
Loading summary
Chris Cuomo
Got something you want to say? Want to hear me respond to you directly? Well, let's get after it. I'm Chris Cuomo. Welcome to the Chris Cuomo Project. Look, it's called a project because it's something we're working on together, right? Little progress. Little. Let's get after it. Action. This is where Greg Ott gets the great pleasure of going through the good, bad and the ugly that comes from you to me. And then he gets to read it to me. So he kind of gets to own all the nasty things, even though he doesn't have to officially say that he said. You see what I'm saying? So you have comments, my friend?
Greg Ott
I do. You know, I'm effectively a project manager. This is the full project. I'm the project manager. So pm maybe I'm your boss.
Chris Cuomo
Sure.
Greg Ott
I'm not. I'm not.
Chris Cuomo
Can I have off on Friday?
Greg Ott
You won't show up on Friday in a million years. In all the years we've done the show, you've never come in on a Friday. So I think that won't be a problem. We'll start with some phone calls. Is that okay?
Chris Cuomo
Please.
Greg Ott
Okay, here's the first one.
Caller
Yeah. Hi, Chris. Name is Mike. I'm out in California. I'm an old guy, 77. Miss you on CNN. And I finally got an iPhone and I found you again. And it's nice seeing your face and listening to what you have to say. I've got a quick question, and I haven't heard this said by. By many. If Trump, if stuff keeps going as bad as this going for this guy, why would he allow the midterm elections to happen? Can't he just cancel those? I wouldn't put it past that. I won't even tell you what I think about them. But anyway, good to see you, buddy.
Chris Cuomo
First of all, thank you very much. I can't tell you how many people say to me, miss you on cnn. Where are you? And there is something frustrating about that. But that's part and parcel of being with a startup, you know, which is what News Nation is. So thank you for taking the time and the effort to find me. Most of you haven't, but that's okay. That's why I have the podcast and I'm trying different platform. Second, no, the president can't cancel the fucking midterms. I guess if you had an emergency and you were in martial law, there would be some kind of constitutional play to delay elections. I do not see that happening. But I don't want to dismiss Your angst either. We are in extreme times. Trump adds to this and feeds it. So do the fringy Democrats, so do the pod bros, so do opportunists in the media. You know, so do a lot of different factions that are all looking for advantage in every opportunity to divide us for profit. So you are not wrong to be worried about things that you used to think would be absurd. I get it. Things keep going as badly for this guy now since you made the phone call. The President has unilaterally decided to bomb the regime in Iran and at its enrichment enrichment facilities. It's uranium enrichment facilities. And it seemed to have worked in precipitating a ceasefire. So now he's got to win. And now those are air quotes you.
Greg Ott
Put on the skit. This is the video too.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah.
Greg Ott
An audio they can't see.
Chris Cuomo
Video killed the radio star. Okay. And the same thing's happening with podcasts. Wow. So I'm making air quotes for all.
Greg Ott
I'm just. I'm just helping the audio.
Chris Cuomo
Six of you on audio listeners right now.
Greg Ott
No, there's a couple. There's several thousand of you out there.
Chris Cuomo
Trust me. All right. You should be watching. All right. It's a video driven thing. You got to follow.
Greg Ott
Either one will take you.
Chris Cuomo
Use the screen. Use the screen. So what I'm saying is this, everything is what have you done for me lately? And whatever the most dominant vibe is right before the midterms is going to decide the swing now. Couple of. Yeah, butts. Yeah. But you got 95% retention rate of congressional seats despite the fact that they're in the 20s of approval. Why? Base. Base. The way the machinery works, the way the party structure works, the way the intensity of voting works in congressional districts, especially in off year elections. And they only have to satisfy the crazies and that's why they're so extreme. So I think it's going to be a macro on the economy and a micro on fundamentalism. Meaning who's trying to kill us in that moment? That's going to be the dominant culture issue. Trans is done. Reproductive rights is done. Christianity as a thing, Christian right is going to be done. You know, things can always come back. But I'm saying in this cycle it's going to be who's trying to kill us and which side owns that narrative.
Caller
Hello. My question to you is that all the money that was saved by Doge cutting of funds program flashing, did they use any of the money to pay down on the debt? Thank you and have a great day.
Chris Cuomo
Nope. And what money? There's only a fraction of what Doge was bragging about. That has even come to pass as a possibility.
Greg Ott
Because they promised trillions, right? Didn't they promise like $2 trillion in cuts or something like that?
