CNN’s Chris Cuomo was slammed by fellow journalists after telling his viewers that he can’t report on his brother’s, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s, sexual harassment scandal.
“That makes sense,” the New York Times’s Annie Karni tweeted. “What never made sense to me was Chris Cuomo covering him when things were going well for Andrew Cuomo.”
The younger Cuomo alerted viewers on Monday evening that he was “aware of what’s going on with my brother,” adding, “and obviously, I cannot cover it because he is my brother.”
“Now, of course, CNN has to cover it,” he said. “They have covered it extensively, and they will continue to do so. I have always cared very deeply about these issues, and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that.”
FAUCI FALLS SILENT FOLLOWING NEW YORK NURSING HOME SCANDAL AFTER REPEATEDLY PRAISING CUOMO RESPONSE
Chris Cuomo, however, had hosted his big brother nine times between March 19 and June 24, 2020. The interviews came as the Democratic governor was lauded across the country by health officials, Hollywood, and the media for his daily press conferences and how the state was containing the spread of the virus.
Journalists sounded off on Twitter criticizing why it was acceptable for Chris Cuomo to interview his brother during good times but not when he was hit with multiple accusations of sexual harassment, as well as a nursing home death scandal.
“This is a cop out. He covered his brother when it was good news. He should do it when it’s bad news,” the Daily Caller’s Chuck Ross said.
This is a cop out. He covered his brother when it was good news. He should do it when it’s bad news. https://t.co/2rDVIARGK3
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) March 2, 2021
If Fox News tried to pull this, Stelter and his sidekick wouldn’t shut up about it for a year https://t.co/2rDVIARGK3
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) March 2, 2021
Journalists with outlets across the political spectrum echoed Ross on Twitter.
But he could cover his brother when he was sending the elderly to die in nursing homes? That’s a weird and completely malleable standard. https://t.co/swkgkDhYpG
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) March 2, 2021
Hmmm maybe the media reporter could explain to us why the jokes with Governor/brother was cool but now scandal/brother= cannot discuss. Hmmmm. https://t.co/Da8UnS9Lq3
— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) March 2, 2021
CNN was okay with Andrew Cuomo coming on his brother’s primetime show to joke about his sex life while he was covering up his state’s nursing home disaster.
Now they’re drawing the line. https://t.co/TeQ3ojdWF4
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 2, 2021
When you pretend that an obvious conflict doesn’t exist you end up having to make ridiculous statements like this. https://t.co/lwiy4z2Pin
— Derek Willis (@derekwillis) March 2, 2021
“Obviously I can’t cover it because he is my brother” would have been a pretty good rule from the beginning https://t.co/VlYFTWgVmB
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) March 2, 2021
Chris Cuomo suddenly discovers conflict of interest https://t.co/Sy25WNGMuf
— Andrew Malcolm (@AHMalcolm) March 2, 2021
So he can cover his brother when he thinks it’s good news but not now. The whole shtick with his brother was wrong then and this is really apparent now https://t.co/LwDN5mcIUY
— Alan Fisher (@AlanFisher) March 2, 2021
Three women have come forward accusing Andrew Cuomo of sexually harassing them, and Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation.
“I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal,” the governor said Sunday of the accusations. “Some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry.”
Cuomo’s administration is also under investigation for allegedly covering up thousands of nursing home deaths last year during the pandemic.
“Cuomo abused his powers to hide life and death information from the Department of Justice that prevented lawmakers from legislating — like fully repealing corporate immunity for nursing homes. That is an impeachable offense,” Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim said last week.
CNN did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment over the blowback.
