On Monday, sanity apparently struck again on CNN Tonight as host Don Lemon spent most of the handoff with Prime Time host Chris Cuomo lecturing the audience and begging his vaccinated mother to believe the science, trust the vaccine, and go outside without a mask on. And his frustration was palpable as he proclaimed: “It defies reality. It defies logic.”
The handoff banter started with some chit-chat about Mother’s Day and Lemon being “jealous” of Cuomo because he got to spend it with his mom. “Yeah, but she won’t get on a plane and she can wear a mask,” he explained. “I said, ‘Mom, I’ll send a car for you or one of those sprinters.”
Lemon also noted that his mom was afraid to go to the dentist to fix a chipped tooth because of the pandemic. “And I say, ‘Mom, you can go to the dentist, it’s safe.’ Sanjay is going to do a house call on her because this is real, people are having trouble re-emerging into society,” he noted.
From there, Lemon went on to lecture his mom and the audience about how the “believe the science” mantra needed to be applied to post-pandemic life. “If you are going to say, 'I believe in the science and the scientists,' then now on this side of the pandemic, then you must believe in the science and scientists as well,” he said.
He added: “Who are saying: ‘If you’re fully vaccinated, you don't have to wear a mask outside, if you want to travel you can wear a mask follow the protocols.’ But it is 99.99 or whatever percent chances that you won't get the COVID – you won’t get COVID. Then you should trust in that science as well and get back to your life.”
He also vented his frustrations with the way many were being way too cautious despite being fully vaccinated. “I could walk out of here and get hit by a bus. I want to live my life. I want to see my loved ones. So, can we get back to some semblance of normalcy? And we cannot be afraid into normal society. It defies reality. It defies logic,” he said.
Cuomo agreed with his friend and argued that the government’s messaging was not doing anything to help public confidence and offered little incentive:
I’ll argue one point for your mom. And I will put a little bit of stink on this but I will put more on Sanjay and more on the government. This messaging about the vaccine has not been good enough. They still make you feel like it’s not like every other vaccines that you ever have in your life, where you may still get it, you should still wear a mask, you can still have enough to be contagious, you can still spread it. You know?
“And I still don't think they're allowing this numbers and the science to rule, and they’re giving people the vaccines even more latitude, especially now that you have people who don't want to get it,” Cuomo added.
Lemon concluded their conversation on the issue by pressing how “you’ve got to believe in the science, you’ve to believe in facts, and you’ve got to believe in reality.”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN Tonight
May 10, 2021
10:01:48 p.m. Eastern(…)
DON LEMON: But, I am kind of jealous that you got to spend it with your mom. Because I’d love to spend it with my mom. But my mom won’t leave. I keep saying, Mom,
CHRIS CUOMO: She has to fly, though.
LEMON: Yeah, but she won’t get on a plane and she can wear a mask.
CUOMO: I get why she’s spooked.
LEMON: I said, “Mom, I’ll send a car for you or one of those sprinters.” She won't do it. She hasn’t been – I’m going to honest, she's going to be mad at me. She chipped her tooth during the pandemic and she won't go to the dentist. And I say, “Mom, you can go to the dentist, it’s safe.” Sanjay is going to do a house call on her because this is real, people are having trouble reemerging into society.
CUOMO: It’s scary Don, especially for people in their age bracket.
LEMON: But, she is fully vaccinated, Chris.
CUOMO: I know.
LEMON: And if you are going to say during the entire pandemic and I am talking to you, mom and I’m talking to you my other friend – and I won’t say your name because she'll get mad at me. If you are going to say I believe in the science and the scientists, then now on this side of the pandemic, then you must believe in the science and scientists as well.
CUOMO: I agree.
LEMON: Who are saying: “If you’re fully vaccinated, you don't have to wear a mask outside, if you want to travel you can, wear a mask follow the protocols.” But it is 99.99 or whatever percent chances that you won't get the COVID – you won’t get COVID. Then you should trust in that science as well and get back to your life.
My mom is a woman of certain age. I don't know how much times any of us has. I could walk out of here and get hit by a bus. I want to live my life. I want to see my loved ones. So, can we get back to some semblance of normalcy? And we cannot be afraid into normal society. It defies reality.
CUOMO: I am with you.
LEMON: It defies logic.
CUOMO: I’ll argue one point for your mom. And I will put a little bit of stink on this but I will put more on Sanjay and more on the government. This messaging about the vaccine has not been good enough. They still make you feel like it’s not like every other vaccines that you ever have in your life, where you may still get it, you should still wear a mask, you can still have enough to be contagious, you can still spread it. You know?
I get why people like your mom and my mom did not feel the confidence that we were supposed to have in getting this vaccine.
LEMON: Messaging.
CUOMO: And I still don't think they're allowing this numbers and the science to rule, and they’re giving people the vaccines even more latitude. Especially now that you have people who don't want to get it.
LEMON: Yeah. Look, I have to say there is so much I want to talk to you about. But you’ve got to believe in the science, you’ve to believe in facts, and you’ve got to believe in reality.
CUOMO: I do. I am with you.
(…)
