Chris Cuomo says Trump tweet was 'anti-American' and 'pathetic'

CNN’s Chris Cuomo had some harsh words for President Donald Trump Monday night. Earlier in the day, the president retweeted a doctored picture of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wearing traditional Muslim clothing standing in front of an Iranian flag. Cuomo believes Trump was trying to send a clear message to his supporters.

“So in this context that must mean they’re terrorists,” Cuomo said, “because remember he [Trump] told you, Islam hates us.” Cuomo went on to say, “This president will do whatever he can to play on any kind of prejudice, any weakness, because he can’t win without it. This wasn’t just anti-Muslim, it was anti-American, again.”

Moments later, CNN Tonight host Don Lemon weighed in, and Cuomo took his criticism of the president a step further.

“The president tweets something like that,” Lemon said. “It really is sad, don’t you think?” “Yeah, I think it’s pathetic,” Cuomo replied. “But as my argument went tonight, he has to be this way, Don. He will not win if he is not this way. He has nothing else to offer. He doesn’t have anything that captures the imagination of a hopeful America. He’s not a bridge builder.”

The doctored picture of Pelosi and Schumer is just one of the tweets from the president attempting to align Democrats with the Iranian regime since their tepid response to the Trump-directed killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, so Cuomo publicly challenged Trump.

“He just knows it’s good for him, Don. The more angry for the most reasons, best for him. That’s why I made him a bet tonight,” Cuomo said. Then, speaking directly to Trump, he said, “I bet you can’t go a week without lying about a material fact, denying something that you are responsible for, or defying a norm to keep people apart.”

Cuomo Prime Time airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on CNN.

CNN Tonight With Don Lemon airs weeknights at 10 p.m. on CNN.

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