CNN’s Brian Stelter Pilloried for Carrying Chris Cuomo’s Water on The Late Show: ‘Not a Good Look’

Talking heads on Twitter were unimpressed by Brian Stelter’s performance on The Late Show — mocking him for defending CNN and Chris Cuomo’s handling of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) amid multiple scandals.

Stephen Colbert seriously lucked out when it came to this week’s guest list, as he already had Stelter booked for Tuesday night, not knowing that Gov. Cuomo would resign that very day.

Stelter had already been under fire for his coverage of the Cuomo brothers and CNN’s handling of the scandals, as the host of their highest-rated show reportedly advised his brother — a high profile Democratic politician — amid New York Attorney General Letitia James’s investigation and report.  

“Are people mad at him?” Colbert asked Stelter about how CNN employees now view Chris Cuomo. “Is he in trouble?”

Stelter claimed that while “some people are mad at him,” others understood that family issues can be complicated.

The exchange eventually prompted Colbert to hit at Chris Cuomo’s lack of “boundaries” when it comes to his reporting — which Stelter defended, calling the situation “complicated” and claiming that Chris Cuomo does know when to draw the line.

Pundits were quick to hit at Stelter’s defense of CNN:

Reporting accurately on the media, and thusly, sometimes your own colleagues, is actually the gig. It requires some balls, if that’s what you’re asking. https://t.co/NBOmzCrCIB

— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) August 11, 2021

Brian Stelter is such a tongue-wagging company man, but so bad at it that — despite his efforts to sacrifice every last shred of dignity and personal integrity he has to defend his corporate employer — he somehow makes them look even worse. May be the creepy delivery: not sure. https://t.co/rPnojnUPB5

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 11, 2021

There is quite literally an entire page for this in the journalistic policy document at VICE. https://t.co/KThhvFitE4

— Tim Marchman (@timmarchman) August 11, 2021

brian stelter’s defense of his cnn colleague chris cuomo is really damaging his credibility as a media reporter https://t.co/72NQux3wto

— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) August 11, 2021

Stelter could’ve declined to do the Colbert interview. Always an option. He could have decided that, as a media reporter, critiquing his colleagues and bosses in good faith, is actually a vital aspect of his job. Instead, he’s a publicist disguised as a journalist. https://t.co/3Cn8j8nTZE

— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) August 11, 2021

Brian Stelter does exactly what he’s paid to do. He just thinks everyone else is too stupid to notice. https://t.co/Ca0xpaYJNt

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) August 11, 2021

He brags openly about how he covers CNN impartially when this is objectively not even close to true

— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) August 11, 2021

This is not a good look for Stelter. https://t.co/LwmI8u3Dyr

— Kate Woodsome (@kwoodsome) August 11, 2021

Genuinely trying to imagine a scenario where Ron DeSantis’ brother is a major Fox host who does chummy interviews with DeSantis and he’s advising DeSantis through scandal and @brianstelter has nothing to say. https://t.co/61OvdfZUAZ

— Ross Barkan (@RossBarkan) August 11, 2021

It’s heartbreaking to see @brianstelter shill for Chris Cuomo.

— Jack Shafer (@jackshafer) August 11, 2021