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Chris Cuomo
Adam Friedland is called the next Jon Stewart of his generation, and he's about to tell you why he doesn't like it. I'm Chris Cuomo. Welcome to the Chris Cuomo Project, man. I'm not even going to ask Adam about that, but he's going to tell you why he's doing his new show, what he thinks about its success, where he wants it to go. And I wanted to feel him out and get him to talk about what's happening in politics and culture and deeper shit than people are used to hearing him talk about. Because I believe. Believe what you'll hear from him is proof of how far this young man can go. Adam Friedland, put that guitar down so I can talk to you about what matters.
Adam Friedland
You play music?
Chris Cuomo
I do. I'm a drummer.
Adam Friedland
Really?
Chris Cuomo
Yeah. That's why I have these java man forearms.
Adam Friedland
Who's your. Who's your, like, legend?
Chris Cuomo
Easy. Neil Peart. Neil Pert from Rush.
Adam Friedland
Like, what about. So you could play, like, really proggy techy.
Chris Cuomo
No, I can't be. I could never play most of what Neil Pert played.
Adam Friedland
How big?
Chris Cuomo
I know a lot of guys can. Huh?
Adam Friedland
How. How many toms do you have in your kit?
Chris Cuomo
I used to have a. I had seven, but then I remember, I. I got.
Adam Friedland
That's really egotistical of you.
Chris Cuomo
Very under the. Say, very physical. Very under the sway of Budd and Copeland and these other guys who had smaller kits. Stuart Copeland from the Police, also a phenomenal drummer.
Adam Friedland
Yeah.
Chris Cuomo
Terry Bozio from Missing Persons. His sister was Dale who. Who was the singer. He was also amazing. You don't need a big kit to make things sound.
Adam Friedland
One of the most underrated ever was Mr. Mitch Mitchell from the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Chris Cuomo
Ooh.
Adam Friedland
He should have joined the who after. After Keith Moon died. That's my alternate history.
Chris Cuomo
That's strong. I'm a guy. I'm a boomer, dude. The guy who took over for Keith Moon was pretty good, too, though I forget what his name was.
Adam Friedland
Yasser Arafat.
Chris Cuomo
No. When they did Eminence front, he. They gave him a nice video there. He was good. I forget what his name was. Anyway, let me ask.
Adam Friedland
You ever notice how much Ringo looks like Yasser Arafat?
Chris Cuomo
Ringo looks like a lot of Mideast despots.
Adam Friedland
I would. I wouldn't say desperate. I would say great.
Chris Cuomo
I know you would. I know you would. You are at the top.
Adam Friedland
I don't think it a great. I don't know. I don't have a strong opinion either way. He. He died a Very wealthy man. I do know that.
Chris Cuomo
Well, I don't know where he got it from. If you die, there is no wealth. You can't take it with you.
Adam Friedland
That's why I, I, I'm, I'm bad at money because I'm like, I, I didn't want to sign up for a 401k.
Chris Cuomo
Why?
Adam Friedland
Because it's like, what? I don't give a. When I'm like 65 years, what am I gonna do? Who cares? I'd rather go to dinner. That is a very terrible at money.
Chris Cuomo
That is a very young man's perspective.
Adam Friedland
I don't know. It's like, what's the point?
Chris Cuomo
You're gonna get married, you're gonna have a family. You don't think you have to plan for taking care of people?
Adam Friedland
She has no cons concept of. No, I think Genu. But I, I was quite poor. I struggled financially in my early adulthood. And my parents, my parents also, like, came to America and they did quite well. And then in the savings and loan crisis in the early 90s, you remember Keating during Bush 1. The, my dad was a architect. And the, the market just got wiped in Southern California where we lived. And yeah, I mean, like, so like I saw the stress that kind of stressing out about money did to a family. And so, like, ever since I've been like, free from precarity. It's just like, there's no point to having it other than to, you know, take care of the people you love. And a 401k, who the frick cares about that? Like, it's like, it's, I'll make more money later on. Isn't that how it works, Chris? I don't know.
Chris Cuomo
Look, I mean, you know, it can work that way. Some people believe in saving.
Adam Friedland
Well, no, but it's so you don't have to pay tax on it that. I think that's what they said to me.
Chris Cuomo
My business, you don't pay tax on the growth.
Adam Friedland
I thought it's tax exempt every, all your payments, your. I don't freaking know, dude.
Chris Cuomo
I like that you use the word precarity. Yeah, you know, that was a good grab. Precarity. You don't hear it a lot. You hear precarious. You don't hear precarity.
Adam Friedland
Well, being stressed about money is a precarity.
Chris Cuomo
It's a precarity. It's precarious and it's a precarity. You're right.
Adam Friedland
Most people live that way in America.
Chris Cuomo
Most people in America are one crisis away from being Proper fucked.
Adam Friedland
Yeah. I think over 50% can't get a thousand dollars out of the bank.
Chris Cuomo
Yep. Yeah, that's is nothing truth that we don't deal with. We deal with the top and the absolute bottom and we miss the majority of Americans and our politics caters to extremes. So you have this growing dis.
Adam Friedland
You don't think that those guys that can't get a thousand dollars aren't the bottom? I mean like that they are the bottom. So, but, but, but then like what's our definition of the bottom?
Chris Cuomo
The bottom is where you're broken on assistance.
Adam Friedland
Well, I mean those people are also broke, you know.
Chris Cuomo
No, they are working and they are paying bills and they are paying credit cards that are greatly extended, you know, have homes, they have multip. And they are buried under consumer debt. That is uniquely American as a plight.
Adam Friedland
You think that the guys that don't have a thousand dollars have a lot of cars and stuff?
Chris Cuomo
Not a lot of cars. But I'm telling you there are people all over this country, fully functioning, not on assistance, that fall into that group. Yeah, that's how you got maga.
Adam Friedland
So you're saying we're paying too much attention to people that need like entitlements.
Chris Cuomo
We pay too much attention to the very top and the very bottom and what used to be called the middle class, which I always hated as a term. The majority is what we should be talking about and we don't. Our politics caters to the fringes, not to the main.
Adam Friedland
I'm trying to understand. I don't. I think that if wealth is distributed more and more like with less equality, I don't think it's because of catering to the fringe. I think it's just that people are broker. Right.
