His second podcast episode made headlines. Chris Cuomo’s Project, for saying the January 6 Committee was largely playing a “gotcha game” and the idea former President Trump would get charged with “treason” was a play to “fringe aspects” of the Democratic Party, Chris Cuomo walked back some of his assertions on Thursday and claimed media reports weren’t telling the truth and weren’t quoting him.
“Let’s turn to the impact of our early efforts,” Cuomo boasted, giving his own version of the old adage ‘if you’re catching flack, you’re over the target.’ “[Y]ou call out The Game, you’re going to get heat from the players … And the proof of that I’m getting heat from the players. My January 6 comments have been weaponized to rile the left,” he said.
Cuomo complained that he was repeating his comments on Jan 6th about whether there had been any prosecutable crimes and that he doesn’t believe politics should drive criminal proceedings. NewsBusters also reported this comment. “the comments are being twisted to make them weaponized. And that is a good example of The Game being exposed.”
After that, he pulled out a headline. Newsweek with the headline “Chris Cuomo Questions Jan. 6 Committee, Doesn’t See Case for ‘Criminality.’” “[T]his headline is twisted to make it seem like I’m attacking the Democrat efforts, telling them to give it up, like January six doesn’t matter like there’s no proof of anything wrong,” he decried.
“That’s not what I said,”He declared. Cuomo insisted his comments were twisted “to be fed to the Twitter fringe on the left extreme as a digestible notion that I’ve gone bad on the Democrats, this is retaliation for whatever.” And speaking for those who reported on him, he added: “‘He doesn’t see any proof of criminality.’ I never said that.”
Cuomo actually said this. Here’s what he said about January 6 criminality last week:
You have every right to investigate what occurred and how it can be rectified. We are just beginning to learn about the possibility of crimes against humanity, particularly on the front with the fugazi voters. My concerns are less about the execution and planning aspects of January 6. At least from what I’ve seen, I don’t think there is any criminality.
The question I have is: Are we learning enough about the important things? This is becoming too much of a getcha game. As the impeachment.
The ranting about the media’s coverage of his podcast was interrupted by a announcement from him: “[d]isclaimer” This “I am not going to be talking about myself and my coverage. My coverage is irrelevant to me.Any coverage helps bring attention to this project. But it is such an obvious example of The Game, that I wanted you to see it.”
“And I’m only talking about me because this is a flagrant example of it that’s just easily identified because you can just go listen to the podcast,”He stood by himself.
Before cutting to an interview he did with former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang about breaking up the two-party system, Cuomo suggested the biggest tell that articles about his January 6 comments had manipulated his words was that “you don’t see me quoted in any of those articles and I’m telling you a big reason for that is nobody’s going out of their way to get my side of it.”
Earth to Chris: Those are literally your words we’re all quoting, from your podcast, that you put out a video of. NewsBusters also has a transcript that can be used in conjunction with the report. It was included in the previous article and will be added again here.
Yang mentioned the media in their conversation and blamed the public.
People aren’t becoming more dissatisfied with media due to confirmation bias. They are open to hearing what they desire. That is exactly what Andrew does. Andrew, My belief is that the media are the problem. My belief is that the problem lies with the customer.
Yes! It’s not Chris and the media who are out of touch, it’s YOU who are wrong!
You can find the transcript below. To read it, please click on “expand”.
Chris Cuomo’s Project (YouTube).
August 4, 2022
4:13(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: It’s now. Let’s turn to the impact of our early efforts. Okay?
The Game is what you want to do. This is the threat to how things are now. Okay? And the more, you know, people like me say we have to get away from two parties and the media shouldn’t be fanning all the flames, some flames should be smothered. You do that, you call out The Game, you’re going to get heat from the players. Okay?
And the proof of that I’m getting heat from the players. To rile the left, my January 6 comments were weaponized.
