The Chris Cuomo Project - Listener Comments: Joe Rogan, Trump “Witch Hunt,” Socialism

Episode Date: May 11, 2023

Chris Cuomo responds to a new batch of YouTube comments and listener phone calls about elections without political parties, how his broadcasting style compares to Joe Rogan’s, whether New York’s investigation into Donald Trump is a witch hunt, how the concept of socialism became a bogeyman in America, and more. If you’d like to ask Chris a question, call [phone]. Leave your name, location, phone number, email address, and your brief question, and it may be addressed in an upcoming show. Follow and subscribe to The Chris Cuomo Project on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, I'd just like to say, and I have a question for that guy. Well, then let's get after it. I'm Chris Cuomo. Thank you so much for subscribing and following the Chris Cuomo Project podcast. This is a special episode where I deal with you directly. What do you want to ask? What do you want to say? How can I help? How can you help me? Subscribe, follow. Thank you. Thank you.

Wear your independence as a free agent. Have your say. Just like on my News Nation cable TV show every night, I take your calls because this is about me helping you and you helping me. So, vamos a buscarlo in Spanish. Let's get after it. Support for the Chris Cuomo Project comes from PrizePix. I got to tell you,

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It's required. Plus, price is going to vary based on product and subscription information. You're going to need a subscription. It's required. Plus, price is going to vary based on product and subscription plan. Okay, these first comments are from your recent interview with Mike Broomhead. This is from B. Gabriela Nunez. I wished you could develop Washington's idea

and explain to us how would be the procedure through candidates would be elected without the existence of political parties. Look, here's what we know, okay? There's such resistance to anything I say that is critical of the Democratic Party because they're so invested in the idea that the Republicans are worse. Look, I think you got to go issue by issue, and I think it's a subjective judgment, but I totally get why Democrats feel that the Republican party is far more diseased by extremism and what they're protecting right now versus what their principles are supposed to be than we see in the Democratic Party as personified in the Trump phenomenon.

But I don't care about the analysis of which team is better if my point is to destroy the game. And that's what I'm saying. And I don't think it's impractical. I think continuing this binary zero-sum situation where the hope or the prayer is that Democrats always win and always lead is, that's what's impractical. That's what's unreasonable. So that's why I believe we have to get away from the parties. And the best way to do that, sure, three, four, five parties, that'd be great. I think it's hard to achieve, but you can

achieve right now by leaving the party and making a decision that you're not going to vote on the basis of party. And I think that's the best fix. Why? Washington, Madison, Hamilton, Teddy Roosevelt, Monroe, on and on and on, have said the parties are a problem. Stay away from them. Don't do it. Just be a nation. Avoid sectarianism, factionalism.

You know, we already had a party reform movement in this country. There was a huge political upheaval that led to the current party system and some of the rules that made it better than it was. But look, you just can't look at it and see it as a healthy thing. And it's not as simple as to say, well, it's always been this way.

It's also always been rejected. And there is no always. We're only a couple of hundred years old. And we're trying to figure out ways to get better. And I just don't see that the two-party system is doing that. This is from your interview with Deepak Chopra. Vivian Cinelli wants to know,

why aren't these two compassionate and intelligent men vegan? I don't just mean plant-based. I mean vegan. What's the point of that comment? I want to know if you have this compassion for the world around you, why are you eating animals? Because I'm about people. Well, you're not going to eat people, right? Aren't I? I hope not. I don't see that as inconsistent. Look, I get it. My pushback is this.

I have come across too many people who are aware and advocate for the suffrage of animals that don't extend the same compassion to animals of their own species, meaning other human beings. And I don't think the problem with the world is that I eat chickens. I think the problems in our world are about how we love and respect one another. And if we can get that straight, I think that we can extend out to what we decide to eat or not eat.

Look, I think there are a lot of sustainability issues that go with livestock and what choices we make. And I'm open to those conversations. But if I were you, I would resist the temptation to play gotcha with somebody who's a professional debater and to not kind of focus on trying to expose in your mind some petty way that you see me being inconsistent and worry about yourself. And is there consistency in your own belief system and how you practice it? This is from your interview with Scott Galloway. Aaron Kent writes, most people are taught that you only need a good job to become rich. These billionaires

are operating on a whole other playbook that many people don't even know exists. Um, I think that the point is actually the opposite, is to show that there is no playbook and that there are no secrets and there are no magic ways or secret sauce or perfect plans. And the point is to discuss ideas with people who are provocative, who've put time into it, who've made an impact, and see what it is that makes them the same and different from you or me. From that same episode, Miles Holpern writes, Chris, tone down the tough guy routine. It's not age appropriate. Many I know find you talented, but are grossed out by a quote, old, unquote, man sounding like a teenager. How old is this guy? They don't list their age, just an avatar with the letter M.

