These brothers might need a timeout. During his May 5 appearance on Cuomo Prime Time, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 62, was playfully put through the ringer by his brother, journalist Chris Cuomo, 49, who poked fun at his older brother’s newfound celebrity. “There has been a shift in your ambitions and in your sense of yourself because of all these new friends you seem to have,” Chris said to his brother, who recently appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show on April 30. “Some say I shouldn’t come on this show because you harass me,” the governor fired back at his brother. From there, it almost appeared like the two were getting into a real argument, but the exchange was all in good fun.
“Too much fierce accountability?” Chris teased his brother. “Can’t take it? Want a pat on the back?” the CNN journalist continued. “It’s ad hominem, ad hominem attacks” the governor noted, meaning Chris was simply making attacks on his brother without meaning a word of it. “To do Ellen’s [DeGeneres] show was a pleasure for me. I’m a big fan of Ellen,” the governor continued. “Yes, she said nice things about me,” he noted, before Chris interjected, saying, “yes she did!” But the governor was ready to throw another punch back. “Nothing about me has changed,” he went on. “I haven’t been in the basement. I haven’t had my wife shear my hair out of resentment,” Governor Cuomo retorted, taking a hit at his brother who remained in his basement while battling coronavirus.
Chris was diagnosed with coronavirus at the end of March and spent most of his time in self-isolation in the basement of his family’s home. It wasn’t soon after that Chris’s wife, Cristina Greeven Cuomo, tested positive for the virus, as well. Fortunately, it appears that, having followed the necessary precautions, Chris is back to work and playfully goading his brother, who has been at the forefront of New York state’s battle against the virus. Still, viewers of the interview found a lot of fun, light-hearted moments between the brothers despite the difficult time the country is facing. Fans commented on the clip with phrases like, “call their mother,” “just give us a youtube show already,” and even saying that the two “are the best sibling duo on TV.”
Governor Cuomo has been one of the most visible figures amidst the ongoing global COVID-19 outbreak. The New York Governor hosts daily briefings, giving citizens of his state updates on the progress and challenges healthcare workers and diagnosed patients are facing each day. Over the last few days, Governor Cuomo has been in staunch support of New Yorkers wearing protective face masks and continuing to practice social-distancing in order to flatten the curve of confirmed cases. As of May 5, New York state alone has confirmed over 313,000 positive cases of the virus, and over 24,000 people have lost their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.