Chris Cuomo
I mean like I'm having deja vu right now, by the way. Isn't that. Do you believe in that? Deja vu?
Adam Friedland
No, I don't believe in that.
Chris Cuomo
I don't either, but I'm having it right now. Isn't that odd?
Adam Friedland
About what?
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, this. I've had this conversation with you.
Adam Friedland
Well, I guess so, maybe.
Chris Cuomo
And it's gonna get. And it's gonna get weird and I'm going to be misunderstood about something. That's what, that's what I.
Adam Friedland
Well, I'm. I'm operating in good faith.
Chris Cuomo
I think you always operate in good faith. People loved seeing you on News Nation, by the way. They found you very refreshing. I thought you came across a little hapless.
Adam Friedland
What are you talking about? I. What do you mean?
Chris Cuomo
You know, I was like, you know, like, I wouldn't have been surprised if you had, like, gotten up and walked off at any point.
Adam Friedland
I, I, I got picked up in the trades. Did you see that?
Chris Cuomo
I heard in the Hill.
Adam Friedland
It said Adam Friedland, Comedian Adam Friedland. Trump and Elon are in pain.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, it was, that was, that was deep.
Adam Friedland
And when they go low, we go high. Chris.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, I don't buy that. I go wherever it comes at me. Wherever you bring it is where is where it's going to be. You come at me low, we're going to be low. If you come at me high, we're going to be high. You get what you give with me. How do you feel the new podcast is going? And I'll answer my question first. It seems to be going very well, and I actually want to know why. But how do you feel about it?
Adam Friedland
I don't know. I, I just want to get better at doing interviews, I think. And so I'm doing it in a more consistent way now. So it's, you know, one can develop when they do something, you know, more frequently.
Chris Cuomo
Do you believe that you suck as an interviewer?
Adam Friedland
I did at the beginning, definitely. I didn't know how to do it at all.
Chris Cuomo
I Googled journalism and what it say. What did Chat GPT tell you to do?
Adam Friedland
No, I looked on Wikipedia. No. But then I was like, I, then I, I was like, who's good at interviews? So then I, like, I was like, well, Joe Rogan, I guess, is, you know, pretty successful. And then I watched him.
Chris Cuomo
He is not a good interviewer. He is a good listener.
Adam Friedland
Well, he's good. No, he's good because he agrees with everyone.
Chris Cuomo
So, like, that is every guest. Well, every guest, if I remember.
Adam Friedland
Well, let me finish. Let me finish. Every guest. Well, I, Well, I'm getting there. But every guest feels like they're crushing, right? If he's agreeing with you. So he can accidentally get a lot.
Chris Cuomo
He also has huge guests on that are used to speaking at people, so he gives them a platform, he gives them space, and he gives them time because that podcast is, is so long. But I'll tell you who's an amazing. He's a, he's a celebrity interviewer, and he has developed into one also. Howard Stern. So that's kind of what I, interviewer.
Adam Friedland
I, I, I realized that after I was, like, trying to find who to kind of study and emulate, and they kind of clicked with me because I, like, I listened to Howard growing up all the time, and, yeah, he's incredible. When you, like, kind of like watch it for its craft, like within the first, like 90 seconds he has, the person becomes his best friend.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah.
Adam Friedland
Then he can do anything. He can. Like, he disarms them immediately. But I can't really emulate that because when I, like, if he's like, you're a huge star, everyone loves you. If I do it in my stupid Jewish voice, not his Jewish, my voice, it sounds sarcastic. So instead I kind of like, self deprecate. And that kind of disarms the guests, I guess. If I'm like, I'm a. I'm an idiot and a schmuck. Like, I'm not. I'm not taking myself too, too seriously. Then the guest has a choice whether or not they want to be, like, know it all still, or whether or not they want to kind of drop their guard. And that's, that's kind of what I've. But it really comes from me watching a ton of Howard and going through a ton of Howard like, in the last, like two, three years.
Chris Cuomo
Why do you think people like your content?
Adam Friedland
I can't. I don't really think about it. Like, I just want my friends like it. And the fact that my dad can watch it now is good because I used to pedal and smut. But like, you see, anytime you, Anytime you like, kind of do something and then consider where it exists in the zeitgeist. I mean, like, you're just like, it's. It's not. It's a waste of time.
Chris Cuomo
Well, how is this different than what you used to do?
Adam Friedland
Well, I was on a podcast for a while, which was like a. It was admittedly, like, so funny. Like, you know, it was like three 30 year old men behaving like young, like babies. And we had this genius, this guy Nick was on the show and he's like, gene, comedic genius. And he was the one really, who encouraged me to do this. And I would, I didn't. I wasn't sure of it. Like, I was like, why did like one of, one of the people, of the three left, stav the other one, who's now a huge comedian, he's also a friend of ours. And I was like, well, we have a. We have a brand, Nicholas. We have a brand. And I was like, well, let's keep. Why. Why do we have to change the brand? He's like, no, he's. He's like, you have to trust me. So I, I really owe it to Nick to be honest with you. But, yeah, so then we started doing this, and I Guess it was kind of time I ever, like, invested myself in this way, because I guess our old podcast was. We, like, it was ironic, right? So if it was bad or if I was, like, not funny, I could be like, well, it's. I. It's not. I wasn't trying. You know, you can kind of protect yourself that way. But this, like, if I'm working hard at this and it's bad, then, like, you know, that sucks. If. If it's bad, that means I feel.
Chris Cuomo
That you are different by design or by evolution of age and stage.
Adam Friedland
In what. In what's. Oh, the show is different.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah. Like, it's a different Adam. Why? Because you're trying to be different or life has changed you?
Adam Friedland
Oh, I was a lazy. I was one of the laziest guys ever. I mean, we had a very successful podcast. I had to work two hours a week, and. But I kind of found that I was just, like, kind of. Once you commit yourself to, like, invest, you know, just having a purpose and going all out and trying as hard as you can, you can't really go back to lazy. You're like, oh, I think I was just fast forwarding to being dead. You know what I mean? And it's like, you only have a certain. You know, it feels more like I'm not wasting my time as much like this.
Chris Cuomo
What do you want to do? What is your ambition?
Adam Friedland
What do I want to do?