Yeah, I don't know. I'm going to be who I want to be and how I want to be. And, you know, if you don't like somebody being tough, that's about you, not them. And I'm not here to please you. I'm not here to fit your expectation

of what you want me to be. What's in that for me? You can never make people happy. You're all looking to take people down. That's the currency for too many in our culture. Not everybody, but way too many oversampled on social media. And I don't care if people think I'm talented. I am talented. I'm good at this job. I've worked at it for a really long time. I think about it and work on it in ways that I think a lot of professionals don't. And people don't hire you in this business if you don't make the money and if you don't resonate and if you don't do the job in a responsible way. of being at a very high level of this profession for over 20 years. And I don't care if people don't like my personal decision.

You have to be tough to be in this business because I have to deal with people like you on a regular basis who judge me without basis, without need, and often without any good intention. And you'll say, oh no, I'm just trying to say that other people, no, you're owning it because you don't want it to come out of your own face. And that's okay.

But I'm actually a lot tougher than you even think. But I believe that toughness isn't just harshness. Toughness isn't the fact that I could just kick your ass. Toughness is also forbearance. It's also vulnerability. It's also sensitivity. And if there's a real criticism to be had, it would be that I'm being too one-dimensional

in what I show the audience. That's something worth thinking about. This is from an episode of Cuomo on the Couch. This is from The Different Place, Different Space from Matt Carruthers. Hey, Chris, I'm glad you're doing these Cuomo on the Couch episodes. Your modesty is very inspiring. I was wondering, what would you recommend for losing about 20 pounds in the next couple of months? Do you have any particular high intensity interval

training routines that you do? I've done some, but want something different. Hope you keep up these podcasts. Take care of yourself. Eat less, move more, and you'll lose weight. If that's the goal, is literally just to see the numbers on the scale come down, take out sugar and booze out of your diet. Adopt the understanding that dessert is for children and move more. Pay attention to your steps. I don't know your particular energy or activity curve, but if you're just thinking about losing 20, eat less, move more. This is from the episode of you reacting to YouTube comments. 2020 writes, I have to be honest with you. I never used to really like you when you were on CNN. I can't actually believe I'm watching your podcast now. And I'm usually the Joe Rogan type podcast person, but I'm watching your podcast now, and I'm usually the Joe Rogan-type podcast person, but I'm actually really surprised. Great job. I mean, that is very high praise because it speaks

to a very rare commodity, which is the ability to be open-minded and to change your opinion. I mean, that is a really precious commodity these days. And it's always a little difficult for me when I hear somebody say, I didn't like you. Because even if you're on TV every day and you're talking about things, it's really hard for me to believe that I know any of the people that I see on television. I don't find myself to be very performative. I mean, Greg could speak to that better because he watches me live my actual life a lot because we're in the apartment together. But I'm really not a different person off this than I am on it. But I think that's fairly unusual and I understand why. I think there's something very risky about putting yourself out there the way I have decided to do, but it's what works for me within certain boundaries of respecting my

family and my other relationships who have not made that choice for themselves. Cha-Cha said to me the other day, my 13-year-old, that I use a TV voice when I'm on the podcast or on TV. I don't think that's true. I think I just don't curse as much. And I'm speaking to adults as opposed to like, you know,

talking shit with one of my fishing buddies or dressing down my kid or talking to her about whatever it is. Then I'm talking like a dad to a kid as opposed to adult to adult. But to the extent that she's right and I'm just explaining it away, I do try to have as little artifice as possible.

So I guess if you didn't like me, maybe you had more purchase on my personality than would be true with other TV talent. But I appreciate you having an open mind. I don't see Joe Rogan as some kind of opposite of me in any way. I mean, we're very different. We come at life from different perspectives and we come at broadcasting from very different perspectives and we have very different goals on some levels. I have found it odd that I'm told that he is, you know, he sees me that way, which I don't understand. I don't know the guy. I've never met the guy. I don't have any problem

with him, but I don't have any problem with him having a problem with me. Look, no shame in my game. I've been using AG1 for over five years. Why? It works, it's easier, and it's less expensive. That's why. Since 2010, they've been getting their formulations right and tweaking their formulas. Why? Because the science changes, okay? It's not like politics where people decide to believe one thing

