Donald Trump piled on Chris Cuomo on Tuesday after the CNN anchor uncorked a series of F-bombs at a man who called him ‘Fredo’ in public – and threatened to beat him up.
The unidentified man claimed he genuinely thought Cuomo’s first name was Fredo; it’s the nickname conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh uses for the CNN host. Fredo Corleone was the dimwitted and disloyal older brother of Michael Corleone, the central character in ‘The Godfather.’
As CNN reeled from the public relations damage caused by one of its stars boasting to a viewer that he would ‘f***ing throw you down these stairs like a f***ing punk,’ the president weighed in.
‘I thought Chris was Fredo also,’ Trump tweeted. ‘The truth hurts. Totally lost it! Low ratings @CNN.’
Cuomo, a consistently anti-Trump television personality, protests in the video footage that ‘Fredo’ is an insult, ‘like the N-word for Italians.’
Video has since emerged of two paid CNN contributors calling Republicans, including Donald Trump Jr., ‘Fredo.’ One did it on Cuomo’s show as he sat without objection.
CNN is the television network the president most loves to hate. Its ratings have skidded since Trump became president, even as the more liberal MSNBC has seen its fortunes soar as a home for his most liberal opponents.
In a statement, the network said that Cuomo ‘defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup. We completely support him.’
Donald Trump piled on Chris Cuomo on Tuesday after the CNN anchor uncorked a series of F-bombs at a man who called him ‘Fredo’ in public – and threatened to beat him up.
Chris Cuomo (in the hat on the left) is filmed on amateur video berating a man who referred to him as ‘Fredo’ in a bar on New York’s Shelter Island on Sunday
Fredo is a reference to Fredo Corleone, the fictional character from Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. He was played by the late actor John Cazale (seen far right). Fellow cast members include, from left to right: James Caan, Marlon Brando, and Al Pacino
CNN paid contributor Ana Navarro (left) mocked Donald Trump Jr. as ‘Fredo’ in January as Cuomo (center) sat silently and listened
CNN paid contributor Rick Wilson (right) called conservative Republican Rep. Devin Nunes (not pictured) ‘the Fredo of the Republican Party’ in March
On the January 9 episode of ‘Cuomo Prime Time’ Democratic strategist Ana Navarro referred to Donald Trump Jr. as ‘Fredo.’ Cuomo had no reaction.
‘This is an entitled, rich, spoiled little brat whose only call to fame is being his daddy’s son,’ Navarro said of the younger Donald Trump.
‘He didn’t even make the cut that his brother-in-law and sister did, to be part of the Oval Office and the White House staff. Daddy kept Fredo back home. So who cares what Donald trump Jr. says?’
During anchor Anderson Cooper’s March 19 broadcast, moderate Republican strategist Rick Wilson referred to conservative congressman Devin Nunes as ‘the Fredo of the Republican Party.’
Social media accounts run by an independent YouTube journalist known as ‘Brandon’ posted video of the encounter with Cuomo, which reportedly took place at a bar in Shelter Island, New York on Sunday.
The video, filmed on a cell phone camera, shows an angry Cuomo berating a man for referring to him as ‘Fredo.’
‘Punk-a** b****es from the right call me Fredo,’ Cuomo says in the video.
‘My name is Chris Cuomo. I’m an anchor on CNN. Fredo is from The Godfather. He was a weak brother. And they use it as an Italian aspersion. Any of you Italian? It’s a f***ing insult to your people. It’s an insult to your f***ing people. It’s like the N-word for us. Is that a cool f***ing thing?’
Donald Trump Jr. mocked Cuomo as ‘the dumb brother’ on Twitter after Trump 2020 campaign adviser Katrina Pierson, who is African-American, blasted Cuomo for comparing the nickname ‘Fredo’ to the ‘N’-word
Cuomo was enraged by being called ‘Fredo’ which he says is an ethnic slur against Italians
As the argument grew more heated, a number of people got in between Cuomo and the hecklers
Another man who was with the Trump supporter Cuomo confronted remarks: ‘You’re a much more reasonable guy in person than you seem to be on television.’