Chris Cuomo
So they promised a lot. They didn't deliver as much. And Congress hasn't done the rescission bills yet. So right now it's zero. Let alone what are you going to use it for? I'll tell you what I think they're going to use it for is they're going to try to use it to justify the tax cuts. And here's my problem with tax cuts. They're not for you, they're for me. They're for the top earners. And is that good for me? Yeah, because I get killed on taxes. So I'm okay with it. I would be less okay with it and more okay with paying the taxes if I thought it was used responsibly. You know what I mean? I don't have any problem with the social contract. I have a problem with the execution of that contract by government. I think they waste the fucking money and I think they do things with it that I don't want them to do. So then I don't like my tax rate. So I'd rather get a tax cut, which it looks like I'm going to get. But that's not what was promised. And I think that should matter. No tax on tips, no tax on. On Social Security. In certain ways, those are good things. There should have been more of that and there are ways to do it that were neglected.
Caller
Chris Cuomo, my name is Jeffrey. I think you're a fucking dog. Badass. Love your show. One little disagreement. You're worried about all this outside extremism. Your guests keep talking about Korea coming over the border, Chinese, Iranians coming over the border. All the recent attacks in America have been home grown extremists. You need to focus more on that, bubba. And we don't have a bunch of fucking terrorists coming over the border attacking us. We have homegrown people that have lived here, gotten pissed off, radicalized, and then blow a casket. I would put a little bit more focus on that, my brother. Other than that, you are knocking it out of the park. Take care, brother.
Chris Cuomo
I'm with you. I'm with you. You get a big amen. Check me out on News Nation. I've been talking about this specifically with the emphasis that you're talking about. I think we're killing ourselves. I think the division and the extremism is coming home to roost on us disaffected males. And I've laid this out many different times, and I agree with you. You are right. You are right. It's not 9 11. It's not post 911 where we're just worried about the jihadis coming over here. You gotta worry about that. These Iranians that they just picked up, who snuck across the border, some of them could be bad guys for more than just the illegal crossing. They. That's a threat. That's real sleeper cells, little romanticized, but that's a thing. But now we have another thing, a new thing, and I would argue an equally threatening thing, which is disaffected people who either appropriate the oppression of others or are just antagonistic towards our culture and our government and our democracy and our country. And they want to express that in violence. And they're here and they're one of us.
Caller
Hi, I'm just wondering why you're not addressing the Koch brothers owning Trump and the Supreme Court. This is really what's happening. Trump's just a pawn. And I'm wondering why you don't. You don't address any of that in your podcast because you know how powerful. You know, they're running the Trump show because they're all oligarchs, billionaires. So I wonder if you can address that. Thanks, I appreciate it.
Chris Cuomo
It never ends. The boogeyman never end. You got the Koch brothers, you got Adelson, you know, you got all the Hedges and all the other guys and now the tech bros. And then you got Soros, who's like the ultimate boogeyman. The guy's like a hundred years old, but he's still blamed for everything that the left does. Look, the most dangerous money in politics is legal money, not illegal money. Okay, that's what Citizens United did, is it inculcated the Constitution, the legality of money as speech. So you just dump money into these packs. Anybody can do it. It's all dark money. They don't have the same reporting requirements that campaigns proper do. And it's terrible. But to focus just on the Cokes, you know, for whatever the plus minus is on them. Right? And everybody's got pluses and minuses. Even if they have more of one than the other, it never ends. The money is a problem and it's never going away. So chasing one side and chasing the other just helps the division. And I'm exhausted of the division and I want to focus on what brings us together and what helps the many, not the few.
Greg Ott
I Don't know if this helps, but one of the Koch brothers has been dead for a very long time.
Chris Cuomo
Well, there are three.
Greg Ott
I know there's one of the ones who is Mo. The Charles and David were the two mostly associated with these things. I'm saying David is dead.
Chris Cuomo
I get it's not.
Greg Ott
Gotcha. I'm just telling you that it's a.
Chris Cuomo
Little bit of a guy.
Greg Ott
It's not a gotcha. It's a little bit of a call was about the Koch brothers. There's two of them they usually think of. All I'm saying is one of them is that it doesn't mean that Charles isn't still involved. I'm just saying that one of them is no longer alive.
Chris Cuomo
Do you think her concern is the population of Cokes?