and no matter what happens with the facts, they never shift. This is the opposite. Ooh, prebiotics work with probiotics, but in this way, D works with K and this type of B works with that. They have the scientists doing it. So I don't need all the bottles. I don't have to spend all the money and I don't have to figure out when to take what and why. More importantly, it's not just the regular list of vitamins. It's the extras, okay? The adaptogens, the prebiotics, the probiotics that support your body's universal needs, gut optimization, immune support, stress management. That's what foundational nutrition is about. And these are the people at AG1 who've been doing the work to get it right. Okay. I tell

friends, I tell family, I get no complaints. Okay. If you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with AG1. Try AG1. You get a free one year supply of vitamin D3K2 and five free AG1 travel packs. Okay. That's what happens with your first purchase. So make it. Go to drinkag1.com slash CCP. Drinkag1.com slash CCP. Check it out. We don't fake the funk here, and here's the real talk. Over 40 years of age, 52% of us experience some kind of ED between the ages of 40 and 70. I know it's taboo, it's embarrassing, but it shouldn't be. Thankfully, we now have HIMS, and it's changing the vibe by providing affordable access to ED treatment, and it's all online. HIMS is changing men's health care.

Why? Because it's giving you access to affordable and discreet sexual health treatments. And you do it right from your couch. HIMS provides access to clinically proven generic alternatives to Viagra or Cialis or whatever. And it's up to like 95% cheaper. And there are options as low as two bucks a dose. HIMS has hundreds of thousands of trusted subscribers. So if ED is getting you down,

it's time to pick it up. Start your free online visit today at HIMS.com slash CCP. H-I-M-S dot com slash ccp and you will get personalized ed treatment options hymns.com slash ccp prescriptions you need an online consultation with a health care provider and they will determine if appropriate restrictions apply you see the website you'll get details and important safety information you're going to need a subscription. It's required. Plus, the price is going to vary based on product and subscription plan. And now we're going to take some listener calls instead of some comments. Hey, Chris, this is Brenda from Louisiana. I'd like to know if this is actually the best

opportunity for Trump's team to be able to call people to have to testify, put them under oath, and get answers to some questions that we've all had regarding all of this witch hunt. Thanks so much. Here's my thing. Not a witch hunt. Here's why. Trump does wrong things that tiptoe up to, and depending on who you ask, over the line of legality. He did what the district attorney in Manhattan is saying he did. What were his intentions in doing it? That's going to be for the DA to prove. Do I think this is the strongest case against the former president? No. Do I think that it is worth bringing a case like this against the former president?

I have decided that really this is now a through-the-looking-glass moment. It is what you want it to be. If you support Trump, let's be honest. If you support Trump, is there anything that he could be accused of and proof given to the point of satisfaction of anyone reasonable that would change your support for him?

That's a question only you can answer, okay? I have never seen anything like the resilience of support for this man. And I think that a mistake in our analysis has been that he deserves it, or he earns it, or he warrants it. I say no to all three of those things. My problem is not with Trump supporters. I know many of you will say, what are you talking about? He's got a bunch of bigots for him. Yes, there are many in the bigot prejudice community that do resonate with what Trump says. We know this as a matter of fact, that white supremacists and other hateful types say Trump is our guy. So that's it. Quid pro demonstrato. If they say they like you, then there's your answer. But some are not all.

And there is a big group of a lot of white and, yeah, non-college educated. And I hate that demographic because it suggests a lack of sophistication or, you know, or lack of value. And I just don't buy that. I think college is a way overvalued instrument in our society. I think we are losing the trades. It's a mistake. It's a mistake for our longevity, for our success, and for our ability to succeed as individuals. I mean, there are a lot of good jobs being left on the table and businesses to be run and grown that are being left on the table by these decisions to all go to college and get loaded with debt, with degrees that put you into a shrinking marketplace. Anyway, my point is the reasons that people support the former president are often, in my opinion, very valid. And not because I am kin to racism, clearly not.

I condemn prejudice. I will attack them. I will not give an outright bigot any time on my shows unless they are being supported by a then president. And I need to expose that this is who the president wants to be a senator in Virginia is a bigot. The guy's a bigot. Here he is. Why would a president want to be? Other than that, I don't do it. So I'm with you. If you fear Trump's messaging because you think it plays to hate, I'm with you. However, I know too many people who are good people who feel their only choice is Trump.

