Dan Abrams Hits Back at Chris Cuomo’s Critics: ‘What a Fake, Utopian World’ They Live In — ‘Of Course He Was Going To Advise His Brother!’

Mediaite founder Dan Abrams defended Chris Cuomo on The Dan Abrams Show Thursday, saying that it was entirely expected that the CNN host would support and advise his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY).

The Cuomo brothers were in the news after a Washington Post report that Chris Cuomo had been a part of multiple conference calls with the New York governor regarding how to respond to his various scandals, regarding sexual harassment and misconduct accusations, plus reports that the state government had deliberately undercounted Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes.

Chris Cuomo also reportedly urged his brother to take a “defiant position” and refuse to resign.

“What a fake, utopian world” Cuomo’s critics live in, said Abrams. “This is his brother! Of course he was going to advise his brother!”

Abrams noted how Chris Cuomo had done the right thing by saying that he would not report on Gov. Cuomo’s scandals, due to the conflict of interest, but that it was unrealistic to expect him not to talk to his own brother.

“I would have been more surprised if the news had been ‘Chris Cuomo refused to engage in any conversations with his brother about his political troubles.’ That would have been surprising to me. Really? Chris refused to talk to his brother about this?”

He criticized the “pearl clutching” many “capital J” journalists were engaging in over this.

CNN released a statement in response to the Post report, saying that “it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governor’s staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward.”

“What a phony scandal this is,” Abrams said, reacting to the fuss about the Cuomo brothers (gasp!) speaking to each other on the phone. In Abrams’ view, the interviews that Chris Cuomo conducted with Gov. Cuomo early in the pandemic were a fair topic for debate but also not as controversial as some thought they were, as “there was nothing was hidden about it — there was no lack of transparency about their relationship.”

Abrams made clear that he was not defending Andrew Cuomo, but rather just his brother’s right to offer advice. Regarding Chris Cuomo’s announcement that he would not be reporting on his brother’s scandals, Abrams said that he assumed that he would be advising Gov. Cuomo. “That’s what I would do.”

Abrams compared it to a parade of conservative hosts advising President Donald Trump and other Republicans, saying “the difference to me is about transparency.”

“We know Chris Cuomo and Andrew Cuomo are brothers,” Abrams continued. “And therefore I don’t know why anyone is surprised, or shocked, or horrified, or upset that Chris is advising his brother. If Chris had still covered the story, that would be a different story.”

Abrams mocked the calls for CNN to fire Chris Cuomo. “I know that I’m going to get vilified for taking this position,” he acknowledged. “I get it. I accept the fact that this is a classic media gotcha story.” But, he added, “I am annoyed at the faux-outrage associated with this.”

“The key is transparency. The key is disclosure. The key is making sure that the audience has the information to make their own decisions.”

In a later clip, Abrams acknowledged that he considers Chris Cuomo a friend, and that doesn’t stop him from covering news about him, because he is transparent about their friendship.

Listen to the above clips, via SiriusXM.