The Chris Cuomo Project: "What 'Real Ones' Get Wrong"

Host: Chris Cuomo
Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Cuomo interrogates the modern meaning of being a "real one" in American political and cultural contexts. He critiques how the concept, once rooted in authenticity and moral dignity, has devolved into a contest of performative outrage—especially on social media—both on the right (MAGA) and the left. Cuomo explores the risks of this tactic-obsessed culture, questions whether it delivers real results or positive change, and ultimately suggests an alternative: defining a "real one" as an independent, critical thinker rather than a partisan provocateur.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is a "Real One"? (01:10 - 04:20)

• Definition Evolution:
  Cuomo opens by questioning what it means to be a “real one.” He connects it to authenticity but pushes back on its current political connotation.

  "A real one is someone who's seen as completely authentic... Archetypal, a word we used to use when we cared about English instead of things we could just type in two- and three-letter abbreviations..."
  —Chris Cuomo [01:13]

• Cultural Shift:
  The phrase, once about loyalty or friendship, now implies unconditional loyalty to a side, often at the expense of reason.

2. "Real Ones" on the Right: The MAGA Archetype (04:21 – 07:05)

• MAGA Loyalty:
  Cuomo examines how, during the rise of MAGA populism, being a “real one” meant total support for Trump—no matter his actions or controversies.

  “To be a real one within MAGA is to be all in with Trump at all times. You forgive him everything, you judge him on nothing...”
  —Chris Cuomo [05:00]

• Manipulability:
  This standard is easily lowered and manipulated, as “anything is better than the alternative.”

• Critical Mass & Collapse:
  The effectiveness of MAGA’s outsider anger diminishes as they become the status quo.

  "...now that you're in power and you own the status quo, it's not as easy to be angry at everything the government says and does because you're running the government, even if you want to believe ... which is it's the deep state ..."
  —Chris Cuomo [06:25]

3. "Real Ones" on the Left: Adopting the Enemy's Playbook (07:06 – 11:00)

• The Michelle Obama Standard:
  Cuomo references Michelle Obama’s iconic line, “When they go low, we go high,” as the previous gold standard of moral conduct on the left.

  "Michelle Obama, one of her best contributions to the political dialogue was ... ‘When they go low, we go high.’"
  —Chris Cuomo [07:35]

• The Left’s Reaction:
  In a “reaction formation, desperation, or miscalculation,” the left abandons this approach, intensifying rhetoric to match the right’s aggression.

• Performance over Principles:
  Hate and outrage have become qualifiers of being a “real one” on the left, mirroring MAGA’s earlier tactics.

  "So what does it take to be a real one? You gotta hate that. You gotta hate his ass. ... it's all bad, it's all wrong, it's all illegal, it's all impeachable. And anybody who supports Trump is a fucking dumbass. Just like Trump. His people suck. He sucks. They're stupid. They're ruining our country."
  —Chris Cuomo [11:00]

4. The Escalation & Social Media’s Role (13:26 – 15:00)

• Rise in Online Hostility:
  Social media incentivizes harshness and “hot talk,” making it a metric of success—toughness now equates to verbal aggression, not real action.

  "Talking shit is now an end and of itself. That's a real one. Shut up. Fuck off. Lose your account, all this stuff."
  —Chris Cuomo [17:45]

• Superficial Bravado:
  Cuomo points out the gap between online threats and real-life confrontations, suggesting that digital "real ones" rarely stand by their words in person.

5. Consequences: Does Being a "Real One" Work? (20:09 – 23:30)

• Short-term Tactics, No Strategy:
  Cuomo argues this “always-on” attack mentality is risky, emotion-driven, and not a sustainable or strategic way to win over the majority.

  "I think it is a risky, short sighted and hyper emotional strategy. In fact, I don't even think it is a strategy. I think it's a set of tactics that is woven together with things that will not hold tight, not under stress."
  —Chris Cuomo [21:15]

• Majority Want Results, Not Performances:
  “Real ones” create online echo chambers, but “people in positions of actual and real need ... don't want a real one. They want reality. They want real results. They want something they can trust, something they can believe in that's real for them. Not someone who talks shit on social media really well and gets a lot of clicks.”

  —Chris Cuomo [22:45]

• Cuomo’s Independence:
  He declares himself an outlier—an “independent, a free agent, a critical thinker”—and rejects both sides’ definitions.

6. Toward a Better Definition: Right vs. Wrong, Not Right vs. Left (25:00 – END)

• Right and Wrong Over Party:
  Cuomo promotes returning to guiding principles of right and wrong, independent thought, and genuine coalition-building.

  "I believe in right and wrong, not right and left. And you guys surrender right and wrong all the time out of advantage. And that's the truth."
  —Chris Cuomo [26:14]

• Missed Opportunities for Unity:
  He suggests that if the standard of "real one" was reaching out to those who reject extremism—even within MAGA—the country could move forward more positively.

  "Imagine if instead of rewarding someone for saying you for saying that, Trump, you rewarded people reaching out to the MAGA people who rejected what he said and said, thank you for rejecting that. Thank you. We are the same. We know right and wrong, and this was wrong. Why wasn't that rewarded? Why isn't that a real one?"
  —Chris Cuomo [28:33]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Outrage Performance:

  "A real one is someone who talks the talk. Hot talk, threatening talk, menacing talk, mean talk. That's a real one."
  —Chris Cuomo [20:15]

• On Political Violence:

  “When you look at the list of domestic risks to national security, what do you see at the top of that list? Right wing extremism. True. ... In recent months and years, have we seen an increase in violence, political violence and extremism on the left? Yes.”
  —Chris Cuomo [13:30]

• On Authenticity vs. Rhetoric:

  "The one who has my own agency, my own mind, my own ideas that I develop through my own rigor, not just rinse and repeat. What about you?"
  —Chris Cuomo [31:55]

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 01:10 | Defining "real one," authenticity v. loyalty | | 04:21 | What being a "real one" meant for MAGA | | 07:06 | "We go high": The left’s old moral high standard | | 11:00 | Outrage-as-virtue for "real ones" on the left | | 13:26 | Online aggression and performative toughness | | 20:10 | Does "real one" posturing deliver real results? | | 25:00 | Advocating for right and wrong over right and left | | 28:33 | Missed opportunities for positive coalition | | 31:55 | Concluding self-definition as a "real one" |

Summary & Takeaways

• The label “real one” has shifted from denoting authentic, principled behavior to embodying the most combative, visible partisan on either side.
• Both left and right have adopted tactics of outrage and online aggression, often at the cost of substance or genuine progress.
• Cuomo argues this approach ultimately alienates the majority, who want real solutions and trustworthy leadership—not algorithm-chasing firebrands.
• He advocates for redefining “real” as being independent, values-driven, and focused on right and wrong, not tribal advantage.

Final Thought:

"Fuck yeah, I believe I'm a real one. I'm a real one. I am. I'm an independent. I'm a real one. I'm a free agent. I'm a critical thinker. I am different than the pack. To me, that's being a real one."
—Chris Cuomo [31:55]