Greg Ott
No, I'm doing a census of the Koch family. I'm just saying the Koch brothers as a whole. The one dude is mostly involved these days because the other dude who was mostly involved is doing other things in the afterlife, in hell, in heaven, wherever he's hanging out these days.
Chris Cuomo
Let me ask you good people something. Do you believe that Mr. Ott, if that's his real name, just advanced your understanding of this dilemma?
Greg Ott
What if. What if you. You. No, you're going on about these boogeymen. Oh, you hear the Koch brothers. Hey, it's actually not the Koch brothers anymore because one of the brothers is toast.
Chris Cuomo
There were three.
Greg Ott
I know, but I'm saying the ones.
Chris Cuomo
That you mostly think about, you know.
Greg Ott
It'S very hot today.
Chris Cuomo
There is one theory of debate that when highly educated, they're losing.
Greg Ott
Okay, man. That's one theory.
Chris Cuomo
That's.
Greg Ott
Yeah. Okay. Okay. I'll see you on Jubilee.
Chris Cuomo
Jubilee, that's a great word. You know, it has religious roots. Did you know that?
Greg Ott
Great.
Chris Cuomo
It does. Jubilee is. Is a holy celebration.
Greg Ott
Okay, I believe you.
Chris Cuomo
I felt like that point was a lot more useful than is the Jubilee thing. At least that's true, what I said. Support comes from 120 life. If you can see this, great. If you can hear it. Mmm. I just took a sip. You know why? Because it tastes good. You know why else? Because it works good. High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for mortality. We have it in my family. That doesn't make us uncommon. It makes us common. One in two adults have high blood pressure. There's a 50. 50 chance. Okay, why wouldn't you do something about it? Now the question is what to do? Here's why. I like 120 life. It is a Blend of all natural fruit and vegetable juices. Okay. There's no gimmick in it. It's just nature, natural and science. All right. And by the way, I'm selling it short. 120 Life isn't just for high blood pressure, even though that's what the 120. Right. It plays with the pressure reading for the top number. But it's also good if you're diabetic or pre diabetic. Why managing blood pressure helps with diabetes. It makes 120Life a very valuable tool. Try 120Life and you're going to get a 15 discount if you use the code. Chris at checkout on 120Life.com you're going to get free shipping and you've got this money back. No questions asked guarantee if you're blood pressure doesn't improve within just two weeks.
Greg Ott
Tell you what, how about we move to the the YouTube comment section, the thing that people tell you not to read.
Chris Cuomo
Listen, I agree that you should stay out of the comments. You shouldn't really comment and you should absolutely go on a digital fast. There should be digital fasting the same way that we do intermittent fasting. Less phone is better. However, I have a job that is to engage. So I do more of it than I would advise for others because it's part of my job.
Greg Ott
Well, let's do your job. This is on your video recently about the two Iran questions that will define Trump's presidency. Ingrid Account writes, wokeism is not a thing. The right demonized and hijacked the term to mean something of its own making. To be woke means to be aware and pay attention, particularly as to things that pertain to black peoples that will never die, nor has it imploded. Stay woke.
Chris Cuomo
Was woke taken from the suffrage, the black suffrage movement? Yes. And is that right or wrong? That's for you to decide. But does it now have a different context? Yes. And does the fact that it used to mean something else mean that it can no longer mean or should not or can never mean anything else but that? No. And it is a thing. And it is about weighing the needs and wants of the few over the many. And it crushed Democrats and it's doing it again now. And AOC is a major perpetrator and symbol of the demise of the Democratic Party by going too far down the road of favoring the few over the many.
Greg Ott
From that same video, the two Iran questions that will define Trump's presidency. A lot of people have said and liked comments along these same lines. Eric Hudson 3023 Trump can't make a deal to save his life. What are you talking about? 107 likes Daniel Roberts. 698 we had a deal with Iran. Trump tore up the deal because Obama's name was on it. He said he would make a better deal. It never happened. This is on. Trump doesn't know how to make a deal. Crazy for you to say he knows how to deal with. Sorry to hear you think this. 196 likes Chris. I like your views on almost everything, but you give Trump too much Credit. That's Jose D.J. he's only good at lying, manipulating and creating distractions. You can't see him as a real president. I don't see this as a Dem or hater. I say this from the view of logic, which he has none and you know it way more than me. Damon Cooper8093 Chris1 Has Trump negotiated or brokered a good deal? He is a very unsuccessful businessman and it's a proven.
