Chris Cuomo opened his primetime CNN show Monday night by acknowledging the growing sexual harassment scandal surrounding his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and telling viewers why he “clearly” wouldn’t cover it.
“Before we start tonight, I want to say something that I’m sure is very clear to you watching my show,” the host began. ‘And thank you for that. You’re honest with me, I’ll be honest with you. “
“Obviously, I know what’s wrong with my brother,” Cuomo continued. And of course I can’t cover it because he’s my brother. Now, of course, CNN has to cover it. They have covered it extensively and will continue to do so. “
“I’ve always been very concerned about these issues, and I was,” added Cuomo, refusing to elaborate or name what “issues” he was talking about. “There’s a lot of news that matters too, so let’s see after that.”
The host spoke at the end of a day when a third woman accused the governor of New York of inappropriate sexual behavior. But like New York Times reporter Annie Karni posted on Twitter in response, although it may make sense for Cuomo to refrain from covering his brother, “What never made sense to me was that Chris Cuomo covered him when Andrew Cuomo was doing well.”
Especially during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Cuomo was a frequent guest on his brother’s show, where they joked together about calling their mom while simultaneously performing a playful comedy sketch with a giant test stick. the governor’s office reported too few deaths in nursing homes.