Why? Because they hate the system. They believe it works against them. They believe it's operated by a cultural elite that is motivated for its own success at their expense. system. They believe it works against them. They believe it's operated by a cultural elite that is motivated for its own success at their expense, and that rules are changing our society and our way of life that don't make sense, that haven't been debated, that don't seem to be a fruit of anything other than pressure and social media pressure and media pressure. And that does seem

to be dominated by one side of the equation, which is the far left side of the equation. I get why they think that. I don't always agree with their judgments. I just lament and I feel bad about the fact that they don't have a better choice as an agent for their animus, for their upset, for their disaffection than Trump. But that's why they adhere to him the way they do. It's not that he deserves it. It's not that he's even earned it. It's that they are desperate for an agent for their own cause. And you can say, I don't care. That's fine. That's your choice. I'm just telling you I understand where they're coming from. But it's not a witch hunt. Now, is there motivation to get rid of Trump?

Yeah, but I think that people can have really nonpartisan reasons for that. He says more things that are abusive of truth and decency than any major politician I've ever seen in my life. He is like a guy that we're used to seeing in a third world country. His lack of sophistication, his lack of facility with the language, his perverse notion of justice and fairness. He wants everybody investigated. He wants everybody prosecuted, but he does things that are clearly beyond the pale of any kind of political fair practice. And he shouldn't be invested. I think he asks for what he gets. I don't think it's a witch hunt. Do I think politics are involved? Yes. And that's why I don't like, and I keep saying, and I keep getting attacked by people for saying that I'm now negating congressional oversight. No, you want to talk about how to make social media

safer for our kids, and it obviously needs more regulation, and the platform gods obviously have more control over their platforms than they're suggesting, because Greg and I will have our conversations cherry-picked for different types of ads and solicitations and different cookies that none of us are going to read the preferences for,

and they make all the print too small and you can't see the X, you know, and all these different little things, they could do better. That's oversight. Going after your political opponents is not. You want to remove somebody from the House or the Senate, fine. You have your own internal procedures for that. And there are few and far in between. But we've gone way past that. And the, I'll tell you what, you want to go after Trump? Fine, we're going after Biden's laptop. We're going after Hunter. Because Hunter Biden's laptop is going to make your kid's life better, right?

It's going to make the job market different, right? It's going to help with the interest rates of the economy, right? Come on. It's a distraction. Just like going after Trump all the time was a distraction. And you can say that nobody's above the law. First of all, that is a very naive understanding of prosecutorial discretion. They make judgments, okay? And often the judgments are bad. Not all the time. I think our system does

a really good job until you compare it to perfection. And then it's woeful. But you compare it to France or Italy or Germany, and I think that you'll start seeing a different notion of respect for how we're doing things here. And remember, we are one of one, my brothers and sisters. Nobody has a democratic republic like we do. Nobody is trying it with the blessings and the burdens that we have of the disparity of wealth, of the diversity of type, which means that we don't have a lot of homogeneity and sameness when it comes to culture and connection. This is an experiment for a reason. It's a struggle.

And I think that's okay as long as you just don't play into your deficits all the time, which is what I'm afraid we're doing right now. Trump is not in a position where he wants to have a chance to put people up under oath like he cares about being under oath to tell the truth. He's not about the truth. He's about advantage. Hi, Chris.

My name is Tyson, better known in the YouTube comments as Diva Geneva. My question is about the concept of socialism and how the wordplay is used in politics. I'm fairly new to learning about politics, which is why I listen to your podcast. I like the way you break things down and show the perspective on both the left and the right. And I'm trying to hear out the right viewpoint. I just don't get their perspective on why they consider socialism a bad thing. I served in the military for over 10 years, and I feel like that socialism is in the construct of everything within the military. Like example, when you're in the military, everybody pays into the GI Bill.

And so we all get to use it. Likewise, everyone pays into the Thrift Savings Plan, which is a retirement plan. And we all take advantage of that. The whole concept of socialism in the military is what allows somebody like me as a minority to be paid the same amount of money as the other person who's a different race down the hallway. Obviously, if they're married or if they're on hazardous duty pay, they get paid more money. But my point is that the playing field is leveled. And I think Republicans throw that word socialism around as a way to create this negative idea in order to keep capitalism alive and keep the playing field uneven. That's just one of the

reasons I have such a hard time hearing out what they have to say. So can you please like break this down for me and make me understand what I'm missing here? Anyway, thank you for taking this call. Good luck with the podcast and have a great day. I love you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for being a free Asian

and an independent thinker and a critical thinker and wanting to know why it is that things seem off to you. That is, you are the solution. So thank you. Wow. You're absolutely right. Here's what matters. Socialism is a bad word in america why because the commies were socialists and the red menace is communism communism is socialism what is it it's where there is no private ownership

of the mechanisms of the economy and And is that an inherently evil thing? No, but it's inherently in contradiction to capitalism, which is about private ownership, right? But is it a boogeyman? Oh, absolutely. Why? Because look at social security. Look at our welfare laws and corporate welfare specifically

and how the tax code is engineered to pick winners and losers. It is a boogeyman. It is used to defy and to spread fear and distrust. Absolutely. And it is abused as a concept. Can you be capitalist and socialist at the same time? Well, yeah, we are.

