You might remember when CNN host Chris Cuomo made headlines in the summer of 2019 when he threatened to physically assault a Trump supporter by throwing them down a flight of stairs because they dared to call him “Fredo.” It was an insult comparing him to Alfredo Corleone, the dumb brother from The Godfather film series. He even got CNN to back up his false claim of it being an ethnic slur against Italians. And thus, it encouraged writers like myself to keep using the moniker.
Ever since then, the “Fredo” tagline stuck like glue, giving critics the perfect lens through which to view him. And this past summer, he cranked up the quips about his intelligence by trying to embody Howard Beale, the mentally ill character from the 1976 film Network, demanding his viewers be “mad as hell!”
Now without further ado, here are some of Cuomo’s most Fredo moments of 2020.
I’m Smart!
Nothing shows a Fredo to be a Fredo quite like constantly getting bested in debates of whit and failing a mental acuity test. Cuomo used to practice law, but given how he’s constantly rebuked by his more intelligent peers, it’s easy to see why he had the career change.
In late September, Cuomo went one-on-one with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and got absolutely owned in a 20-minute brawl. The Senator ripped Fredo apart “on everything from the economy to coronavirus to CNN’s Trump Derangement Syndrome to the election to vile extremists,” as my colleague Curtis Houck wrote.
There was also the case of Georgia’s presidential primaries early in the summer which saw a few snags given the unprecedented circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, Cuomo saw them as the nefarious doings of the Republican-control government in the state. But state election official Gabriel Sterling defused Fredo’s conspiracy peddling with a simple “You’re just incorrect” about every point.
And then in July, both Cuomo and his CNN Tonight buddy, Don Lemon failed to accurately label a rhino on a mental acuity test they were trying to mock President Trump for taking (and acing). Lemon first thought it was a hippo, Cuomo corrected him, and then Cuomo started calling it an elephant.
The Great COVID Escape
One of Cuomo’s most notorious doings of the year pertained to how he had skipped out his coronavirus quarantine on Easter to spend it with family and friends, spreading his illness. His great escape was well documented; there was an elderly eye witness Cuomo accosted for calling him out (it was a gentleman he had admitted to having an interaction with). CNN later staged his “official” release from quarantine and Fredo continues to claim he never broke out.
In the midst of his COVID hypocrisy, Cuomo used his program to promote his older brother, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) despite his horrendous mishandling of the response in his state. The younger Cuomo dismissed the blood on his brother’s hands after he ordered elderly patients to return to their nursing homes, killing thousands. At least he admitted he wasn’t “objective” when it came to protecting the family.
There was also the time in the spring when Fredo pulled out a giant cotton swap to mock Andrew for getting a COVID test. He then had the nerve to all people the right “fools” and “COVIDiots.” Meanwhile, he once chided Trump for calling it the “Chinese virus” and suggested it “could have come from anywhere.” He even blamed Trump for a scam COVID cure his wife was pushing on her blog.
Come on, put’em up!
Another hallmark of the dimwit was the incessant need to resort to violence to solve their problems. And as this routine observer of Cuomo PrimeTime can attest, the show’s namesake was often looking for a fight. And that penchant for violence only grew stronger as the year dragged on.
While Fredo would call out Republicans like Vice President Mike Pence for not wearing a mask, he wanted to “choke” and “punch” critics like Tucker Carlson who would call him out for going maskless at public gatherings.
In the latter parts of the year, Cuomo openly threatened the lives of Republican lawmakers, suggesting “they are going to lose way more than this election.” And it wasn’t just a turn of phrase, he eventually admitted to “targeting” Republicans and warned Dr. Scott Atlas of an “old school” visit when he least expected it.
And just a few days later, Cuomo claimed Republicans intentionally allowed the pandemic to get worse and the retribution against them needed to be delivered “directly and cold.”
Who says protests need to be peaceful?
During the height of the Black Lives Matter riots over the summer, Cuomo and Lemon were actively encouraging violence in the streets. Fredo couldn’t have made his intentions any clearer when he demanded: “Show me where it says that protesters are supposed to be polite and peaceful. Because, I can show you outraged citizens are the ones who have made America what she is and led to any major milestones.”
He even attempted to smear those concerned and horrified by the violence, declaring they were focused on it for “bad reason.” At one point, he argued that since the Department of Homeland Security was able to keep his Antifa terrorist buddies from burning down the federal courthouse in Portland (with officers trapped inside), then the defenses weren’t actually needed.
Only Fredo logic could make that faulty connection.
But it was only months later that Cuomo and Lemon tried to walk back their encouragement of violence, admitting it was helping Trump in the polls.
There’s still a little over a week left in 2020, and it’s likely Chris “Fredo” Cuomo will do something that could have made this list. Especially in his “Vacci-Nation” segment dedicated to vaccination distribution conspiracy theories, where he contradicts himself repeatedly. And NewsBusters will be on it.
