Chris Cuomo of CNN angered conservatives on Twitter by appearing to criticize a rape survivor for carrying a gun.
Cuomo was responding to a video posted in support of the National Rifle Association by Kimberly Corban.
‘I was a normal 20-year-old college student,’ Corban says in the video.
‘When I moved into off-campus housing, they boasted that it was safe.
‘“Not a single incident since it had opened.”
Chris Cuomo’s (left) tweet in response to an NRA video featuring rape victim Kim Corban (right) generated angry responses from conservatives on Wednesday
The minute-long video shows Corban describing how she sought to protect herself with a gun after she was raped in college in 2006
‘Only in America,’ Cuomo, the CNN host, tweeted in response to the video
‘I was the first. I woke up in the middle of the night suffocating.
““Shut up,” he said. “Don’t say a word.”
‘For the next two hours, I knew I was going to die, and there was nothing I could do.
‘Now I’m a mother of two, and if that predator or anyone else tries to harm me or my family, they have to come through my firearm first.
‘I will never be unarmed or utterly vulnerable ever again.
‘The only reason I can say that is because the NRA fought for my rights before I ever knew that I needed them.
Meghan McCain responded to Cuomo by tweeting: Kim Corban is a rape survivor who is now choosing to tell her story & arm and protect herself. I think a real question is why so many men in the media always treat conservative women like our values, life experiences and perspective is some kind of joke. Like we are valued less.’
Liz Cheney, the Republican member of Congress, tweeted: ‘Yes, @ChrisCuomo, in America we believe women should be able to defend themselves. And we know the Second Amendment guarantees our right to do so.’
Cuomo then tweeted that he himself was a gun owner after Caleb Hull, a conservative journalist, suggested he was ‘cool with women being defenseless against rapists.’
Stephen Miller tweeted: ‘You tweeted *squints* “Only in America.” What were your intentions exactly about attempting to dunk on a sexual assault survivor and self defense?’
Corban herself responded to Cuomo, tweeting: ‘Hi @ChrisCuomo. Looks like you forgot to tag me. Care to chat about this?’
‘I’m the National Rifle Association of America, and I’m freedom’s safest place.’
On Twitter, Cuomo responded to the video by posting: ‘Only in America.’
The tweet left some people wondering what exactly Cuomo meant.
Conservatives who support gun ownership accused Cuomo of demeaning a rape survivor.
Corban herself responded to Cuomo, tweeting: ‘Hi @ChrisCuomo. Looks like you forgot to tag me. Care to chat about this?’
Cuomo was then criticized by others, including Meghan McCain.
The View co-host and daughter of the late Senator John McCain tweeted: ‘Kim Corban is a rape survivor who is now choosing to tell her story & arm and protect herself.
‘I think a real question is why so many men in the media always treat conservative women like our values, life experiences and perspective is some kind of joke.
‘Like we are valued less.’
Janice Dean tweeted: ‘You might want explain this tweet a little better to those of us who’ve actually had to face predators in our own homes and defend ourselves without a big strong man like yourself?’
Liz Cheney, the Republican member of Congress, tweeted: ‘Yes, @ChrisCuomo, in America we believe women should be able to defend themselves. And we know the Second Amendment guarantees our right to do so.’
Cuomo then responded to a number of his critics, including McCain, when he wrote: ‘Read what I tweeted. You have my intentions wrong.
‘A survivor story and the right to bear arms is not where we are stuck…We can’t get past this deadlock on all or none to make reasonable changes to help reduce deadly violence.
‘Happy to talk if you have more questions.’
The CNN host responded: ‘You know I didn’t mean that. I am a gun owner. ‘Thus I see a legit right to bear and that is clear in law. ‘Why pretend I am some heartless hater? ‘I expanded what I said and there is no reason to twist it here. ‘I know that’s what Twitter is but it solves nothing.’
Cuomo also wrote back to Janice Dean, tweeting: ‘You are right. No offense intended. Too short on twitter. ‘“Only in America” are we still debating the legitimate right to protect oneself like you and many others vs sensible way to keep guns from wrong people’
‘We are stuck with good people having to beg to keep a right and not getting done what is right for federal reasonable restrictions and mental health reform,’ Cuomo tweeted
Cuomo responded to McCain, writing: ‘Read what I tweeted. You have my intentions wrong. ‘A survivor story and the right to bear arms is not where we are stuck…We can’t get past this deadlock on all or none to make reasonable changes to help reduce deadly violence.’
Cuomo also wrote back to Dean, tweeting: ‘You are right. No offense intended. Too short on twitter.
‘“Only in America” are we still debating the legitimate right to protect oneself like you and many others vs sensible way to keep guns from wrong people.
‘Only here can we not address the issues around school shootings in a way that respects the ill and also people who get guns legally (as I did) and use responsibly (as I).
‘We are stuck with good people having to beg to keep a right and not getting done what is right for federal reasonable restrictions and mental health reform.’
Cuomo then tweeted: ‘I am sorry for confusion. I take the issue and the stories of violence seriously.
‘Muscles don’t stop bullets, as you know.
‘Again, I have always been clear about the right to own and what needs to be improved.
‘Apologize if you were misled.’
Cuomo then tweeted that he himself was a gun owner after Caleb Hull, a conservative journalist, suggested he was ‘cool with women being defenseless against rapists.’
The CNN host responded: ‘You know I didn’t mean that. I am a gun owner.
‘Thus I see a legit right to bear and that is clear in law.
‘Why pretend I am some heartless hater?
‘I expanded what I said and there is no reason to twist it here.
‘I know that’s what Twitter is but it solves nothing.’
Corban reported the incident to police in 2006. The next year, her assailant was convicted and sentenced to 24 years in prison.