Because I just said it. What do you think entitlements are? Oh yeah, but you pay in. Yeah, but everybody does. That's the point. In the military, right? You're not given any ownership over anything. Everything is government done and then you get it, but there is a collective payment in and then a reciprocity for it. So it is a boogeyman. Your analysis is a hundred percent right. They just use it as a boogeyman. Your analysis is 100% right. They just use it as a boogeyman. It's like, you know, socialism in a way is a slur, right? And that's the way they use it without explaining that it's not just that simple because complicated doesn't sell in politics. Nuance doesn't sell. Good and bad, or now, bad maybe, but worse.

That's what politics is about. So I'm better than you because you're a socialist. I can throw a label on you. I call you a bigot. And that works, and that's why they do it. I guarantee you they don't want to get rid of Social Security. Not if they want to get elected. I guarantee you they don't want to get rid of corporate and bankruptcy laws. Isn't that us supporting businesses? Oh yeah, but they produce jobs. No, no, no. Now you're rationalizing. But is that pure capitalism? Is that laissez-faire,

the French expression of letting things play out as they should? No, it's picking winners and losers and giving support to them because it supports a social policy. So your analysis is 100% right. They're just using it as a term. And you'll see that all the time once you see it once in politics, where people are using labels and using tropes and cliches just to create

division and advantage. And that is the problem with a binary system. When it's just you versus me, it's not let the best person win. It's let's see who's worse because I can get a 30 on the test. I just need you to get a 29 and I'm first in the class. You see what I'm saying? And that's what we're allowing our politics to be. The antidote is what you're doing. Critical thinking.

Let me feel that out. I'll make my own decisions. I'm not going to believe this just because I'm supposed to be on this team. Again, save that for football, not for politics. It matters too much. Good morning, Mr. Chris Cuomo. My name is George, and I want to talk to you personally. And tell me your address, and I will come to you to talk personally with you, because my phone number is forgettable. This is one from a flip-flop phone because i think is hacked by big guys thank you and have a wonderful day my name is george i see you as soon as possible have a wonderful day now i know your address can i give it to him

why did you pick this particular caller? Because I want to have a variety of different calls in this program. This man just wants your address. He wants to come by your place and talk to you. No. Why? Don't give him my address. So he gives you the address.

And now give him your address. No, I don't want George to have my address. I don't want you to come by and see me. Here's why. Because what if you have bad intentions? I have kids and I can't just keep having to let people say and do whatever they want to me because I'm in the media. And it just becomes irrational to me. No, don't come see me. Ask the question and I'll help you. You don't need to see me. I'm not an oracle.

I'm not a guru. There is no benefit to direct contact with me. I know what I know. I know what I don't know. I know what I struggle with. I know what I see in the events around us. I've been doing this for 25 years. I've been all over the world.

I've spoken to leaders across generations. So I'm hoping I have something to add, if only in the acknowledgement of my ignorance and of the preponderance of the unknown and things not being simple. I really think we need that right now. I've always felt that some of the best advice that I've gotten from the people who care about me or I look up to has been, slow down. It's not that simple. You're not seeing the whole

picture. You're getting duped. You're getting played. You're getting falsely persuaded by interests or by influences. We need that in America big time right now. And I often need it in my own life. And I'm sure you do in yours. So let's help each other. But let's do it remotely. A little bit of salt, a little bit of sugar, a very nice mix that I'm sure Greg worked very hard on. Thank you very much for taking the time to comment and call. And it doesn't always have to be nice. It's about disagreement with decency and people are going to have better ideas and they're going to have different ideas and they're going to have questions and they're going to have answers. And I'm here for all of it. I am here for the conversation. Why? Because I believe in it. I

believe in the marketplace of ideas and I think it's how we get better. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for following. Thank you for following. Thank you for spreading the word. Don't forget News Nation, 8 and 11 o'clock, Eastern, PM, five nights a week. And I will get back to you about whether we're going to start something new for just people who want to subscribe to something where you get deeper into how we struggle, how we can cope, what works, and what doesn't.