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, like, what do you want?
Adam Friedland
I want to just get better. I want the show to get better. I want to get better at doing this. See how. See how far we can grow it, you know? See, I. I do see, like, with the interviews, like, it feels like a kind of a trajectory. I think I. I didn't really see a trajectory prior to starting the show. I'm very lucky, you know? Like, it's kind of an accident this even happened.
Chris Cuomo
I don't believe in luck. How do you define it?
Adam Friedland
Well, it's a combination. Like, you know, of course it's circumstance. You know what? There's so many fucking amazingly talented comedians. I started with that. Just, you know, it's. It. There is a. There is a right place, right time aspect, you know, but, like, also, I'm like, I. I don't want to because I feel fortunate I get to do this. I don't want to fuck up the opportunity, you know, because, like, I have so many other friends. It's like, I'm so lucky that I can do this thing and have a studio and, like, you know, like, it's. I Just like want to. I don't want to take it for granted. I guess.
Chris Cuomo
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Adam Friedland
The dream for this?
Chris Cuomo
Yeah. I feel like every time I ask you a question, your first beat is to make my question stupid.
Adam Friedland
No, but what I'm doing is I'm stalling so I could think. Really? I'm not criticizing your question.
Chris Cuomo
Is that your device?
Adam Friedland
But I don't know. I. I guess I haven't really thought. I. I just. I want to keep working. I like, I. I don't really see myself like, I. I want to be like an old guy that works. I think I. And I. And I didn't do for so long where I'm like, now that it's. It's being too busy is great. Like, I don't have time to like, get swept up into like stuff that doesn't matter as much.
Chris Cuomo
Why are you more busy? Are you shooting more often? What are you doing now that you weren't doing before?
Adam Friedland
Well, we're like, it's a big undertaking, like, because we're trying. The. The ambition is. Is to make a television show with three people, four people, you know, on a weekly basis. And like, I. I went to your studio and you have like, NASA in the control room. I mean, it's like a huge operation, you know, and most. Most shows are. And it's like, well, what if. What if I can do it myself? And. Yeah. I mean, it requires a lot of. A lot of time and. But I. I'm not. That's not a. I'm not complaining about that. It's pretty awesome. It's exciting, you know, and so, I don't know, I guess be the president. That's my goal. I don't know. Probably be the president.
Chris Cuomo
Were you born here?
Adam Friedland
Yes.
Chris Cuomo
You sure?
Adam Friedland
What are you, a birther?
Chris Cuomo
I'm not a birther, but.
Adam Friedland
You want to see my Lawrence?
Chris Cuomo
Your parents are from South Africa. I thought maybe you were born there and came here.
Adam Friedland
No, they moved here in 1982.
Chris Cuomo
Oh, so you were born here shortly.
Adam Friedland
After they were married. Yeah, I know. I'm. And I'm over 35. That's another thing. I'm 38. It feels bad. Like, it sounds old in my head, but then I tell. It's. It's fun to like, be like, well, I've only been able to be the president for three years, so I'm basically.
Chris Cuomo
When it comes to feel bad to be 38. Because you're not in good shape.
Adam Friedland
No, I mean, I'm. I've always been.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, you've always been what?
Adam Friedland
Like, you know, I'm not fat.
Chris Cuomo
No, you're.
Adam Friedland
You're like, I'm very.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, I look younger than I am.
Adam Friedland
I'm. I look younger than I am.
Chris Cuomo
You got a great head of hair.
Adam Friedland
Great head of hair. You know, I'm doing all right.
Chris Cuomo
Your fiance is very charming and pretty. I was shocked when she spoke and did not have an Eastern bloc accent.
Adam Friedland
Wait, you think she's.
Chris Cuomo
She's a male order bride, Someone who was desperate to stay in the country.
Adam Friedland
You think. You think it was like 90 Day Fiance? I'm not one of those guys.
Chris Cuomo
I heard her speak and, like, she's.
Adam Friedland
From the Upper west side.
Chris Cuomo
I know. I was in shock.
Adam Friedland
No, she's.
Chris Cuomo
I thought she for sure was going to be like, you know, she's Irish, Italian, Jewish.
Adam Friedland
She's Ellis island, basically.
Chris Cuomo
It's good. It's good.
Adam Friedland
You think that.
Chris Cuomo
I thought. But I was Wrong.
Adam Friedland
No, that's after the divorce. I'm gonna go, you know, Philippines, just like a really mean male. No. You know, there's a run on Ukrainian brides in China since the war broke out.
Chris Cuomo
Oh, boy. I'll tell you, you know what? The, the one of my bigger recent failures is that I did not own the truth of Ukrainian kids being taken into Russia for reprogramming.
Adam Friedland
I didn't know about that.
Chris Cuomo
And it is real. It is acknowledged by Russia, which is like very rare air, and we just kind of ignored it, which is bizarre to me that I have been part of such a lapse of conscience.
Adam Friedland
I didn't, I, Yeah. I didn't know that Russia has been.
Chris Cuomo
Taking people from the eastern end of that during this conflict and bringing them into Russia to re. Educate them.
Adam Friedland
What a mess all this crap is, huh?
Chris Cuomo
What do you think is going to happen with us and Iran?
Adam Friedland
Scary, huh?
Chris Cuomo
I am not, I don't find it to be scary. I, I, and I find what's happening with Maga. I knew this was going to happen.
Adam Friedland
You're like Sylvester Stallone. You're like, you're Cobra. You're, it's scary. It's bombs and stuff. It looks scary. You, you probably know the answer to this. I'm just a genuine question. Like, so if, if Bibi wanted Trump to, to tear up the Obama deal, right? And Trump tore up the Obama deal. Like, and then they say that they're speeding towards the nuke. Like, what isn't. Like, why would, why would they do that? Right? Why would you, why would you end a diplomat? Like, what, why would you tear up a deal that makes it easier for them to get a nuke? Like, isn't that just, it sounds stupid to me, right?
Chris Cuomo
Well, their rationale was the deal didn't stop them. So break the deal and stop them.
Adam Friedland
It doesn't make sense to me. Like, if you, if you negotiate with the United States, you negotiate with Obama, right? Okay. You, you go the diplomatic route, right? You go diplomacy, right? It doesn't make sense if the US Tears that bill up, right? They, they talk about the money they gave Iran. A lot of that money was their money that we froze, right?