Chris Cuomo
All right. I said he sees himself as a deal maker. He wants to make deals. That's where his head is. That's where he sees success. He is not a hawk in the traditional sense. He does not believe in might. Makes right through military as we have seen in the past. That's my fucking point. Is he successful in business? Hell no. Except in selling his name as a marketing guy which he has a very specific kind of genius with.
Greg Ott
Got.
Chris Cuomo
You got to give it to him. That guy is President of the United States 2x okay? And should have never happened. So what did he do? He attached and became an affinity play for people he has nothing in common with. He adopted their outrage and sold it back to them. Now you can say he doesn't know how to make a deal, but that's a deal right there. And will he be able to make tariff deals with other countries? I don't know. But he's not the one negotiating. So I do think deals will get made because it's not him. Do I think he made a deal with the regime? No. But he got the two sides to make a ceasefire because the regime is afraid that we were gonna bomb them out of existence. Do I think that was the right play? Doesn't matter. He thought it was the right play whether it was legal or not legal, right or wrong. And now there's a ceasefire. That's a win. In the state of play, you can say no, but you're just a player hater. And I don't give a fuck how many likes you get on your Comments. By hating Trump because it doesn't win the race, you get 42, 44%. That's what just happened. Trump sucks, doesn't win the race. My frustration is with you thinking you keep doing the same thing, which is just pound on this fucking guy, which is easy enough to do, but you don't win the race. So now what you're doing is doubling down on Trump sucks by outrage and making your own maga. I don't think it's going to work for Democrats. I think you're making a mistake paying attention to AOC and this new deference to radical left and radical fundamentalist and radical Islamist sympathies. I think it's a huge fucking mistake. You are once again valuing the few over the many. And if you think trans sports got you in a pickle, you're about to be in a whole bucket of brine. That's deep.
Greg Ott
That's real. I hope it's not.
Chris Cuomo
You kind of look like a big.
Greg Ott
Pickle today because I'm wearing a green shirt.
Chris Cuomo
He's very test.
Greg Ott
You call me a pickle. I'm not a pickle. I'm just wearing a green shirt. That's not very clever.
Chris Cuomo
Let me ask you something.
Greg Ott
Oh, sure.
Chris Cuomo
If you were going to be a vinaigrated vegetable, do you think you would be a cucumber pickle?
Greg Ott
Have you ever had, like, cauliflower? That's been.
Chris Cuomo
Yes.
Greg Ott
That's pretty good stuff. So I don't know. I wouldn't necessarily pick that, but I don't. I like a good Cornishon.
Chris Cuomo
Of course you do.
Greg Ott
Yeah, of course I do.
Chris Cuomo
Of course you do.
Greg Ott
What, on a cheese plate?
Chris Cuomo
That was your nickname, wasn't it?
Greg Ott
I wish it was Cornish, Sean. Are you kidding me? And you, could you spell it?
Chris Cuomo
Tiny pickle. That's what you want to be called.
Greg Ott
I see. That's like a penis thing. Hey, speaking of penis. Oh, yeah, the small penis. Okay. Well, speaking of penis.
Chris Cuomo
Take it easy, Take it easy.
Greg Ott
Brian Johnson.
Chris Cuomo
Yes.
Greg Ott
Was one of your guests recently. He put a translucent man. Yeah. Yeah. He put a jet pack on his penis. Remember to measure his, like, how many times he goes. Yeah. Who does? Yeah. It's like jet. It's a dream of the Jetsons.
Chris Cuomo
If I had a dime for every time I had a jetpack on my penis. What?
Greg Ott
Well, what's the. What's the end of that sentence?
Chris Cuomo
I mean, I certainly have enough to get on the subway.
Greg Ott
The Omni, tap the peg.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah.
Greg Ott
Just put. Put your schlong on the reader.
Chris Cuomo
What's the subway now?
Greg Ott
About 752, 225, I think so. Christ, that's a lot of hot air. Okay, so anyway, Brian Johnson, in this interview, the comments on this from OB GYN Kenobi writes, you can try to put it off, but death always wins. He's part of Brian Johnson.
Chris Cuomo
Nobody gets out of this life alive. Only two things for sure. Death in Texas.
Greg Ott
From the same. From the same comment section. Norwood Builder. A lot of wood, a lot of OB GYN Norwood builder 7529 so do we all start collecting Social Security at age 95? Michelle Gasper, 1028 says, this guy sounds like a rich, bored person.
Chris Cuomo
A rich who?
Greg Ott
Bored person.
Chris Cuomo
Oh, borried. Look, wellness is a luxury. Wellness is expensive. Good food, supplementation services, treatments, they're all expensive. And that's why the trick is to figure out the best way to live clean on a budget. And there are ways. And if you're into longevity, I particularly am not. I'm into performance. But there are ways to do it. But you're right, you got to be a Brian Johnson in order to do all the shit that he does. It's ridiculously expensive.
Greg Ott
This is from your recent interview with Scott Galloway. He talked a lot about how in that he sees a lot of echoes of 1930s Germany in. In today's America, we pose that comment to the audience. Do you see echoes of 1930s Germany and how the US politics are unfolding today? One person said no, got six likes. One person said yes and got 12 likes.
Chris Cuomo
So yes wins.
Greg Ott
So yes wins.
Chris Cuomo
Look, so sometimes history rhymes. Sometimes people are just repeating things. And yet Nazi is such an extreme. And I believe that the temptation to use it as much as we've seen recently, is kind of a symptom of our embracing extremism, that in saying Trump is Hitler, they are Nazis. This is Gestapo. It's just such an extreme thing. It was the eradication of a type of person known as the Jew. And to do that, to make anything like that, I find inherently wrong. Okay, now I get how you can say how things started. And this is similar to how it started, and this is where it begins. But that doesn't mean you can take it to where it ended without really cheapening that end and exaggerating your current status. Trump is not Hitler. Okay? And I think, I think it's really wrong to do that. Not because I'm saying Trump is good. The opposite of Hitler is not good. Right. There's this whole space of humanity between Hitler and perfection. Right there's like you could be a complete piece of shit and be two or three evolutions of better human than fucking Hitler. But I just think it's too much. And I think when you do that, when you go so heavy, you wind up losing people who were with you. In terms of the initial basis of criticism, Trump lies too much. Trump shouldn't call Anderson Cooper, Allison Cooper. He shouldn't say homophobic shit we don't know need another reason to go after minority groups. We don't need that from a leader. That's enough. It doesn't have to be, oh, he hates gays. Oh, he hates this. Oh, he's a Nazi, he's a bigot. You don't need to go all in because then you wind up losing people who you had with you in the incremental nature of the criticism. The truth is enough. Look, you don't need me to tell you that there are a lot of unknowns when it comes comes to what's going on with our markets and our money. Things just are not in a good place. Inflation is up. How much? Well, it depends on the day. Banks, borrowing costs, prices. Everything that's going out there right now is really hard to predict. And we all have the same question, what do we do to protect what we have? That's why more and more people are turning to gold and silver. Because they're not make believe, man. They're not some digital thing that some guy can just hack and is gone forever. It's real, it's proven, it's tangible. It doesn't just crash with the rest of the market. It is the oldest tried and true hedge. But here's what nobody tells you. Just buying gold is not a thing thing. You gotta buy the right kind, okay? Because you can buy the wrong kind. Like what? How about those flashy coins in the TV ads? Oh, it's a collector series, right? Or the, you know, some celebrity says, oh, this is what I do. Yeah, ask them how much they really have. These gimmicks are built to make someone else rich, not you. I want you to hear from Dr. Kirk Elliot. It Two PhDs, one of them is in theology. Think about that. When's the last time you met an investment guy that has taken the time to study their religion? No gimmicks, no commissions when you sell. Okay? He does it differently, and I would say he does it the right way. And you wind up getting an option to buy real bullion that you can actually right now, Dr. Kirk and his team, they're partnering with me at KEPM and offering free consultations. No pressure, just straight Talk. Go to kepm.com cuomo and take control of your future. Knowledge is power. Get smart, get moving before the next shock hits.
Greg Ott
From your video about how Trump manufactured the perfect political crisis with regards to what's going on California with the Wayos and the National Guard and all that stuff. Damon Cooper 8093 writes Chris, how can you compare this to January 6th and the military or National Guard was not called in on January 6th. They breached the Capitol.
Chris Cuomo
January 6th was one of the most embarrassing things I've witnessed as an American here at home. Yes, I agree with you 100%. And it was not an insurrection because I don't believe they had any real intention of taking over the government. And that is a defined term. And again, the truth is enough. There's no reason to exaggerate it. And I don't see the LA protests riots as the same thing as January 6th. I don't January 6th was worse. It doesn't matter if it was less people, doesn't matter if there was less crime or less violence or more. It doesn't matter. Attacking the US Capitol during an act of Congress is more egregious.
Greg Ott
I agree with you from the same episode PDC Design 9632 writes Maga Trump, hey, look over there while I take your Social Security benefits and take this country into bankruptcy.
Chris Cuomo
Well, he's not taking Social Security benefits. He is smart enough to know that that is a death sentence. In fact, the big beautiful bill, one of the only virtues in it, in my opinion, is that it adds a little bit of a layer on Social Security. Look, look, the big thing that you have to do with Social Security that will be the least disgusting to people is raise the ceiling on income that gets taxed. It's right now, I think at 147,000 or 174,000. If you were to raise it to 500,000, then you have no problem with Social Security for the next generation. So why don't they do that? Who wants to piss off the rich? That's the rich. Hey, nobody wants to piss off the people who are making more money because they vote more, they have more input and they have more influence. Now that's changing because that's one of the upsides of populism. That's one of the upsides of outrage and grievance movements and all this disruption is maybe there will be some change. But how good a maybe is that? When Trump was supposed to be the ultimate disruptor. And he's giving the exact same people the tax cut. He has literally changed nothing in terms of the culture of benefiting the corporate elite. He's doing the same fucking thing.
Greg Ott
Well, apropos to what you're Talking about, Trump, Jamie, 33, has commented on at least five or six videos, and they actually say the same thing every single time. TDS. TDS. TDS. TEDS. TDS. TDS. TDS. TDS. TDS. TDS. TDS. TTS. TDS. TDS.
Chris Cuomo
Are you saying titty? Yes.
Greg Ott
It's almost like STDs. I keep. You know, when you look at something over and over again, he's saying tds. So it's not just tds over and over again. It's titty ass. I see.
Chris Cuomo
Tds. Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Greg Ott
That's what it means.
Chris Cuomo
It is real. And he's right. The only problem is he has it. Oh, because the inability to accept any criticism of your person, your side is deranged, okay? And it's because you are not coming a place from a place of logic. You're coming from a place of passion, a feeling of outrage, of fear, of anger. And it's like when you're angry and someone says to you the worst word you can hear. Relax. Or the two worst words you can hear, calm down. Say that to somebody who's angry in your life, especially if you're in a romantic relationship, and then duck. Why? Because you do not want to hear that you are wrong to feel the way you feel. One of the big mistakes in politics is trying to convince people to feel differently. You have to put their feelings into a different outcome. You have to give them a reason to believe in something that that fear can lead them to. That emotion can lead them to. Fear is hard because it really can only take you down. But that's the trick in politics. So there is Trump Derangement Syndrome. You have it as a maggot, as the people who hate you call you. I do not disrespect you that way. You want to be part of maga. Many of you want to be part of MAGA for good reasons, not just bad reasons, even if they're scared reasons, and I understand that. But you have to be open to criticism. You cannot just say your side is right because the other side is worse all the time. You don't apply that anywhere else in your life. If you're successful at anything, well, you.
Greg Ott
Know you're doing something right based on this comment and what you were just Saying in the last episode of comments, Alex Steel, 11:25 responded. Chris, you know you're doing something right when both sides are angry with you, but you have the support of your viewers, listeners, all seven.
Chris Cuomo
Here's the thing, it is very hard to not pick a side in a game and the only thing that both teams agree on is what the ref sucks. Right? So I don't want to be the referee and I don't want to be in the middle. Nothing happens when you're in the middle, okay, except that you're going to get hit by both. And it'd be easier for me to pick a team. If I were to pick the left or the right, I'd be a giant. I'd have twice the following. I'd make a lot of money. But that's not why I do what I do. And that's okay. But I don't know that it used to be that, you know, you're doing your job in journalism when both sides are upset at you. Yeah, I don't know anymore. I think it's just proof that you don't have a base and I'm okay with that because I'm betting on independent critical thinkers and I'd rather have fewer people get value from what I'm saying, but have them be the right people. I'd be okay with that and I am okay with it.
Greg Ott
Well, I can live with that too. You know, you, you often accuse me of pulling the meanest comments, but not everybody likes what I have to say. Sometimes I chime in, you know, I just to talk to you.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, I mean you can, you can be, you can be a problem.
