Chris Cuomo blasts Donald Trump for downplaying coronavirus crisis: ‘That was the most asinine statement of leadership’

CNN anchor reacts to Trump calling himself a ‘cheerleader’ for the US

Chris Cuomo has blasted Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus crisis, deeming some of the president’s recent remarks “the most asinine statement of leadership I have ever heard”.

The CNN anchor made the comments on Tuesday while hosting his show Cuomo Prime Time from home, where he is quarantined after testing positive to Covid-19.

He played a clip of Trump answering a question from a reporter related to his initial downplaying of the coronavirus’s impact.

“The cases really didn’t build up for a while, but you have to understand: I’m a cheerleader for this country,” Trump said.

“I don’t want to create havoc and shock and everything else. ...I’m not going to go out and start screaming, ‘This could happen, this could happen.’”

Cuomo firmly rebutted the president’s comments, telling viewers: “That’s exactly what leadership is. Anybody can tell people what they want to hear and make it easy. And you know what you get? Exactly where we are right now.

“That was the most asinine statement of leadership I have ever heard, and I can’t even dismiss it on the president having 102°F fever like I do.”

Cuomo recently shared X-rays of his chest on air to help demonstrate the effects of coronavirus.

He has also said the illness left him shivering so hard he chipped a tooth.