Chris Cuomo
Yes. So that's one of, that is one.
Adam Friedland
Of the sanctions since the Shah, right? They've had sanctions since the end of the 1970s. Like what, like what are they. You're driving them towards a nuclear weapon. Do you understand? Like, if you don't.
Chris Cuomo
I don't agree with, I agree with the first part, which is how, how.
Adam Friedland
Does how do they get taken seriously if, if literally they're just getting fucking squeezed out, like economically for now, 50 years, 45 years. And, and then they, they negotiate with the United States to open up their economy and then we just, we wipe our asses with the deal. And like, what, I don't understand what options. What options? And then they were, they said they were going to negotiate with Trump and then they got the crap bombed out. Like what, I don't understand what the strategy there is. It just seems like a little bit like if, if, if Bibi wants to keep his people safe, it would be better that, that you would have a, a deal for them to not get nukes. Right.
Chris Cuomo
So I agree. Assuming you can trust the deal. So the argument was they, did they break the deal?
Adam Friedland
Is there evidence that they broke the deal?
Chris Cuomo
They absolutely broke the deal.
Adam Friedland
I'm just asking genuinely, like, what did they do to.
Chris Cuomo
They. Enriched uranium? Well, well, 20 times above the acceptable standard under the deal.
Adam Friedland
Is that, is that why Trump tore it? Is there.
Chris Cuomo
So here's the thing.
Adam Friedland
Did Obama know that they were doing that? Like.
Chris Cuomo
Here'S my take.
Adam Friedland
What's this? Like, what is. Who found that out? Like, where? I just never read about that.
Chris Cuomo
Here, here is my table. The iaea. The IAEA is the body that monitors this stuff. But here's what happens.
Adam Friedland
Blix. Do they sell that guy? Hans Blix, remember them?
Chris Cuomo
Yes.
Adam Friedland
Iraq. But no.
Chris Cuomo
So here's what happened.
Adam Friedland
Yeah.
Chris Cuomo
Obama made the deal in simple binary. Which side is worse? American politics. If one side makes a deal, the other side wants to break the deal. They then perverted the truth about the money that was given back to Iran, making it sound like America gave them a billion dollars, but it was actually their money that America was holding wrongfully. So that then added to the idea that this was a bad deal.
Adam Friedland
Maybe if you just keep a country broke for 50 years, they're going to be like, they're going to, they're going to be pissed off.
Chris Cuomo
Yes.
Adam Friedland
But maybe if their economy was opened up and they had something to lose and they weren't being sanctioned, you know.
Chris Cuomo
Then you are feeding an oppressive regime that.
Adam Friedland
What do you think? Crushing people. What do you think Saudi Arabia is like? We have a lot of friends that are oppressive regimes.
Chris Cuomo
Yes.
Adam Friedland
Women, just women were just granted the right to drive.
Chris Cuomo
Yes.
Adam Friedland
And we, and we love them, boys.
Chris Cuomo
Yes. But you know, what the Saudis have.
Adam Friedland
Going for them, Chris, is a little bit, it's a little bit pick and choose there, huh?
Chris Cuomo
I think it's a Little arbitrary, which is what you're getting at. And I agree with you, except for one thing. What does Saudi have that Iran doesn't have? What Saudi has is they don't say they want to destroy us. Now they export Wahhabism all over the region, which wants to destroy us, but they don't say to kill us. And the regime does.
Adam Friedland
Who do you think. Who. Who were, like, all the guys that did nine, 11 Saudis.
Chris Cuomo
And where did. Where did OBL get his money for Al Qaeda? Saudi.
Adam Friedland
So, like, what. What's the. Listen, dude, we just watched the longest war in American history, and we just watched this crap. Sorry, I'm cursing. I don't. You think. Chris, there's a. There's, like, a big industry that needs, like, a war to be happening.
Chris Cuomo
More pimps, as Ned Burchett, the Republican from Tennessee calls them.
Adam Friedland
We left Afghanistan, and we still need to, like, feed this. The Pentagon has a $1 trillion budget, like you just.
Chris Cuomo
And they're the only people who got more money in the big, beautiful bill. The Defense Department, where Doge never went. Listen, you know that things are off. The economy is all about uncertainty. You got wars overseas, you got inflation, you got borrowing costs, you got consumer issues, you got food issues. Every time you turn on the news, another bank has problems. So question. What are you doing to deal with the uncertainty? To protect what you built for your family? That's why people are turning to gold and silver. What is old and trusted is new again. Not because it's trendy, but because it works. When the system shakes, real assets matter. This is something you can hold, that you can trade, that you can count on. It's not a maybe, it's a hedge. But there's a trap. And this. This is what no one tells you. But I will. It's not just about buying gold. You gotta buy the right kind. Now, what does that mean? Well, you know these flashy ads, special edition coins, celebrity endorsements? Those are about taking your money, not protecting it. Big commissions. They don't tell you about bad deals. Look, I know about people who have gotten burned, and sometimes you can't bounce back. That's why I am partnering with Dr. Kirk Elliot, double PhD, 20 years in the game. And let me tell you something. One of the few guys who, when he says he puts people before profits, he can back it up. No pressure, no gimmicks, just real bullion. Gold and silver that you can use, sell and trust anywhere in the world. No matter what's going Right now, Dr. Kirk and his team are right and ready at Kepm and offering free consultations. We all got questions. Guess what? They've got answers. Go to kepm.com cuomo k e p m Kirk Elliot, precious metals.com cuomo and you'll get straight talk. This is about finding certainty in uncertain times. Get smart, get moving before the next shock is kids. I think that really, sadly we are one bad event in America from going down that road. And when that one bad thing happens, half of our political spectrum will say, Israel did it.
Adam Friedland
Yeah, it's there. It's because they're going to blame me.
Chris Cuomo
They won't blame you because you are part of the new self hating Jew.
Adam Friedland
You're a self hating Jew. What do you mean self hating Jew?
Chris Cuomo
You are a Jew.
Adam Friedland
I can't get enough of it.
Chris Cuomo
Who is anti Israel?
Adam Friedland
What does that mean? Self hating Jew? I'm not anti. What are you talking about?
