Chris Cuomo reveals NEW prime-time TV gig after being dumped by CNN

During his first TV interview since he was fired from CNN last December, Chris Cuomo announced a new gig as a NewsNation anchor, slammed his former colleagues at CNN, and pushed back on the allegations that had prompted his firing.

The interview aired on NewsNation this Tuesday, and it was conducted by network host Dan Abrams, the owner of Mediaite.

In announcing his new gig, Cuomo blasted his former employer.

Listen:

“I want to help. I want to find a way to help people. I’m going to come to NewsNation, and I want to build something special here, work with Dan, work with the team here. They’ve got great people who are really hungry to make a difference in ways that, I think, matter. I had decided that I can’t go back to what people see as the big game. I don’t think I can make a difference there,” he said.

Big game? Did he mean CNN?

“I think we need insurgent media. I think we need outlets that aren’t fringe and just trying to fill their pockets. ‘Don’t listen to anybody else — only listen to me.’ Don’t trust that when you hear it. I’m going to do the job, I’m going to go where the news is, and I’m going to try very hard to be fair. And I want to do it here. I want to make a difference, and I’m really hoping that it makes a difference for you. And I thank NewsNation very much for the opportunity,” he added.

It appears he did very likely mean CNN, as the “don’t listen to anybody else” part was likely a reference to CNN’s Brian Stelter, who has a history of urging his viewers to “tune out” all dissenting analysis and reporting.

Next, Cuomo and Abrams talked about the reason for his termination — that he’d “secretly” conspired with his brother, disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to help him amid the sexual harassment allegations he’d faced.

“You start advising, talking to him, being involved with the meetings, etc. What did you tell CNN about your involvement in those conversations? Did you say to them right at the outset, ‘Hey, guys, I just want you to know, I’m going to be talking my brother a lot through this process,'” Abrams bluntly asked him.

It was known,” Cuomo replied before delivering a lecture on how he can’t say much more than that due to ongoing litigation.

“I have been obsessed with what happened — when, what was known. And there are a lot of facts that I believe are going to come out. I’ve also learned that they are largely only important to me, in terms of what I want people to think and how I want people to feel, how I want them to see me. That’s about me. I don’t think that it’s helpful to a lot of other people. So yes, there’s litigation going on, but I’m telling you, I never lied, and there were no secrets,” he said.

Cuomo also refuted allegations that he’d tried to use his media power to help his brother.

“I never contacted any media who were covering my brother to try to affect their coverage. I talk to people in the media all the time,” he said.

“But you said, ‘I never made calls to the press about my brother’s situation.’ You did make calls to the press about your brother’s situation,” Abrams pushed back.

“But I think the distinction has a meaningful difference. The concern would be not that I called you and said, ‘What you think’s going on here?’ It’s me calling you and saying, ‘Hey, tonight in your segment, I hope you remember that,'” Cuomo replied.

“That is different,” Abrams conceded.

“But that’s what I meant, and that’s what matters,” Cuomo responded.

Watch the full interview below:

Despite the shots at his former employer, Cuomo did ultimately label his former colleagues “good people,” even though they’d trashed the living hell out of him following his abrupt firing.

“They’re good people. They’re good people. I cannot blame people for acting on what they’re told. Should they have called me? Of course. But I understand the circumstances,” he said.

“Also, I understand why they may not have felt that was an option. But these are good people. They take their jobs seriously. I’m not gonna judge them for what they say about me based on what they knew and didn’t know. I wish them well.”

Cuomo’s hiring by NewsNation was also confirmed by the outlet’s parent company, the Nexstar Media Group.

“Chris joins our growing team of seasoned, award-winning journalists and will further our efforts to continue to ensure fairness and transparency in our news reporting and talk shows,” Nexstar president of networks Sean Compton said in a statement.

Vivek Saxena

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