CNN’s Chris Cuomo singled out Fox News’ Sean Hannity and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow for praise as he thanked people for their support after video in which he confronted a man for calling him “Fredo” went viral.
“Alright, no secret how I spent one particular afternoon on vacation,” Cuomo said, addressing the incident on his return to hosting “Cuomo Prime Time” on Monday night.
“And there is nothing to add, except to say thank you,” he continued. “Thank you to all who reached out in person, who sent messages. I appreciate it. That includes Mr. Hannity and Ms. Maddow. They acted as colleagues, not competitors, and I won’t forget it.”
“In fact, I’m not going to forget and I will use all of the feedback because the key is for us all to be better, and that starts with me,” Cuomo added.
In the video, Cuomo lashed out at an unidentified man who’d called him “Fredo.” “Fredo is from ‘The Godfather,’ he was that weak brother, and they’re using it as an Italian aspersion,” said Cuomo, who is of Italian descent. He later likened the slur to being “the ’N-word’” for Italians.
Hannity (who Cuomo has repeatedly criticized) tweeted at the time that his rival cable news anchor has “zero to apologize for” and actually “deserves the apology” himself.
“I say good for [Chris Cuomo],” Hannity wrote. “He’s out with his 9-year-old daughter, and his wife, and this guy is being a jackass in front of his family.”
