Newly announced NewsNation primetime host Chris Cuomo raised eyebrows during the latest edition of his podcast (The Chris Cuomo Project) on Thursday, after he bucked the liberal media’s glorification of the Democrat-led January 6 Committee by suggesting they were playing a “gotcha game” and “tearing at the fabric” of America like they did with the impeachment for former President Trump. He also chided the media for “fan[ing] the flames” that “need to be smothered.”
After addressing the announcement of his new show on NewsNation, and seemingly taking a shot at CNN and disgraced former boss Jeff Zucker, Cuomo pivoted to the committee. He did feel “there could be crimes, especially on this [fake] elector front that we're just learning about now.” But, “less so I think around the planning and the practical aspects of what happened on January 6. I don't see that there's criminality there, at least in what's been offered.”
But then he wondered: “are we really learning enough about what matters? Or is this starting to play like a gotcha game? Like the impeachment.”
Suggesting that the impeachment did matter at some level, he lamented that “you knew you were never going to have the outcome … The outcome was never going to be what was desired.” And he didn’t buy the argument that it was just Congress doing their job for the good of the country. “Was that really in America's interest?” he asked.
Speaking about those hoping to lock up former President Trump for “treason,” Cuomo scoffed. “Why even go there? They go there because it fuels the fringe aspects of the party.” He warned those people that “you wind up undercutting your purpose when you exaggerate the desired outcome or consequence.”
And after saying it reminded him of Republicans going after then-President Bill Clinton in the 90s, Cuomo denounced the whole process by declaring “no thanks” to “politicians making politics into a policing action with criminal consequences.” “Not with Clinton, not with Trump and his cronies,” he said.
Cuomo pleaded with the committee to just let the Department of Justice conduct its own investigation and file its own charges:
The January 6 hearings lose their impact on consensus because of the intended consequences pursued. We all know now what went down and that Trump and co. acted horribly. Regular people get it. If there are crimes, especially on that elector front, let the Department of Justice figure it out. Let the local prosecutors figure it out. We don't need politicians to tell our prosecutors what to do.
Chiding the media, he says the industry “fans the flames” for the “provocative” headlines and admits “they are reflecting what the Democrats and others are saying, but they should be pushing back as well. Not all flames need to be fed. Some need to be smothered.”
Calling for “Less distraction more traction on what matters to you: regular people,” Cuomo drew attention to “gas prices” and how they’re “choking commerce, choking family budgets, changing how we live, changing how we enjoy our lives.”
For the rest of his monologue, Cuomo talked about economic issues, culture war issues, and blowing up the two-party system. And the majority of the episode was taken up by an over 48-minute-long, wide-ranging conversation with West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
The Chris Cuomo Project
July 28, 2022
00:05:10 p.m.(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: Now, absolutely it is in your interest for what happened and by whom to be rooted out and remedied. There could be crimes, especially on this fugazi elector front that we're just learning about now. Less so I think around the planning and the practical aspects of what happened on January 6. I don't see that there's criminality there, at least in what's been offered.
My question is, are we really learning enough about what matters? Or is this starting to play like a gotcha game? Like the impeachment.
Again, not that the issues that were involved in impeachment don't matter. But you knew you were never going to have the outcome. The argument was well, “but this is what we have to do. This is our job.” I don't know. I don't know. I don't know that that kind of fomenting of tension, that kind of protracted process when you know, you weren't going to remove the President. Was that really in America's interest? Certainly debatable. Certainly debatable. The outcome was never going to be what was desired.
There's no question, as with the Mueller probe, Trump and his cronies were doing bad things. Things they know they should not have been doing and arguably that makes them lousy leaders. But getting Trump for treason? Why even go there? They go there because it fuels the fringe aspects of the party.
Collusion with Russian operatives. Yes. Collusion is behavior. It's not a crime, the crime is conspiracy and it's a distinction with a difference and they were nowhere near it. And it wasn't ever going to be prosecuted. So why tear at the fabric that way? Why not achieve the goal of exposing what it is, and if it's politics, keep it in politics.
Fomenting tension, lying to inflame just to create more outrage. Wanting to watch a run on the Capitol, ignoring violent intentions. These are all terrible, but treason?
You know, you wind up undercutting your purpose when you exaggerate the desired outcome or consequence. It reminds me of when the right wanted to get Clinton criminally for lying about messing around.
Forget about the fake morality that was at play. You know, the politicians just don't get Americans. You're not looking for perfect people, you know that we're all flawed. You want a more perfect union. You want people who will lead us with ideas and actions that make us better or at least who try.
But politicians making politics into a policing action with criminal consequences? No, thanks. Not with Clinton, not with Trump and his cronies, not with “but her emails.” Not saying that now, right?
The January 6 hearings lose their impact on consensus because of the intended consequences pursued. We all know now what went down and that Trump and co. acted horribly. Regular people get it. If there are crimes, especially on that elector front, let the Department of Justice figure it out. Let the local prosecutors figure it out. We don't need politicians to tell our prosecutors what to do.
And the media. Look it fans the flames. Why? ‘Criminal reference,’ ‘criminal consequences.’ That's provocative. They are reflecting what the Democrats and others are saying, but they should be pushing back as well. You know, not all flames need to be fed. Some need to be smothered. Less distraction more traction on what matters to you. Regular people.
I'm not saying democracy doesn't matter, our institutions don't have to be protected. Of course, they do. But does anyone think that these hearings, that's what they ultimately yield?
Gas prices, choking commerce, choking family budgets, changing how we live, changing how we enjoy our lives.
(…)
