During Friday’s edition of Cuomo Prime Time, host Chris Cuomo slammed President Trump for praising Montana Republican Congressman Greg Gianforte at a rally Thursday night held on behalf of Gianforte and Republican Senate candidate Matt Rosendale. Gianforte had plead guilty to assaulting a Guardian reporter as a Congressional candidate last year. The President brought up the body slamming at the rally, which led to Cuomo asking “why does Trump praise bullies?” and comparing the audience at the rally, who cheered at the mention of the body slamming, to the audiences at the Roman coliseum.
Cuomo played an audio clip of the “exchange” between Gianforte and Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, which became public just one day before the special election; after many of the votes had already been cast. After saying that President Trump praised Gianforte because “he’s so tough,” Cuomo also took a shot at the crowd at the rally, saying that they “roared much like I would expect the Romans would roar when the lions mauled someone in the arena.” Cuomo asked “why does Trump praise bullies?” before complaining about how “time and time again, he celebrates punks who go after the little guy. Does it on the world stage with bad guys you’re clearly impressed by.”
After inviting Gianforte to body slam him, Cuomo said that if President Trump was a “a leader,” he would “make fun of Gianforte, embarrass him for what he did” and “take him down a peg for his pathetic display.” It comes across as quite strange that a member of the media would encourage President Trump to make fun of somebody considering the fact that they always describe his nicknames as “unpresidential.” Cuomo continued to express his displeasure with President Trump’s style: “A leader lifts others up, right? He doesn’t throw a man down. He picks him up. Trump doesn’t get that.”
Cuomo contrasted President Trump with NBA star Lebron James, who has emerged as a vocal critic of the President. He played a clip of James rallying his team after a loss and saying “Anytime you fall…hey, anytime you all fall, stay down. Your brother come pick you up.”
After the video concluded, Cuomo prosthelytized: “They lost that game but he’s teaching them a lesson that could lead to greater victories. Someone falls, you lift them up. Trump would call LeBron a loser because he lost the game, but this is why I love sport. How you play, win or lose, matters. The President only thinks about win and lose on one level, ham-fisted.”
Cuomo later called the President a bully: “Crazy and sad days when the lessons that we teach our kids…don’t be a bully, strength isn’t knocking down, it’s lifting up. Now those lessons must also be directed at our President.”
Cuomo concluded his “closing argument” by accusing President Trump of “rewarding a thug like Gianforte or Putin or Kim.” While Gianforte’s body slamming of Jacobs definitely was not his finest hour, it seems like a bit much to lump him in there with dictators. Then again, Cuomo has built his entire career based on engaging in hyperbole.
A transcript of the relevant portion of Friday’s edition of Cuomo Prime Time is below. Click “expand” to read more.
Cuomo Prime Time
10/19/18
09:56 AM
CHRIS CUOMO: Congressman Greg Gianforte of Montana attacked Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. He pleaded guilty. Okay? The President celebrated him. Do we have the sound of Gianforte being caught on tape with the reporter? Here’s what happened.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BEN JACOBS: But there’s not going to be time. I’m just curious.
GIANFORTE: Speak with Shane, please.
(INAUDIBLE)
GIANFORTE: I’m sick and tired of you guys. The last time you came in here, you did the same thing. Get the hell out of here.
JACOBS: Jesus.
GIANFORTE: Get the hell out of here. The last guy did the same thing. You with The Guardian?
JACOBS: Yes, and you just broke my glasses.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
CUOMO: You did the same thing, meaning asked me a question I didn’t like. He grabbed a guy by the neck, threw him on the ground. He pleaded guilty to assault, okay? There’s no question about what he did being wrong and illegal. But the President celebrated him at a rally. He’s my guy because he’s so tough, and the crowd roared much like I expect the Romans would roar when the lions mauled someone in the arena. And it raises the same question. Why does Trump praise bullies? Time and again, he celebrates punks who go after the little guy. Does it on the world stage with bad guys whom you’re clearly impressed by. And you do it on the rally stage. You make no mistake. It wasn’t just getting carried away in the moment. Here’s what he said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Do you regret bringing up, last night, at your rally, the assault on a reporter by a Congressman?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, no, no. Not at all. That was a different world. Greg is a tremendous person, and he’s a tough cookie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: A different world. What world is he talking about? There’s only one. We’re in it. You should be accountable for what you do. Everything Gianforte did is weak, okay? He attacked someone who wasn’t a threat, was at every disadvantage. Gianforte showed no control, no confidence, no respect for his office or his constituents or for the law. He is weak. And if he doesn’t like it, he can come body slam me as well. I welcome it. Now, Trump was just joking, right? No. He likes what the guy did. Now, what would a leader do? Would he make fun of the victim? No, he’d make fun of Gianforte, embarrass him for what he did. Another goon. Make fun of that. Take him down a peg for his pathetic display. Even better would be to reinforce what really matters, which is the truth, that this guy is the opposite of what we want to be. A leader lifts others up, right? He doesn’t throw a man down. He picks him up. Trump doesn’t get that, but you know who does? LeBron James. I’m not referring to their war of words with each other. I could care nothing about that. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEBRON JAMES: We got you. Anytime you fall…hey, anytime you all fall, stay down. Your brother come pick you up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Gets his young team together. Falls down. They lost that game but he’s teaching them a lesson that could lead to greater victories. Someone falls, you lift them up. Trump would call LeBron a loser because he lost the game, but this is why I love sport. How you play, win or lose, matters. The President only thinks about win and lose on one level, ham-fisted. That’s how he makes mistakes like rewarding a thug like Gianforte or Putin or Kim. And we’ll see about Saudi’s MBS. Crazy and sad days when the lessons that we teach our kids…don’t be a bully, strength isn’t knocking down, it’s lifting up. Now those lessons must also be directed at our President. Thank you for watching. Have a great weekend.