Chris Cuomo
Are you anti Israel?
Adam Friedland
What does anti Israel mean?
Chris Cuomo
Do you believe Israel has a right to exist?
Adam Friedland
I don't think. I think, yeah, people should have a right to vote. Everyone should vote.
Chris Cuomo
Like I asked you a different question. Does Israel have a right to exist?
Adam Friedland
Exist? I don't think that it's kept Jewish people safe. That was the objective.
Chris Cuomo
I'll ask you a third time. Right to exist?
Adam Friedland
Yeah, sure, but I think that like, but like, yeah, but like, I don't think how are you gonna have a democracy, like and, and like based on an ethnic identity? You have to maintain a majority. Right? So like that's why these other folks live in a, like a kind of a political limbo, right? Because you have to like, because if you, if, if they're great. Right.
Chris Cuomo
Everybody in Israel can vote.
Adam Friedland
No, I'm talking about, I'm talking about it in the, in the occupied territories, right?
Chris Cuomo
Look, there shouldn't be an occupied territory. There shouldn't. There should be. There should be separate states and neither should be run by a terror organization.
Adam Friedland
Who, Bibi? I wouldn't say that. Come on. It's not nice. He went, he lived in Philadelphia.
Chris Cuomo
Brotherly love. Hamas is a terror organization.
Adam Friedland
I'm sick of this crap. Like, it's our.
Chris Cuomo
It's just. This is why I love what you're doing, Adam, is because you are, you are entertaining with intelligence and you get us to laugh at things. It's my favorite thing about comedy. It's my favorite thing about Louis ck, about George Carlin, who was a hero to me personally, is that you get us to laugh at things that we're not supposed to laugh At. And that's a really great perspective builder.
Adam Friedland
Wait, so you didn't think it was weird when I was on your show that you. You four guys were telling me what anti Semitism is? You didn't think that was a little kind of weird?
Chris Cuomo
I don't think it's weird because you didn't seem to know at the time, but I do think you should know what it was.
Adam Friedland
What. What are you talking about? Do.
Chris Cuomo
You didn't just see what I'm saying?
Adam Friedland
Do you understand that if someone's objectively watching that.
Chris Cuomo
Yes.
Adam Friedland
And you guys are telling a Jewish person about how bad campus protests it, like, is for me? Like, isn't that, like, a little bit, like, you should maybe. Maybe, like, listen, Defer to the Jew. Yeah, I'm Jewish. I know. I know. What.
Chris Cuomo
But what happens when the Jewish person doesn't seem to recognize what was obvious about what. What was happening on campus?
Adam Friedland
What is protesting a war.
Chris Cuomo
It's not protesting a war. Being pro Hamas is not protesting a war. Yeah, chasing Jewish.
Adam Friedland
They said it was pro Viet Cong.
Chris Cuomo
Is not a war.
Adam Friedland
They said it was pro Viet Cong in this back in Vietnam. It's just like, it's the same attack every time.
Chris Cuomo
The sign says pro Hamas. The sign.
Adam Friedland
Who signed?
Chris Cuomo
That's ones. The kids.
Adam Friedland
Like, half of those kids are Jewish, right?
Chris Cuomo
No, not half.
Adam Friedland
Hamas didn't find eight, like, kid, like, kids in a college and say, okay, here's your first mission. You have to protest at club. Like, it's a stupid thing. It's like, as if, like, dude, it doesn't sound like you guys are, like, aware of, like, what the real world is like. And. And it. It honestly, like, the word anti Semitism loses its value when. When you say that like, oh, so people. It's the First Amendment. Okay? You. Do you remember that? You're a lawyer. Skokie, Illinois. Okay. When I was a kid, I was in government class. I thought it was so sick that there were Jewish lawyers at the ACLU who said, even though these people are Nazis, right? And even though this community has Holocaust survivors of it, the First Amendment is so important that we. That I. That's, I think, a great thing about America. Now we're going to suspend the First Amendment.
Chris Cuomo
It cannot suspend. It cannot censor.
Adam Friedland
They arrested that guy that was here legally and, like, by. Because he was organizing protests against Israel. Like, what? Why? That it really doesn't look good for Jewish people. Right. The First Amendment matters. That's why the Jewish lawyers defended the Nazis in Skokie. Yes. Okay. So don't change the rules.
Chris Cuomo
I am not changing the rules. I do not believe in censoring speech. I do not believe in any type of censorship. I think you.
Adam Friedland
Half of those kids at Columbia are Jewish. They're having, like, Shabbat in the fucking encampment. It's just, it's, it's a, it's a stupid argument. Okay? If you want to say I think it's a stupid violence.
Chris Cuomo
I think whether or not First Amendment is a stupid argument because we have to have it. You have to allow free exercise.
Adam Friedland
However, in the 1970s, they literally bombed university buildings.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, but that's. Just because that was wrong doesn't mean that this isn't wrong. Just because that was wrong doesn't mean this is wrong.
Adam Friedland
I don't think it's good for Jews.
Chris Cuomo
Universities, I don't think it's a responsibility that they failed on, in my opinion.
Adam Friedland
What is that?
Chris Cuomo
I'm not saying that you shouldn't have a university. I'm not saying that you shouldn't allow protest. But when you have kids who are made to feel unsafe, especially on these campuses that are all about woke and all about liberal thinking, and you just happen to let some kids that look white, but they're really Jews get chased so that they have to hide, and you say that's okay. And people take over your buildings and you say that's okay. But if they use the wrong pronoun, they get thrown out of school. You have, you have a problem.
Adam Friedland
Is that a real thing?
Chris Cuomo
That's a real thing.
Adam Friedland
If you're not woke, you get kicked out of college.
Chris Cuomo
You could violate standards.
Adam Friedland
All right. I don't know, dude. It's just like, we should leave. These kids had to stay home from school for two years. They've been through a lot. Okay? We shouldn't always, when we reference young people, we, like, don't recognize the fact that, like, they, like, went through Covid. They had to be with their parents. Like, just like, just give these kids a fucking break.
Chris Cuomo
Your generation not the problem.
Adam Friedland
They are not the problem.
Chris Cuomo
Your generation gets.
Adam Friedland
And people have done sit ins. They have done sit ins in college campuses previously.
