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Meltdown: Trump Supporter Calls CNN’s Chris Cuomo 'Fredo'...Then All Hell Broke Loose

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  August 12, 2019 10:04 PM

Well, when the liberal media has a meltdown, it’s either CNN or MSNBC. On tonight’s episode, we turn to CNN, where host Chris Cuomo went absolutely ballistic when a Trump supporter called him “Fredo.” Okay—there are many reasons why he could take that as an insult, which he explains in the video. Fredo was sort of the village idiot of the Corleone brothers in the Godfather film series. He was weak, slow, and easily manipulated. It was painfully clear that even though he was older than Michael, played by Al Pacino, he could never take over the family business. In other words, yeah—I guess I can see him taking offense to the notion that someone was really calling him an idiot. Except Cuomo explains, wrongly, how “Fredo” is akin to the N-word to Italians. Uh, no, it’s not. And you don’t need to be Italian, or to be raised by them, to know this is just a straight-up lie (via Washington Examiner):

[WARNING: Strong lanuage]:


Video emerged Monday that depicts CNN anchor Chris Cuomo in a heated argument with someone who claims to be a Trump supporter, who apparently called him "Fredo" while asking for a photo.

The YouTube video claims to be "Footage sent in by a [That's The Point with Brandon] fan," and goes on to explain that "a fan of news went to ask Chris Cuomo for a photo, mind you the man who asked him DID NOT know his real name and knows of him only through The RUSH LIMBUAGH SHOW [sic] and on that show Rush repeatedly calls him 'FREDO' so the man legitimately thought his name was FREDO. At this point CHRIS CUOMO LOSES IT AND THREATENS THE MAN WITH VIOLENCE!"

"Punk-ass b--ches on the right call me Fredo," Cuomo says, and goes on to explain why he finds that name offensive.

Fredo was from The Godfather," Cuomo said. "He was a weak brother. And they use it as an Italian aspersion. Are any of you Italian? Are you Italian? It's a f--king insult to your people. It's an insult to your f--king people." He then claimed that "Fredo" is the N-word to Italians. "Is that a cool f--king thing?"

The other man in the video then mockingly tells Cuomo that he is "a much more reasonable guy in person than you seem to be on television," to which Cuomo responds, "If you want to play, we'll f--king play."

After further back-and-forth, Cuomo said, "You're gonna have a f--king problem. It's a little different on TV. Don't f--king insult me like that. 

This is a bit intense, yes—but something that could have been defused later, right? Nope. CNN’s communications department doubled-down with Cuomo, saying he was the victim of an ethnic slur hurled at him in an “orchestrated setup,” and that they support him. The network’s spokesperson then started lobbing ad hominem attacks at the Trump family.

Cuomo went off the rails, but CNN was right there to say, “Hold my beer.”

Chris Cuomo is a CNN host, whereas his brother Andrew is the governor of New York. Chris is—I guess—the lesser of the Cuomo brothers, so I can see where he might go off at being called “Fredo,” but for goodness sake, he does okay for himself.

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On a side note, this is like debating which two people with two loaves under each arm has a better form of grain or which is one is actually wheat or whatever. It’s a comparison that deals with two rich, powerful, and well-connected brothers. Let’s move on—and Chris should know that too. He’s one of the faces of the network; he blows up over being called “Fredo.” Maybe there’s some family drama we don’t know about—who cares. This is like those who point out that the NFL quarterback Tom Brady’s wife, Gisele, a supermodel, is richer than him. It’s not meant in a malicious way, but Tom Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time worth $180 million. Gisele is worth $400 million. Yeah, poor Tom Brady just can’t catch a break. Cuomo doesn’t seem to realize, or maybe he does, he doesn’t have to worry about much.

As for “Fredo” being an anti-Italian slur, we just won’t go into it. It’s too late and a point that’s just too stupid to analyze at length. The point is that it’s not a slur. Fredo is a character in The Godfather, who betrayed his brother and was rightfully killed for it. But hey, remember, Cuomo is the man who pretty much defended Antifa, saying that if you show up to protest bigots and end up punching some people in the face, you shouldn't be judged the same as those who hold racist views or something.

Also, there have been a lot of CNN guests and contributors who have uttered the word "Fredo." Are they canceled now, CNN?

BONUS: "I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart."