Chris Cuomo says 'anti-elitists' at Fox News seem to be 'OK with 10,000 more dead'

Updated ·4 min read

Chris Cuomo closed his show Tuesday night by slamming President Trump and Fox News for their messaging as the country continues to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic. Fox hosts have pushed Americans to get back to work even as their own offices will remain closed, at least, until mid-June. And even though staffers at the White House are now required to wear masks after multiple people tested positive for the coronavirus, Trump still refuses to wear one.

“The president traces and tests every damn day, and everyone around him has a mask on,” Cuomo said. “Now, he doesn’t because he wants to keep up the Fox farce, this BS that COVID-19 is overrated. I guess the ‘anti-elitists’ over there are OK with 10,000 more dead. These liars and race-baiters want you to think (Dr. Anthony) Fauci is not to be believed. That social distancing is about stealing your freedom.”

According to a new model frequently cited by the White House, the estimated death toll is now 147,000 Americans will die from the coronavirus by early August. That’s 10,000 more than was estimated just two days earlier. This is due to states beginning to reopen despite not meeting the White House guidelines for doing so.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Fauci warned the Senate of the dangers of reopening too soon. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) challenged Fauci on the dangers of the coronavirus, and measures taken to reopen, because his state of Kentucky doesn’t have as many cases as states in the Northeast, which did not sit well with Cuomo.

“Ten thousand more Americans could die by August because so many places are relaxing social distancing? What happened to no man left behind? Now it's 10,000 is OK? Look, it's common sense that that's what would happen, you don't need the models to tell you that, if you stop social distancing. That's why those who attack this reality do it with snark and cynical self-interest, like Sen. Rand Paul did today,” Cuomo said. “He had the virus, and he still seems to be suffering from a type of sickness, but one of the soul. Does he really think he has no obligation to anyone but his state? America has never won by going every man and woman for themselves. Only when we are all-in do we win.”

Cuomo also disagreed with Trump’s sentiment from the Monday press conference, during which the president proclaimed the U.S. had “prevailed” on coronavirus testing while two large signs hung reading “America leads the world in testing.” That same day, the U.S. surpassed 80,000 deaths from the coronavirus, and on Tuesday, ranked fourth in the world in per capita testing.

“We are not prevailing,” Cuomo said “Not until we show the desperation to get tracing and testing. Until that we’ll be failing, because we’re failing to give the truth to the people, which will give them the trust they need to reopen. You can’t wish a virus away. It won’t miraculously disappear.”

Cuomo Prime Time airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on CNN.

Watch Chris Cuomo hammer President Trump for contradicting a nurse on PPE shortage: ‘How dare he?’:

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.

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