Now. First, let’s remember what I said. You can also go to the episode and see it, it will remain there for ever. It’s our last episode, the one just before this one, with Joe Manchin.
Now, what I said is, what happened on January 6 – horrible, could have been much worse, reeks of contrivance, absolutely should be rooted out and exposed, and if warranted, even prosecuted. All that was my opinion. I also said the more significant criminal concern at least involving Trump and Co. affects what we’re learning – not just about January 6 but about these larger extended efforts to manipulate electors is certain states.
(…)
10:18
What’s the point of all this? The point is that what I said, which I don’t think you’re taking a lot of exception to – I really don’t think you should – but the comments are being twisted to make them weaponized. This is an example of The Game being exposed. Okay?
Here’s a Newsweek headline. Because they are, well, at least nominally, straight, I use Newsweek. Right? Right?
It’s not the way I spoke. It’s not what I meant. This allows it to go to the Twitter fringe at the left extremity as a digestible thought that I’ve been bad on Democrats. It is also retaliation. That’s nonsense. I’m not anti-left. I am not anti-media. I don’t believe in anti-Congress.
Now, I oppose the 2-party system. Therefore I expose The Game as it is played.
(…)
11:48
Disclaimer: I’m not going to talk about me or my coverage. It doesn’t matter what my coverage looks like. Any coverage is good because it draws attention to the project. However, it’s such a clear example of The Game, I wanted to make sure you see it.
That what they say, ‘Oh democrats should only focus on these other pocketbook issues, not this.’ I never said that. Right? ‘There’s nothing really there. He doesn’t see any proof of criminality.’ I never said that.
It is important to see. And it you know the expression ‘consider the source?’ When you see that reported that way. All you need to do is listen to the podcast and think about the source. It’s not the truth. This is not the meaning of what I said. It should be obvious. Why then twist it? It’s The Game.
It isn’t about me being attacked or made a victim. You have to keep an eye out. This is me, and it’s obvious that this is an example. You can listen to the podcast.
It’s not my intention and it’s certainly not how I thought it should be. Also, notice that I am not quoted in any articles. I tell you that this is because nobody wants to hear my side.
(…)
52:45
ANDREW YANG : I have met thousands and tens to thousands of Americans. They are all Republican, Democrat or rural. Most people want the same things. It’s not all about the clichés that say people are great and then the leaders or system don’t really measure up. This is how you really feel when you’re out in the world.
The dynamic that you describe is a result of a highly polarized political climate and a hyperpolarized media environment. How can we escape this situation? And so you fix each in turn like you fix the incentives—
CUOMO – Can you escape it or are we still who we are and are we going to be?
YANG : That’s exactly what institutions try to get us to become. The question then is whether or not we decide to do that ourselves.
And there are so many Americans, I mean, you know, a million of them where they’re looking at this and they’re taking a step back and they’re saying, ‘hey, whatever is going on uh is getting crazier and crazier and less and less productive and boy would I love for there to be a media company that I could trust to be politically independent.’
Which by the way, maybe free agent here uh from Chris Cuomo’s living room.
CUOMO: We’re an ‘and’ I want people to go out, get their media, get their stuff. What I want to do here – When I’m lucky enough to have somebody like you, then it’s easy, this is this is a home run.
What I don’t like about – and you’re right, you’re right. So I’m – I’m wrong in that people are okay with the media, they’re not okay with the media. However, they are not comfortable with the media. Therefore I push back against cynicism while remaining skeptical. Do you? We all know what the true problems are.
People aren’t becoming more dissatisfied with media due to confirmation bias. They are open to hearing what they desire. In that respect, Andrew, the problem with media doesn’t lie in the media. I think the problem is in the consumer.
YANG: Let me just give you an example. My media habits have changed a lot in the past few years. And when I’ve talked to people uh they say to me uh you know, one person will say to me, ‘you know where I go from my news about America? The BBC, because –“
CUOMO: Disinterested observer.
(…)
About Post Author
