Chris Cuomo Claims GOP Rep ‘Bailed Out’ of Appearing On Air Because He Didn’t Want to Be Asked Who Won the Election

CNN primetime host Chris Cuomo called out South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson at the top of his Monday night show, claiming the GOP Congressman abruptly bailed out after initially agreeing to appear to talk Covid relief negotiations, when he learned that Cuomo would also ask him the simple question of who won the 2020 election.

Cuomo’s claim about Johnson comes just days after the Washington Post reported that it had contacted all 249 Republicans in Congress to ask if they would acknowledge the reality that President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election — and just over two dozen of them acknowledged that fact. Johnson, notably, was not among them.

“What is behind the hold up on relief? We already know the main problem, right? The GOP is just a bunch of Retrumplicansm” Cuomo said. “They are waiting on the will of one man, including, sadly, Dusty Johnson of South Dakota.”

“I gave him a full invitation tonight. Come on with his Democrat brother. They’re working together trying to get things to a better place,” Cuomo added about their efforts to pass another coronavirus aid package. “Just the mention that I would have to address the fact that Joe Biden won the election and when is his party going to stop resisting that, and he bailed out. What does that tell you? What does that tell you? That he’d rather not come on and make the case for bringing relief in a bipartisan way to people who are starving. I’d rather not do that than speak against Trump. You are not speaking against Trump, Dusty. You would be telling the truth.”

“I’m not going to let you hide,” Cuomo said, shaking his head, his frustration rising. “I let people sometimes decide not to come on this show. I’ll get ’em another time. I believe it serves some greater good. I don’t want to cause more trouble than it’s worth. Not this time. He is not your boss! He did not put you in office! Do your job! Do your job! Trump has made it clear he’s not going to do his own job.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.