NewsNation host Chris Cuomo delivered a series of raw apologies on Tuesday’s episode of The Chris Cuomo Project. Prompted by the fatal January 24 shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Cuomo expressed deep remorse for his past coverage of Donald Trump, COVID-19, and Joe Biden. He admitted that the current political chaos in America is a sign that the media has “led people so far afield.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t more aggressive about who and what Trump is and is capable of when this first all started,” Cuomo said. He also expressed regret for not being “more muscular” in testing the Russia dossier during Trump’s first impeachment. He characterized the dossier and the subsequent investigations as “obviously political” and “flimsy.”
Cuomo didn’t stop at Trump; he also addressed the government’s handling of the pandemic. He apologized for not having a platform during the phase when underlying assumptions about vaccines and social distancing were proven wrong. “I wish I could do it differently,” he told his listeners, acknowledging that the government had been incorrect about several key issues.
The host also turned his criticism toward his own party’s handling of Joe Biden’s second term. He regretted not being stronger about the “f—ing up” of the Democratic primary process. He argued that the party’s insistence on a second Biden term made Trump seem like a “less risky choice” for many voters.
Since moving to NewsNation, Cuomo has shifted his punditry to bash both the Democratic and Republican parties. He told his audience that he now “hates” both parties because they are part of a system “killing our democracy.” He admitted that he didn’t feel this as deeply at CNN because he was “part of policing the system” at the time.
While Cuomo admitted to past mistakes, he defended his current work against claims of repeating them. He maintained that his new approach at NewsNation is an attempt to provide non-partisan, honest commentary. For Cuomo, the shooting in Minneapolis was the final straw that forced this moment of public accountability.