Chris Cuomo
Yes. You don't have to say that these.
Adam Friedland
That these, like, girls, these, like, are fucking Hamas. That, you know they're not.
Chris Cuomo
Look, I. Well, first of all, that that's not true. I have big fears about radicalization and fundamentalism and extreme thinking taking root in America. But we're, but we're saying, what playbook is this?
Adam Friedland
Is it like, is it right after we're saying two different things.
Chris Cuomo
We're saying two different things.
Adam Friedland
Where is.
Chris Cuomo
I agree with you about your generation.
Adam Friedland
Where is Hamas in America? Where's the Hamas fundament?
Chris Cuomo
It's not Hamas per se, but fundamentalism and extreme thinking is being fed on social media all the time. And there is a reason that we just saw the guy in Minnesota right after we saw the guy in Boulder.
Adam Friedland
There's a deeper problem right after we.
Chris Cuomo
Saw the guy at the embassy, right after we saw the IVF bombing, right after the CEO healthcare.
Adam Friedland
Okay. So. But there's a deeper problem. Fundamentalism is, is a. Is a result.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah.
Adam Friedland
What is the deeper. What is the deeper issue that's, that's promoting this?
Chris Cuomo
What do you think it is?
Adam Friedland
I think, I think loneliness, alienation.
Chris Cuomo
I agree.
Adam Friedland
People aren't part of communities anymore. Like, I think that, yes, if you do a mass shooting, it's. It's by definition an antisocial act. Right. You don't see yourself as part of a community. Yes, I think that people are like. And, and to be honest with you, the economy used to be able to absorb labor at a different rate, and there are a lot of people now squeezed out of the economy.
Chris Cuomo
Yes, they are. They are disaffected. They don't have.
Adam Friedland
They don't have to investigate Muslim violence. Maybe we should investigate the, The. Why are people so broke?
Chris Cuomo
Yes.
Adam Friedland
Like, that's like, you're not, you're just addressing the symptoms. You're not addressing. And also, where is the fundamentalist Muslim terror? What's going. We haven't seen Muslim terror in America. Like, they're talking about it.
Chris Cuomo
Like, we haven't seen it the way we see it.
Adam Friedland
We saw January 6th. That's, that's the.
Chris Cuomo
We saw 9 11, too.
Adam Friedland
Yeah, they like, since 9 11, we haven't. Nothing. Right. And we up in the, in the Middle East. I thought we were cool with them.
Chris Cuomo
Not anymore.
Adam Friedland
Oh, great. We're going back to this.
Chris Cuomo
It's hot and heavy, but I am with you. I gave the Democrats a slogan that they ignored less about who's woke, more about who's broke. That that's what they should have done.
Adam Friedland
Yeah, well, you know why they're doing that?
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, because it works. In the politics of division, it doesn't work.
Adam Friedland
They lose.
Chris Cuomo
No, but I mean, that's what beat them. MAGA is the right version of woke.
Adam Friedland
No, it's because the Democratic Party isn't offering anything of substance. So they have to, like, say, we like gay people.
Chris Cuomo
What is the Republican. What is MAGA offering? Of substance. The man changes his policies every 15 minutes. It was an outrage movement. It was grievance. It was payback.
Adam Friedland
So then a deeper question. Why is there outrage in America?
Chris Cuomo
Because there is grounds for outrage. People can't live the way they want. They can't have the way they want. They see a system that seems to create different outcomes for different people.
Adam Friedland
You don't think that like basically we made trade agreements in the 90s, we gutted our industrial core. There are a ton of places in America that are homogeneously white and economically depressed. And if Trump says I think that.
Chris Cuomo
I think that he, he rationale that you offer is different. What happened was the economy changed. Opportunity existed in other places. America enabled that shift and did not prepare its workforce or its economy for what they knew was coming. And they allowed other countries to do that, specifically China. They allowed China to prepare for the jobs of the new economy and did not prepare ourselves. And they let the companies go over there and reap the benefits and hurt our own workforce. And long term economic.
Adam Friedland
Maybe in a simple sense, just Bill Clinton just kind of sold out.
Chris Cuomo
The Democratic Party wasn't just Bill Clinton because the Republican Congress worked with him to let China into the wto. The Democrats in Congress were against it.
Adam Friedland
Well, correct me if I'm wrong, you're older than me. Like were the Democrat. The Democratic Party prior to like the new Democrats in 92 were more of a working class base.
Chris Cuomo
That's all they were. My father was all working class all the time.
Adam Friedland
So you.
Chris Cuomo
He's what they used to call a tax and spend liberal because he believed government was about taking from those who have and helping those who don't have.
Adam Friedland
So you don't think that abandoning the working class has, has prompted kind of like this outrage that you're seeing?
Chris Cuomo
Like, I think what has been working class. What has been done to the working class, not what the working class has done to what has been done to the working class.
Adam Friedland
I would tend to agree.
Chris Cuomo
That's the truth.
Adam Friedland
Yeah, I agree.
Chris Cuomo
That's where it is. And your generation has been uniquely bathed in the worst of human experience, starting with 9 11. Then you had a huge economic downturn and a massive crisis. You had horrible politics. Then you had 20 years of war that yielded nothing and made no sense and was based on a lie.
Adam Friedland
America was pretty happy before 9 11.
Chris Cuomo
You remember 9? Yeah, before 911 it was different.
Adam Friedland
I've been watching West Wing recently. The, the, the topics they discuss as like the issues of the day. They're like hilariously quaint yes. They're like, should gay people be in the army? And, like, yeah, school uniforms. That was, like, a big thing. Like, we had nothing going on.
Chris Cuomo
It was all, we still create our own problems. The idea that what I hear all the time is, chris, a guy your size shouldn't play against my daughter in volleyball in high school.
Adam Friedland
Who cares?
Chris Cuomo
It's like, this is what we're worried about. Yeah, but one is too many. These are problems of our own creation because we don't have real crises.
Adam Friedland
Well, let's be honest.
Chris Cuomo
At least we don't focus on the real Cris.
Adam Friedland
We have, let's be honest. Have you tried to watch the wnba? Ridiculous.
Chris Cuomo
They missed the NBA, that's for sure. I like Caitlyn Clark. I like a couple of the other ones, but it ain't the NBA.
