Matt covered CNN's Chris Cuomo's apoplectic meltdown caught on video after some Long Island bro in a v-neck and aviators called him "Fredo." Fredo Coreleone, of course, is the fictional character in The God Father franchise. He is well known as being the worst of the three brothers. In response, Cuomo threatens to throw the guy down the stairs, ruin his sh*t, and hurls about a dozen f-bombs. Sprinkled in there was Cuomo's comparison of the insult "Fredo" to the N-word. Yes, Cuomo, the same guy who compared Antifa to World War II vets, belives the term Fredo is the Italian equivalent of the N-word. But, perhaps that is simply because Cuomo does not understand the gravitas of the N-word. This was not the first time he compared an insult he didn't like to possibly the worst word in the English language. He also said "Fake News" was the N-word for journalists.
"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....It’s an insult to your people. ... It’s like the N-word for us....Is that a cool f--king thing?" the news anchor said to the unnamed man.
A spokesperson for CNN tweeted support for Cuomo last night, saying that the second-generation Italian was simply defending himself against an ethnic slur.
"Chris Cuomo defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup," CNN Matt Dornic said. "We completely support him."
Chris Cuomo defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup. We completely support him.
— Matt Dornic (@mdornic) August 13, 2019
The only problem with the defense is that nobody with a brain ever thought of Fredo as an ethnic slur. An insult indicating a weakling brother and a dumb family member, sure. But an ethnic slur on par with the N-word? Fat chance.
In fact, as pointed out Donald Trump, Jr. himself, the elder Trump son was one time was called "Fredo" by a CNN guest..on Cuomo's show...with no correction from Cuomo.
"Does CNN’s head of PR still think “Fredo” is an ethnic slur after watching this?" Don Jr. tweeted. "Because if it’s the N-word for Italians like @ChrisCuomo says, I don’t understand why Chris seems so at ease with someone saying it here. An excuse just as fake as his news. #FredoCuomo"
Roll the tape:
Does CNN’s head of PR still think “Fredo” is an ethnic slur after watching this? Because if it’s the N word for Italians like @ChrisCuomo says, I don’t understand why Chris seems so at ease with someone saying it here. An excuse just as fake as his news. #FredoCuomo https://t.co/8G8yuY80CK pic.twitter.com/1gwVyDVCob
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 13, 2019
As mentioned, Cuomo has had similar comments in the past regarding the N-word and totally wrong comparisons.
"The only thing that's bothersome about it, is that I see being called 'fake news' as the equivalent of the N-word for journalists, the equivalent of calling an Italian any of the ugly words that people have for that ethnicity," Cuomo said in 2017.
Cuomo then apologized for his statement saying, "I was wrong. Calling a journalist fake -nothing compared to the pain of a racial slur. I should not have said it. I apologize."
As Human Events' Will Chamberlain points out via Twitter, "Fredo is the name of fictional misfit brother The N-word symbolized the immiseration of an entire race of people for over 200 years @ChrisCuomo is a fabulously wealthy white male TV anchor."
"He should apologize for this offensive - and racist - comparison!" Chamberlain adds.
I don't know if an apology is in order. I do know everybody involved in that video looked like an idiot, including the guys filming the interaction.
But, Cuomo, buddy, you might need to read a history book or something to gain a better understanding of the N-word.