‘Fredo? Is that you?’: Facebook Users Troll CNN ‘s Chris Cuomo Over ‘Italian Slur’ Video

People responded to a viral video of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo getting upset about being called Fredo by repeatedly posting the offending name on his Facebook page.

The video, which was widely shared on social media starting Monday evening, showed Cuomo getting into a heated exchange with a man he accused of referring to him by the “Italian slur.”

“No, punk-ass bitches from the right call me ‘Fredo.’ My name is Chris Cuomo. I’m an anchor on CNN,” Cuomo is heard saying to the man. “‘Fredo’ was from ‘The Godfather.’ He was a weak brother and they use that as an Italian slur ― are any of you Italian? It’s a fucking insult to your people. It’s an insult to your fuckin’ people. It’s like the n-word for us. Is that a cool fucking thing?”

After some back and forth, Cuomo threatened to get violent: “I’ll fucking ruin your shit,” the “Cuomo Prime Time. I’ll fucking throw you down these stairs like a fucking punk.”

MORE: CNN Host Threatens to Beat Up Man Who Called Him ‘Fredo’: It’s Like Calling Me the ‘N-Word’

The original source of the footage appeared to be That’s The Point with Brandon, a YouTube channel that posts videos critical of leftists. Several users on social media have referred to the man in the video as a Trump supporter.

Fredo Corleone is the weak and stupid son and brother of the mafia family at the center of “The Godfather” novel and film series. Chris Cuomo is the son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and the brother of the current governor, Andrew Cuomo. He hosts a nightly show called “Cuomo Prime Time.”

Facebook users calls Chris Cuomo Fredo thousands of times

Other right-wingers quickly stepped up to extend the troll, including by addressing Cuomo as Fredo thousands of times on his Facebook page.

One person posted the Italian name 440 times in a single comment.

Another user wanted to know if the page still belonged to the fictional Italian mobster, who ends up getting knocked off by his own brother.

Yet others went with straight-forward insults, like suggesting Cuomo can dish it out but not take it, so to speak.

“[Cuomo] dishes it out on others but when some one allegedly calls him Fredo, he looses it,” a commenter said. “No class! Oops, your double standard is showing.”

Some Facebook users suggested Cuomo has anger problems.

“[He’s] a very violent person,” someone said. “[He] needs some sort of anger management.”

#RedFlagFredo

Meanwhile on Twitter, #RedFlagFredo was trending after President Donald Trump questioned whether Cuomo was fit to own a firearm.

Would Chris Cuomo be given a Red Flag for his recent rant? Filthy language and a total loss of control. He shouldn’t be allowed to have any weapon. He’s nuts!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2019

Breitbart columnist John Nolte changed his name on Twitter to “Punk-Ass Bitch” after publishing an op-ed demanding that Cuomo be red flagged.

Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, echoed widespread criticism of Cuomo for comparing “Fredo” to the n-word, and accused YouTube of “covering up his racism and violent threats.”

Unbelievable: @Youtube has taken down the viral video showing @chriscuomo threatening to assault a heckler and then grotesquely comparing “Fredo” to the N word. Youtube/Google literally covering up his racism and violent threats. You can’t make this stuff up. #StopTheBias https://t.co/A14f5CLSpN

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 13, 2019

The New York Post reported that Cuomo once referred to himself as Fredo during a radio interview.

Still, amid the meme-laden controversy, CNN stood by their host on Monday night.

“Chris Cuomo defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup. We completely support him,” tweeted Matt Dornic, the network’s vice president.

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