how he is already making any loss that happens here about you, not him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And if you lose, they’re going to say, Trump suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world. This was the greatest. You can’t let that happen to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: He created the mess but you will take the loss and yet, you are not the victim if that happens, he is, and you must help him when he has done nothing but help himself and in doing so, he has gotten himself exactly where he is. This is not about hate for the President; God protect him and keep him and his family well but we must love the presidency more than any President. Our loyalty and that of our lawmakers is not to him but to the country and the countrymen that our politicians serve. They are servants for you, not serfs for the President. Whatever happens next with impeachment, know this, this President can blame the person who is always apparently foremost in his mind: himself.
