Chris Cuomo agreed with the Lincoln Project's Stuart Stevens that the group's Friday anti-Glenn Youngkin hoax raised "legitimate" questions about Youngkin's character and not that the group had to fabricate evidence in an attempt to prove that point.
At first Cuomo seemed to be the reasonable one, asking Stevens, "Some people showed up at a Youngkin event posing as Charlottesville protestors. A group you’re with, the Lincoln Project, owned that it was them, that they posed this way because they wanted people to remember. You're getting crushed by people on the right as a dirty tactic. Do you stand behind what was done and is that being what you guys say you oppose?"
Stevens was unapologetic, portraying the hoax as good-old fashioned political hardball: "No. Listen, every day I hear people pleading with the Lincoln Project to help show Democrats how to win, how to play hardball. You know, this is an example."
For Stevens, the issue is not that his group got caught in a lie, but rather, "It's why hasn't Glenn Youngkin denounced Donald Trump for saying there are good people on both sides. I mean, that is absolutely outrageous. And it's because Glenn Youngkin wants it both ways and I think that's the message that needs to be driven here...So, I think the question here is, we can't ignore what happened in Charlottesville. The question is why hasn't Glenn Youngkin denounced Donald Trump."
Of course if Trump, Youngkin, or any other Republican pulled off a hoax to paint the Democrat as a racist or an Antifa supporter, Cuomo and Stevens would be lamenting downfall of political norms and the rise of fake news. Instead, Cuomo conceded that Stevens made a good point "No look, I hear the question, it's a legitimate one."
Instead of turning to someone who would have held Stevens accountable for his group's stunt that trivialized racism and neo-Nazism and that will encourage people to believe all such people are hoaxers out to make Republicans look bad, Cuomo turned to Democratic strategist James Carville for his thoughts.
At first Carville appeared to distance himself and his party from the stunt, but ultimately wondered what the big deal was and declared that Youngkin is the real story: "Well, first of all, the Lincoln Project is independent of the Democratic Party of Virginia. I happen to know the chairwoman very, very well and, you know, I kind of agree with what Stuart said, it was to illustrate a point that Youngkin has not denounced Trump saying there were fine people on both sides in Charlottesville. I think this is kind of a tempest in a teapot or something like that."
Carville concluded, perhaps unwittingly, by admitting the reason behind the hoax in the first place, "this is a tough cycle that we’re in right now and hopefully we can win this. Some people think we got, we’re a slight favorite. Myself, I'm too nervous to think right now."
This segment was sponsored by Safelite.
Here is a transcript for the October 29 show:
CNN
Cuomo Prime Time
9:05 PM ET
CHRIS CUOMO: Now, let's talk tactics for one second, Stuart, before I get you macro on it. Some people showed up at a Youngkin event posing as Charlottesville protestors. A group you’re with, the Lincoln Project, owned that it was them, that they posed this way because they wanted people to remember. You're getting crushed by people on the right as a dirty tactic. Do you stand behind what was done and is that being what you guys say you oppose?
STUART STEVENS: No. Listen, every day I hear people pleading with the Lincoln Project to help show Democrats how to win, how to play hardball. You know, this is an example. The question here is not about some guys who showed up at a rally. It's why hasn't Glenn Youngkin denounced Donald Trump for saying there are good people on both sides. I mean, that is absolutely outrageous. And it's because Glenn Youngkin wants it both ways and I think that's the message that needs to be driven here. You know, the Lincoln Project was the first in this race to put Charlottesville in an ad. And some people thought maybe it went too far. But we did it. And it worked. And then McAuliffe's campaign followed us and put Charlottesville in a very good ad they did. So, I think the question here is, we can't ignore what happened in Charlottesville. The question is why hasn't Glenn Youngkin denounced Donald Trump.
CUOMO: No look, I hear the question, it's a legitimate one. But Jim, James, the Democrat Party in Virginia has said, look, we weren't part of this, it shouldn't have happened. What about the Democrat disposition in terms of how to win these upcoming battles?
JAMES CARVILLE: Well, first of all, the Lincoln Project is independent of the Democratic Party of Virginia. I happen to know the chairwoman very, very well and, you know, I kind of agree with what Stuart said, it was to illustrate a point that Youngkin has not denounced Trump saying there were fine people on both sides in Charlottesville. I think this is kind of a tempest in a teapot or something like that. But, you know, Terry's campaigned hard. He's raised a lot of money and, you know, it's a tight election and traditionally only one time since 1965 when we followed a presidential election has the party that won the presidency won the Virginia governorship and that was in 2013. So there, it’s a race, Virginia is a state that Democrats have done considerably better in, but this is a tough cycle that we’re in right now and hopefully we can win this. Some people think we got, we’re a slight favorite. Myself, I'm too nervous to think right now.
