Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo launched his own podcast on Thursday — “The Chris Cuomo Project” — marking his official return to broadcasting since he was terminated by CNN last December.
Cuomo was ousted from the cable news giant after reports broke that he had been instrumental in advising his brother — former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) — amid multiple scandals including his handling of the COVID pandemic and allegations of sexual harassment and assault.
The former “Cuomo Prime Time” anchor addressed that situation briefly during his first broadcast, sharing a few comments but noting that he had to be respectful of any ongoing investigations.
“Now for me, the past is the past, and there is no benefit to you if I re-litigate what was said and done involving my brother,” he said.
“And there are some outstanding legal fights that I have to respect, but let me be clear. I really do regret how everything ended, but I will never regret helping my family. I promised my father, I would always be there for my brother and I always will be just like he has always been there for me, just like my sisters have been there for me and have been there for him. That’s family,” Cuomo explained.
As for the new podcast, Cuomo promised fair conversation and dialogue, arguing that progress could only come if people were open-minded and ready to engage with each other.
Watch/listen here: https://t.co/YOrvsBFfxH pic.twitter.com/TXeiTKY2a7
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) July 21, 2022
Cuomo went on to note that, despite his support for his brother and his late father — former Governor Mario Cuomo (D-NY) — he didn’t always see eye to political eye even with members of his own family.
“I love my father. I love my brother. I respect them both tremendously, but I’m no Democrat. Not simply because I’m in the media and I am not here to make any of you feel comfortable being a lefty. I want you to question why you are,” he said, adding, “I have Republicans, I have Trumpers among my friends and I mean my real friends, not just, you know, people, I take pictures with at events. My first vote ever — How many reporters tell you this? My first vote ever, George H. W. Bush, 1988.”
“That was my first vote that I ever cast,” he concluded. “But I’m not a Republican either. Now here’s the truth. I am not Democrat or Republican, but not because of what I think of them. It’s because I reject both. I am anti the two-party partisanship. I don’t believe in it. I think the two-party system is part of our problem!”
Toward that end, one of Cuomo’s upcoming guests was a former Democratic presidential candidate who left that party to create his own: Andrew Yang.
“Let’s do it again!” Yang tweeted. “I’m one of the first guests on @chriscuomo’s new podcast/interiew series ‘The Chris Cuomo Project’ for Free Agents that drops this Thursday on YouTube and wherever you get podcasts. We talk @fwd_party, the media, political independence and much more.”
Let’s do it again! I’m one of the first guests on @ChrisCuomo’s new podcast / interview series “The Chris Cuomo Project” for Free Agents that drops this Thursday on YouTube and wherever you get podcasts. We talk @Fwd_Party, the media, political independence and much more. 👍🚀🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NMR9bwintu
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) July 18, 2022