Originally posted Tuesday, August 13, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
In a video at a New York bar released Monday, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo took offense at an unidentified heckler who called him ‘Fredo,’ likening it as an Italian slur similar to the N-word for black people.
Cuomo told the man “Fredo” is a reference to a character Fredo Corleone in the 1972 film "The Godfather," considered "a weak brother."
The anchor’s heated exchange turned into a mass of cursing and a challenge to fight:
"I’ll (expletive) ruin your (expletive). I’ll (expletive) throw you down these stairs like a (expletive) punk … you’re gonna call me Fredo, take a (expletive) swing?"
The man did not take on the challenge. The video was sent to a right-wing YouTube channel host, who posted it.
While Donald Trump supported the heckler in a Tweet, his buddy and Fox News host Sean Hannity was Team Cuomo, was his employer CNN, who released this statement:
“Chris Cuomo defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup. We completely support him.”
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.