Adam Friedland
This is what they deserve for trying to play sports. Like, no, I'm just kidding.
Chris Cuomo
That's a joke. No, it's too late, Adam. You're getting canceled now.
Adam Friedland
I don't care. Dude, you can't cancel a man who's already dead. No, I, I, I just think that, like, yeah, it was a really happy time. The 90s. Yeah. I've said this before. Like, my friend's parents were getting hummers. How awesome is that?
Chris Cuomo
We had different.
Adam Friedland
Too big.
Chris Cuomo
We've always been caught. My whole life, the 25 years, the half of my life that I've been in this business, I have always been fascinated by how I feel like we're making up to be angry about. And every time you go anywhere else in the world as a journalist, they're dealing with things that they can't make up.
Adam Friedland
Yeah, because we're, we're killing them.
Chris Cuomo
Sometimes it's because we're killing them. Sometimes it's because we're starving them. Sometimes because we're exploiting them. Sometimes it's because we're not helping them. But it's always real. And here we make up well.
Adam Friedland
We got cool. Like, we're the best at sports, and we, we make awesome. We make good fellas, great movies. Yeah, rock and roll was dope. As, like, a cultural exporter, I'm pretty patriotic.
Chris Cuomo
But now we have the Kardashians of kind of how we're known most of the world.
Adam Friedland
Who cares? That was one of the most iconic sex tapes I've ever seen. No, I mean, but, like, what I'm saying is this is like. But, like, you know, as a political hegemon, you know, we funded kind of, you know, mercenaries and executions and, yeah.
Chris Cuomo
Nobody'S got clean hands. No country has clean hands. No great power has clean hands.
Adam Friedland
The Chinese Communist Party. That. They're pretty. They're pretty. They're pretty solid.
Chris Cuomo
Tell that to those million Uyghurs sitting in that concentration camp that they have.
Adam Friedland
Well, they shouldn't have. They shouldn't have been talking like black guys. I mean, that's cultural appropriate.
Chris Cuomo
You shouldn't have been pretending to have a religion.
Adam Friedland
Oh, I. I thought you were. I. You said uyghur. I thought you missed. Anyway, yeah, I don't know. I'm. I'm pro ccp. That's the main point of what I'm saying.
Chris Cuomo
You're a dope. Who are the five people that you want to have on your show?
Adam Friedland
Xi Jinping.
Chris Cuomo
Done.
Adam Friedland
Jackie Chan. Were he live? Mao Zedong. Who else is Chinese? Yao Ming.
Chris Cuomo
Would you want the Yao Ming? He wouldn't fit in the studio. Would you want Donald Trump on the show?
Adam Friedland
Yeah, for sure.
Chris Cuomo
Would you want Kamala Harris on the show?
Adam Friedland
Sure. Yes.
Chris Cuomo
Would you want Shaq on the show?
Adam Friedland
Yeah, of course. Yeah.
Chris Cuomo
I mean, is there a perfect guest for you?
Adam Friedland
Trump is, like, hard mode. He's the hardest one. That's. I've been listening to Howard and all of his Trump interviews, and Howard's, like, amazing at it because he just tells Trump he gets so many women. He's just like. He just calls him a pimp, basically. And Trump eats it up.
Chris Cuomo
Well, that was before. Now they don't like each other.
Adam Friedland
Well, I think Howard kind of maybe had a little guilt about, you know, he's like a. Yeah, and also Covid. I think he's, like, afraid to go outside and stuff like that, too.
Chris Cuomo
Well, let me tell you something, Adam Friedland.
Adam Friedland
What?
Chris Cuomo
I am a big fan of what you're doing, and I wish you continued success. And I am always a call away if I can help in any way.
Adam Friedland
Why do you ask me about Iran? We could have rift. We could have talked about, like, I don't know, the NBA finals. We got to talk about this heavy ass. I don't. First of all, guys, I don't know anything about anything, okay? But I do want in your pocket.
Chris Cuomo
What is that, Zinn?
Adam Friedland
Yeah. Zen.
Chris Cuomo
Why don't you smoke like a man?
Adam Friedland
Because I can't do it inside. What am I, like Edward R. Murrow?
Chris Cuomo
Aren't you.
Adam Friedland
Do you ever smoke cigarettes?
Chris Cuomo
I did. I used to love them.
Adam Friedland
What was your brand?
Chris Cuomo
Camelites or Marvel Red?
Adam Friedland
You should bring that back to, like, doing the news with a sig.
Chris Cuomo
No, I can't. It was making me so sick. I only smoke cigars.
Adam Friedland
Thank you for having me.
Chris Cuomo
I love you, I believe in you and I enjoy you.
Adam Friedland
Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot. Check out the Adam Friedland Show.
Chris Cuomo
He's funny, he's ironic, but he's thoughtful. And I think it's that last piece that makes the difference and is a differentiator for him in the podcast space. They're funny people. They're funny people who are trying to be provocative and outrageous, but there aren't funny people who are trying to be thoughtful and balanced and funny, but also wise. And I think this young man, Adam Friedland, can check those boxes. What do you think? Let me know. Thank you for subscribing here at the Chris Cuomo Project. Thank you for the follows. Thank you for News Nation and coming there at 8pm 11p Eastern every weekday night. Thank you for being part of the substack, wearing your independence with your free agent gear and subscribing there so I can use the money from the free agent stuff, the substack to subsidize long Covid treatment for people and contributions from all of us. My friends. Let's get after it.
The Chris Cuomo Project: Adam Friedland Gets REAL About America's FAKE Problems
Introduction
In the July 1, 2025 episode of The Chris Cuomo Project, host Chris Cuomo engages in a candid and thought-provoking conversation with comedian and podcaster Adam Friedland. Titled "Adam Friedland Gets REAL About America's FAKE Problems," the episode delves deep into pressing socio-economic and political issues facing America today. Through a blend of humor and insightful analysis, Cuomo and Friedland explore topics ranging from financial precarity and political polarization to foreign policy and generational challenges.