Greg Ott
Well, Richard Baron once said, while Greg's random, I love it. What a cold open. Hi, Greg. But Johnny Bangkok said Greg is a weirdo with like a sarcastic eye rolling face. So, so, you know, you kind of take. I'll take fewer listeners. Just like you said, you'll take fewer listeners. I guess. Is it my job to kind of like, I don't know, make people listen to the show? I don't know, but we're all here for that. You're playing on your phone. You're not listening to a word I'm saying.
Chris Cuomo
I'm listening to everything.
Greg Ott
No, it doesn't really matter. You're preoccupied with, you know, your doordash order or whatever you're doing over there.
Chris Cuomo
Well, I'm sorry, it was just somebody who's at the Pentagon talking to me about what's happening in Iran right now.
Greg Ott
I've got important people on My phone, too. I've got people texting me about other. You know, interesting. Not the Pentagon, but, you know, they might be at, you know.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah, Pickle convention.
Greg Ott
Yeah. Pickle. Yeah. He's thinking about pickles again. You can't get it off.
Chris Cuomo
Cornish.
Greg Ott
Cornish.
Caller
On.
Chris Cuomo
Yeah.
Greg Ott
Hey, I mentioned it once, and you can't stop thinking about it.
Chris Cuomo
That's your code name.
Greg Ott
Great.
Chris Cuomo
Cornish.
Greg Ott
I know, but. I know, but it means small. Pink. Let's wrap this up. People need. People also shouldn't think this about me.
Chris Cuomo
She say penis earlier? PP Shouldn't. Pee. Pee. Shouldn't.
Greg Ott
What are you, five?
Chris Cuomo
Okay, we're done.
Greg Ott
We're done.
Chris Cuomo
Listen, if you're not having fun, why are you doing it? One of the beautiful things about doing the Chris Cuomo project for me is that I enjoy who I do it with, right? So I got Amrish, I got Greg, I got the Phantom Jeff, who is far away. But these guys are here, and I get a kick out of each and all of you, whether it's positive or negative. I think that as long as it's food for thought, as long as it's making you think for yourself, that's the job where you conclude. And whether that creates agreement or disagreement, accord or discord is somewhat secondary. I love to hear the comments. I benefit from the comments. Whether I agree or disagree is irrelevant. There's always something instructivism in it and something I do have to get better at. And I understand why I'm slow on this overtly, publicly, although I'm better privately in terms of my process of doing my job than how I talk about doing my job, is we have to change our opinions more. We have to change what we think more, because that's a sign of growth and learning. There are very few things that are absolute, and there are very few great thinkers who weren't totally open to being wrong and being corrected and changing. And you see it in philosophy again and again and again. And we're slow to do it.
Greg Ott
Why?
Chris Cuomo
Because you get owners. And because some shithead on social media is going to beat you over the head with it for two weeks and say, see, he admit it. He's wrong. He's wrong. I destroyed him. And we're a gotcha culture where insults are a proxy for insights. But we got to be better than that. And part of that is not giving in to what we oppose. So thank you for the comments. Comments, thank you for viewing. Thank you for listening. Thank you for thinking about it and reaching out. That's what we're here for. That's what the project is about. Thank you for subscribing and following and checking me out on News Nation at 8pm 11p Eastern every weekday night. Thank you, thank you, thank you. If you want more exchange, subscribe to the substack. All right. We're going to start doing more tick tock content. Also, subscribe at YouTube and you'll know when we're coming and we're here for you. And the challenges are real. So let's get after it.
Summary of "Will Trump CANCEL the Midterms? Chris Cuomo Answers Your Questions"
Episode Details:
Introduction
In this compelling episode of The Chris Cuomo Project, veteran journalist Chris Cuomo delves into pressing political questions posed by his listeners. The episode, titled "Will Trump CANCEL the Midterms? Chris Cuomo Answers Your Questions," features a mix of serious political discourse and engaging interactions with Greg Ott, who manages listener comments and questions. Throughout the episode, Cuomo employs his signature analytical approach to dissect contemporary political issues, emphasizing the complexities of the current American political landscape.
Can Trump Cancel the Midterm Elections?
Listener Question (00:58): Mike from California inquires whether former President Donald Trump has the power to cancel the upcoming midterm elections amidst ongoing political turmoil.
Cuomo's Response:
“Second, no, the president can't cancel the fucking midterms. I do not see that happening.” [01:37]
Cuomo underscores the constitutional safeguards that prevent the president from unilaterally canceling elections. He acknowledges the heightened tensions and divisions, attributing them to various factions—including fringe Democrats, media opportunists, and extremist groups—that thrive on societal discord for their gain.
