President Donald Trump called CNN’s Chris Cuomo an “out of control animal” on Tuesday for the anchor’s reaction to being called “Fredo” from The Godfather films.
Cuomo exploded on a Trump supporter after the man called him “Fredo,” the black sheep of the Corleone family, in a video shared on Twitter late Monday. The CNN anchor threatened to push the man down the stairs in an expletive-laced tirade.
A man in NY yesterday approached CNN’s Chris Cuomo and called him “Fredo”
Cuomo: “You’re going to have a problem”
Man: “What are you going to do about it?”
Cuomo: “I’ll fuckin ruin your shit. I’ll fucking throw you down these stairs”
Credit: “THAT’S THE POINT with Brandon” pic.twitter.com/4iWwzaSQpF
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 13, 2019
The president initially responded to the incident on Twitter, asserting that Cuomo “totally lost it” and that the “truth hurts.” He reacted more thoroughly during a press gaggle in Morristown, New Jersey.
“I think that what Chris Cuomo did was horrible… he looked like a total out of control animal,” Trump said, according to the White House print pool. “I don’t know who is defending him… maybe they didn’t see it.”
“I would not have wanted to see a weapon in his hand,” he added, referencing an earlier tweet about Red Flag laws. “I guess his fist is not a weapon or he would have done something, you know he talks about it but he didn’t do anything.”
Trump on Fredo/Cuomo: “I think Chris Cuomo was so out of control that I would not have wanted to see a weapon in his hand … I guess his fist is not a weapon or he would have done something, you know he talks about it but he didn’t do anything.”
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) August 13, 2019
Would Chris Cuomo be given a Red Flag for his recent rant? Filthy language and a total loss of control. He shouldn’t be allowed to have any weapon. He’s nuts!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2019
Cuomo apologized for the incident, writing, “This happens all the time these days,” before acknowledging that he should “be better” in such scenarios. (RELATED: Chris Cuomo Apologizes After ‘Fredo’ Video Goes Viral)