In something resembling then-Senator John Kerry’s infamous ‘I was for it before I was against’ bungle, NewsNation primetime host Chris “Fredo” Cuomo opened Monday night’s edition of his eponymous show by touting how he had reported on the lab leak origin theory of COVID in 2020, before The Wall Street Journal reported the Energy Department’s findings in 2023. But he omitted how he bashed Republicans for focusing on the lab origin and suggested that he and not them were serious about finding accountability for it.
“A new intelligence report came out that has the U.S. Energy Department saying that the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a leak in a Chinese lab,” he announced at the top of the show. “This is a reversal of what the department initially assessed.”
After stating the obvious that COVID’s origin “matters,” he bloviated about how each side of the aisle didn’t really care and only wanted to score political points. Of course, he put more emphasis on Republicans:
So the story, the angle, the pressure point should be obvious right? The investigation. Get us an answer. But that’s not the focus. Why? The game. People in power here only care about the answer for creates advantage over the other side. They want to make you angry. So, we get no answer. The right wants to look into the cover-up of the answer, but not find the answer. The left is quiet. Why? Because this question itself became bad for them early on. Not sure why.
This was followed up with Cuomo playing an edited soundbite from his CNN primetime show on April 15, 2020, when he reported a breaking headline the U.S. government was investigating the lab leak theory.
“I don’t even remember saying that, to be honest,” he admitted, before suggesting he was the only one really trying to get to the bottom of COVID’s origin when “everyone only talks.” “I always cared. I always asked and I do so again tonight. I never covered for anyone that was never any need. I’ve always pushed for pressure on the one obvious key player that everyone only talks about tangentially: China,” he declared.
If that were true, it wouldn’t be hard to find evidence. But there is evidence of the opposite.
As NewsBusters reported on May 12, 2020, nearly a month after he reported on the lab leak investigation, Cuomo bashed people on the right for focusing on it. He lashed out at then-President Trump and his “puppy-dog-puppets” and “cronies” for going “after China.” With a caveman-like accent, he mocked the right’s argument as: “China bad, China scary, China make virus to kill us … China bad, Obama bad. China and Obama very bad.”
And on May 25, 2021, he denounced those suggesting it came from and proclaimed no one knows where the virus came from. “Where did COVID start? Do you know? I don’t know. I do know that everybody is now saying it had to come out of this lab, which somehow is a suggestion they did it to us on purpose,” he dismissed the theory.
Back on Monday, Cuomo insisted that “the GOP at that time or since really pushed to find an answer” to where COVID came from, “they just complained about it” and “weaponized” it. And playing ignorant to harm it would do to the economy, Cuomo asininely huffed: “And by the way, they continue to trade with China, even when they were saying that they created the virus. What does that tell you?”
His answer? So, they could bash his good, personal friend Dr. Anthony Fauci. “[T]he prospect of a cover-up works better. Helps fuel a lot more COVID accusations. Fauci being blamed for lying about covering it up. He’s a piñata for the right. And I’ve always thought it unfair,” he whined.
He assailed Republicans for not taking action against China but even went after those who wanted to. Training his sights on former U.N. ambassador and presidential candidate Nikki Haley, he chided her for not making China the entire focus of her campaign since she mentioned them in her material:
Why? Because for all the saber-rattling going on about being tough on China, nobody wants to start here and this would be enough. You know, Nikki Haley running for president, right? “I’m not going to give money to China.” Why aren’t you just focused on this and have them give you the answer? What do you make this your campaign? Be better off in the way you’re headed now.
And despite suggesting he’s the only one to take China’s role in the pandemic seriously, he tried to cast doubt on the Energy Department’s findings by calling the reporting “grossly exaggerated for effect” and “clickbait.” “You read the piece and it says the Department of Energy now believes that it with a preponderance of the evidence, which means 51-49. Right? That it was this, with low confidence,” he huffed.
Republicans can’t win with this guy. And he’s supposed to represent NewsNation’s purported middle-of-the-road stance?
Chris Cuomo hypocrisy and lies about getting accountability for the COVID pandemic was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Safelite and Verizon. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:
NewsNation’s Cuomo
February 27, 2023
8:01:44 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: A new intelligence report came out that has the U.S. Energy Department saying that the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a leak in a Chinese lab. This is a reversal of what the department initially assessed.
We’re did COVID-19 come from? Matters, right? The question itself matters, right? We all agree. Most of us agree? Okay, I’ll take it. Now, I know it matters to me because I had a decent dose of COVID-19 and I want to know where it came from and I want something done about it. Still feel a little bit off. Okay. And I watched this entire country come apart because of this stupid virus.
So the story, the angle, the pressure point should be obvious right? The investigation. Get us an answer. But that’s not the focus. Why? The game. People in power here only care about the answer for creates advantage over the other side. They want to make you angry. So, we get no answer. The right wants to look into the cover-up of the answer, but not find the answer. The left is quiet. Why? Because this question itself became bad for them early on. Not sure why. I got to be honest. And I lived it before you let me in with the “oh, you don’t want to ask.” Oh really? Watch.
[Cuts to video of Cuomo on CNN, in his basement reading a report about the lab leak theory]
CUOMO: I don’t even remember saying that to be honest. I look at that basement and I get the heebie jeebies. It was one of the worst part of my life. I want have said the worst, but then something’s happened after it.
But I know this: I always cared. I always asked and I do so again tonight. I never covered for anyone that was never any need. I’ve always pushed for pressure on the one obvious key player that everyone only talks about tangentially: China.
Now, you may remember Trump started calling off with China as they were great, they were was so helpful, right? But then he started blaming them. “The China virus.” When? When he got blamed and that’s when the lab question became weaponized. But neither he nor the GOP at that time or since really pushed to find an answer. They just complained about it.
And by the way, they continue to trade with China, even when they were saying that they created the virus. What does that tell you?
Why? Because the prospect of a cover-up works better. Helps fuel a lot more COVID accusations. Fauci being blamed for a lying about covering it up. He’s a piñata for the right. And I’ve always thought it unfair.
(…)
8:06:39 p.m. Eastern
CUOMO: And it’s a big reason why we still don’t know the answer.
Now, look, I know Tony Fauci, ok, I’ve known most of my life. I’ve talked about this numerous times. It wasn’t really his priority to figure out where it came from, nor was it his purview, especially in the heat of the moment right? He was not made rich by the lab. That’s what he said time and time again. He doesn’t care if it came from the lab or the wet markets. He just doesn’t see any definitive proof.
(…)
8:07:41 p.m. Eastern
CUOMO: But we need bad guys because that’s what the game’s about. And he’s right because there is no definitive proof, but there should be.
Why? Because for all the saber rattling going on about being tough on China, nobody wants to start here and this would be enough. You know, Nikki Haley running for president, right? “I’m not going to give money to China.” Why aren’t you just focused on this and have them give you the answer? What do you make this your campaign? Be better off in the way you’re headed now.
China allowed some access early on. But they’re not allowing which requested. And they clearly don’t have any divining curiosity. But there’s an answer there always is. And we don’t have it.
Now. The latest reporting by the Department of Energy’s got everybody up and exercise again. Right? But it’s being grossly exaggerated for effect. The headline look, it’s The Wall Street Journal it but it doesn’t matter who it is. The headline is clickbait. That’s all headlines are about. Okay? And that’s all it is.
But look at this. You read the piece and it says the Department of Energy now believes that it with a preponderance of the evidence, which means 51-49. Right? That it was this, with low confidence. Nobody tells you those words. It’s not the headline. It’s not until you go way deep down the piece and nobody using the piece wants to use those. Why? Does that sound good to you, low confidence?
(…)