Cuomo responds: ‘If you want to play, we’ll f***ing play. If you’ve got something to say about what I do on television, then say it.’
The man in the glasses says: ‘We don’t want any problems.’
Cuomo replies: ‘You’re gonna have a f***ing problem. “He’s a little different on TV” – don’t f***ing insult me like that!’
The man in the glasses says: ‘I didn’t insult you.’
Cuomo replies: ‘You called me “Fredo.” It’s like if I call you a punk b**ch. You like that?’
The man insists that he believed Cuomo’s name was Fredo.
‘You know my name’s not f***ing Fredo,’ Cuomo tells the man.
‘I thought it was,’ he replies.
A spokesperson for CNN said the network supports Cuomo (seen above in New York in December). ‘Chris Cuomo defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup,’ the network said
Donald Trump Jr, the president’s eldest son, slammed Chris Cuomo, tweeting: ‘Hey, @ChrisCuomo, take it from me, ‘Fredo’ isn’t the N word for Italians, it just means you’re the dumb brother.’
Conservative commentator Sean Hannity, Cuomo’s rival on Fox News, came to Cuomo’s defense
Cuomo later threatens to ‘f***ing ruin your s**t.’
‘I’ll f***ing throw you down these stairs like a f***ing punk,’ Cuomo says.
The man then threatens legal action against Cuomo, who invites him to ‘take a swing.’
Onlookers arrive and try to calm the situation. One person not seen in the video appears to place his hands on Cuomo in an attempt to de-escalate the matter.
‘Watch your f***ing hands,’ Cuomo says.
At least one person comes in between Cuomo and the man with the glasses.
Cuomo says to the man: ‘I’ll f***ing wreck your s**t.’
The man continues to insist that he thought ‘Fredo’ was Cuomo’s real name.
Cuomo does not accept the explanation, saying: ‘You didn’t know what you were saying, right?’
On the YouTube page where the clip first appeared, it is claimed that the man in the video believed that Cuomo’s real name was Fredo because that’s how conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh refers to him.
The man in the video is said to be an avid listener of Limbaugh’s show.
The video went viral on Monday, with the term ‘Fredo’ being one of the most trending topics on Twitter.
Donald Trump Jr, the president’s eldest son, slammed Chris Cuomo, tweeting: ‘Hey, @ChrisCuomo, take it from me, ‘Fredo’ isn’t the N word for Italians, it just means you’re the dumb brother.’
CNN and its anchors have been frequent targets of President Trump and his supporters who say the network is ‘fake news’ and biased against Republicans.
After the video went viral on Monday, pro-Trump social media users started the hashtag #FredoCuomo.
Chris Cuomo (left), 49, is the younger brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (right), 61
The Cuomo brothers are two of five children whose father was the late Mario Cuomo, former governor of New York. Andrew Cuomo and his dad are seen in November 2006 after Andrew was elected state attorney general
The man who called Chris Cuomo ‘Fredo’ said he heard the name on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show. The conservative talk show host is seen above at a Trump rally in Missouri in November 2018
One conservative commentator who came to Cuomo’s defense was Sean Hannity, Cuomo’s rival on Fox News.
‘I say good for Chris Cuomo,’ Hannity tweeted late Monday. ‘He’s out with his 9 year old daughter, and his wife, and this guy is being a jack*** in front of his family.
‘Chris Cuomo has zero to apologize for. He deserves the apology,’ Hannity wrote.
In Mario Puzo’s ‘The Godfather,’ Fredo is the dumber son whose father, Vito Corleone, passed down control of his organized crime family to younger brother Michael Corleone.
Fredo was played in the award-winning film trilogy adaptation by late actor John Cazale.
Chris Cuomo, 49, is the younger brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 61.
The Cuomo brothers are two of five children whose father was the late Mario Cuomo, who served as governor of New York from 1983 until 1994.