1. Financial Precarity in America
The discussion kicks off with Cuomo and Friedland addressing the widespread financial instability among Americans. Cuomo emphasizes the fragility of the average American's financial situation, stating, "Most people in America are one crisis away from being properly fucked" (05:13). Friedland echoes this sentiment, highlighting that over half of Americans lack a $1,000 emergency fund (05:21). They explore the psychological and societal impacts of financial stress, noting how it affects family dynamics and overall well-being.
Friedland shares his personal stance on retirement savings, expressing skepticism about traditional 401(k) plans: "I'd rather go to dinner. That is a very terrible attitude at money" (03:05). This perspective opens up a broader conversation about the generational differences in financial planning and the evolving attitudes toward money management.
2. Political Polarization and Neglect of the Middle Class
Cuomo critiques the current political landscape, arguing that it overly focuses on the extremes rather than addressing the needs of the majority. He points out, "We pay too much attention to the very top and the very bottom and what used to be called the middle class, which I always hated as a term" (06:50). This neglect, according to Cuomo, has contributed to the rise of movements like MAGA, which resonate with those feeling left behind by economic and political systems.
Friedland adds that wealth distribution issues stem not just from political catering to fringes but also from people being "broken" (07:11). This bipartisan failure to address inequality has led to growing disenchantment and division among Americans.
3. Adam Friedland's Podcasting Journey
Shifting gears, Cuomo inquires about Friedland's experiences in podcasting. Friedland admits initial struggles with conducting interviews, saying, "I did at the beginning, definitely. I didn't know how to do it at all" (09:13). He discusses his inspiration drawn from interviewers like Howard Stern and Joe Rogan, noting Stern's ability to "disarm" guests through humor and self-deprecation (10:26).
Friedland reflects on his growth, stating, "Once you commit yourself to, like, invest, you know, just having a purpose and going all out and trying as hard as you can, you can't really go back to lazy" (13:47). This commitment marks a significant evolution from his earlier, more casual podcasting endeavors.
4. US Foreign Policy: Iran and Russia
The conversation takes a serious turn as Cuomo and Friedland dissect US foreign policy, particularly relations with Iran and Russia. They discuss the implications of President Trump annulling the Obama-era Iran deal, with Cuomo providing factual details: "They enriched uranium 20 times above the acceptable standard under the deal" (24:05). Friedland questions the rationale behind tearing up a deal that ostensibly aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities, expressing confusion over the strategic logic (22:14).
Cuomo criticizes the political manipulation of the deal's terms, suggesting that the perception of the deal as detrimental was partly fabricated to justify its termination (24:43). This analysis underscores the complexities and political maneuvering inherent in international agreements.
5. Anti-Semitism and Campus Protests
A significant portion of the episode addresses the rise of anti-Semitism and the contentious landscape of campus protests. Cuomo voices concerns over incidents where Jewish students face harassment and violence, drawing parallels to past events like the Skokie controversy where Nazi-supporting groups were defended under the First Amendment (32:09). Friedland expresses frustration with the current climate, arguing that anti-Israel protests often devolve into anti-Semitic actions, thereby undermining the validity of free speech protections when they target specific communities (33:02).
The duo debates the balance between protecting free speech and ensuring the safety and inclusivity of minority groups on campuses. Cuomo asserts, "I do not believe in censoring speech. I do not believe in any type of censorship," while acknowledging the real threats posed by radicalization and extremism (35:02).
6. Generational Impact and Societal Changes
Cuomo and Friedland explore the impact of major events on different generations, particularly focusing on the Millennials and Gen Z. They discuss how events like 9/11, economic downturns, and prolonged wars have shaped the worldview and mental health of younger Americans. Cuomo notes, "Your generation has been uniquely bathed in the worst of human experience" (42:19), highlighting the cumulative stressors that contribute to current social and political anxieties.
Friedland adds that modern societal issues such as loneliness and alienation exacerbate the propensity for radical thinking and societal division, questioning the effectiveness of current community structures in providing support (38:15).
7. Economic Policies and America's Industrial Decline
The conversation shifts to economic policies and their long-term effects on America's industrial base. Cuomo criticizes past administrations for failing to prepare the workforce for globalization and technological shifts, thereby allowing countries like China to dominate emerging markets (41:19). This lack of foresight, according to Cuomo, has led to the erosion of the working class and fueled economic discontent.
Friedland concurs, suggesting that policies under leaders like Bill Clinton "sold out" the working class by prioritizing corporate interests over domestic economic stability (41:19). This economic neglect has, in their view, been a significant driver of the current political and social upheaval.
8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts
As the episode nears its end, Cuomo praises Friedland's ability to blend humor with serious analysis, likening his approach to that of legendary comedians who tackle taboo subjects (32:09). He highlights Friedland's potential to influence the podcasting landscape by offering thoughtful and balanced content that entertains while provoking critical thought.
Friedland expresses his ambition to continue improving his interviewing skills and expanding his show's reach, acknowledging the challenges and responsibilities that come with influencing public discourse (14:23). The episode closes on a supportive note, with Cuomo expressing confidence in Friedland's future endeavors and the importance of independent voices in today's media landscape.
Notable Quotes
Chris Cuomo (05:13): "Most people in America are one crisis away from being properly fucked."
Adam Friedland (03:05): "I'd rather go to dinner. That is a very terrible attitude at money."
Chris Cuomo (06:50): "We pay too much attention to the very top and the very bottom and what used to be called the middle class."
Adam Friedland (09:13): "I did at the beginning, definitely. I didn't know how to do it at all."
Chris Cuomo (24:05): "They enriched uranium 20 times above the acceptable standard under the deal."
Adam Friedland (33:02): "They said it was pro Viet Cong in this back in Vietnam. It's just like, it's the same attack every time."
Chris Cuomo (42:19): "Your generation has been uniquely bathed in the worst of human experience."
Adam Friedland (41:19): "The Democratic Party wasn't just Bill Clinton because the Republican Congress worked with him to let China into the WTO."
Conclusion
This episode of The Chris Cuomo Project offers listeners a deep dive into America's socio-economic and political challenges, articulated through the dynamic exchange between Cuomo and Friedland. By addressing financial instability, political neglect, foreign policy missteps, and societal fragmentation, the conversation provides a comprehensive look at the "fake problems" that mask deeper, systemic issues. With its blend of humor, personal anecdotes, and critical analysis, the episode stands out as a compelling discourse on the state of modern America.