Cuomo's defense on sexual harassment allegations is not viable: Trial lawyer
Trial attorney Heather Hansen addresses New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's press conference taking questions on sexual harassment allegations against him.
Democratic New York assemblyman Ron Kim called on CNN anchor Chris Cuomo to apologize Wednesday for "cracking jokes" with his brother, Democrat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kim, one of the governor's top Democrat critics over his coronavirus nursing home policy, told TheHill.TV's "Rising" host Saagar Engeti that he felt "gaslit" seeing the younger Cuomo conduct light-hearted interviews of his brother while the pandemic raged in New York last year.
"We felt like we're getting gaslit every night when we turn the TV on, that they were cracking jokes about this situation when people, our loved ones, were dying due to his bad policies," Kim said. "So I think Chris Cuomo also needs to apologize for making some bad decisions at a time when we should have focused on saving people's lives."
RON KIM 'STOPPED WATCHING TV FOR SIX MONTHS' AFTER SEEING CUOMO BROTHERS 'CRACKING JOKES'
Chris Cuomo broke his silence over mounting criticisms of the interviews during his CNN program on Monday, telling viewers he "obviously" could not discuss Gov. Cuomo's multiple scandals because of the conflict of interest.
He is now prevented from covering or discussing his brother's political woes, which include accusations that he covered up nursing home deaths as well as multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
LIBERAL JOURNALISTS, PUNDITS DELETE FAWNING CUOMO TWEETS, BACKTRACK ON UNIFIED PANDEMIC PRAISE
"That makes sense," New York Times correspondent Annie Karni tweeted on Monday. "What never made sense to me was Chris Cuomo covering him when things were going well for Andrew Cuomo."
Chris Cuomo added on his radio show Tuesday that he understood criticisms of his interviews last year with his brother, but defended them because they made his audience feel better.
Kim is one of several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who have criticized Gov. Cuomo’s order requiring nursing homes to accept coronavirus-positive patients released from hospitals. The directive was enacted on March 25 and rescinded in May, but it may have led to thousands of preventable deaths.
Chris Cuomo's CNN interviews of his brother took place during that time period, and the two made jokes about Gov. Cuomo's love life, joked about their mom, and teased each other over their appearances.
Since Gov. Cuomo's star has fallen, the interviews have come under greater media scrutiny, although some outlets criticized CNN for allowing them at the time.
"Perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise: Chris Cuomo and Andrew Cuomo are brothers, and journalists can’t reliably cover their brothers," the Washington Post's Erik Wemple wrote last month.
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Indeed, the younger Cuomo called his brother the best politician in the country, said he was in "awe" of his pandemic response, and even admitted he was incapable of objectivity on the matter.
Fox News' Roman Chiarello contributed to this report.
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