Tax Cuts and Fiscal Policy
Listener Question (05:12): A caller named Jeffrey asks whether funds saved through government spending cuts have been used to reduce national debt.
Cuomo's Response:
“No. And what money? There's only a fraction of what Doge was bragging about.” [05:12]
Cuomo criticizes the administration's failure to implement promised fiscal reforms, highlighting the discrepancy between pledged and actual budget cuts. He further critiques the execution of tax policies, arguing that recent tax cuts predominantly benefit the wealthiest individuals rather than addressing broader economic responsibilities.
Extremism: Homegrown vs. Foreign Threats
Listener Comment (06:35): Jeffrey challenges Cuomo to focus more on homegrown extremism rather than foreign threats such as North Koreans or Iranians infiltrating the country.
Cuomo's Response:
“You are right. It's not 9/11. … You have another equally threatening thing, which is disaffected people who … want to express that in violence.” [07:28]
Cuomo agrees with the caller, emphasizing that internal extremism poses a significant threat. He differentiates between external threats and the growing menace of domestically radicalized individuals who harbor violence against the government and society, thereby highlighting a shift in the nature of national security concerns.
Influence of Money in Politics
Listener Question (08:39): A caller expresses concern about the influence of the Koch brothers and other oligarchs in politics, suggesting that Trump is merely a pawn controlled by powerful elites.
Cuomo's Response:
“The most dangerous money in politics is legal money, not illegal money… everybody can do it. It’s all dark money.” [09:07]
Cuomo broadens the discussion beyond specific individuals, pointing out that the pervasive issue lies in the overarching system that allows vast sums of legal money to influence political outcomes. He criticizes the Citizens United decision, which equates money with free speech, thereby enabling unchecked political donations and the rise of dark money.
Comparisons to 1930s Germany and Political Extremism
Listener Feedback (21:17): Greg Ott references an interview with Scott Galloway, asking if Cuomo sees parallels between today's U.S. politics and 1930s Germany.
Cuomo's Response:
“So yes wins. … but Trump is not Hitler. … That's too much.” [21:38]
While Cuomo acknowledges that certain historical patterns may resurface, he firmly rejects the notion that Trump embodies the same threat as Hitler. He cautions against hyperbolic comparisons, arguing that such extreme analogies dilute the unique atrocities of past regimes and hinder constructive political dialogue.
Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS)
Listener Comment (29:11): A caller, Jamie, repeatedly mentions "TDS," which Cuomo interprets as Trump Derangement Syndrome—the intense and irrational opposition to Trump.
Cuomo's Response:
“Trump Derangement Syndrome is… the inability to accept any criticism of your person, your side is deranged… because you are not coming a place of logic.” [29:26]
Cuomo explores the concept of TDS, explaining how it reflects the deep polarization and emotional responses that impede rational discourse. He emphasizes the importance of moving beyond personal animosity to engage in reasoned debates about policies and governance.
Politician Accountability and Media Influence
Throughout the episode, Cuomo discusses the cyclical nature of political vindictiveness and media sensationalism. He highlights how political figures, including Trump, leverage media platforms to consolidate support, often prioritizing outrage over substantive policy discussions. This behavior, according to Cuomo, exacerbates societal divisions and undermines democratic processes.
Conclusion
In the concluding segments, Cuomo reflects on the challenges of maintaining journalistic impartiality in an era marked by extreme polarization and constant scrutiny from both political extremes and the media. He reiterates his commitment to fostering independent critical thinking and providing nuanced perspectives, even when facing criticism from all sides.
“I’m betting on independent critical thinkers and I would rather have fewer people get value from what I’m saying, but have them be the right people.” [31:23]
Cuomo emphasizes the importance of evolving opinions and remaining open to being corrected, drawing parallels to philosophical growth and intellectual humility. He advocates for engaging with diverse viewpoints to enrich the collective understanding of complex political landscapes.
Final Thoughts
This episode of The Chris Cuomo Project offers a thorough examination of contemporary political challenges, from constitutional limitations on presidential power to the pervasive influence of money in politics. Chris Cuomo adeptly navigates listener inquiries with insightful analysis, blending factual clarity with a passionate call for unity and rational discourse. By addressing both systemic issues and personal sentiments, Cuomo provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the factors shaping the current and future state of American politics.