Trump calls on CNN to fire Chris Cuomo over Michael Cohen call

President Donald Trump has called on CNN to fire anchor Chris Cuomo after leaked audio emerged of him denying apparent rumors of sexual misconduct in a secretly recorded phone call with disgraced attorney Michael Cohen. 

The secret recording of the call between Cuomo and Trump’s disgraced former attorney was released by Fox News host Tucker Carlson last night. 

Trump on Wednesday called for Cuomo, who he referred to as Fredo, to be fired. 

‘Will Fredo be fired by Fake News @CNN? He speaks with great disrespect about women, and it will only get worse,’ Trump tweeted. 

‘Fredo’s Ratings are bad, so this is the time. Always terrible to speak to sleazebags, especially when you are being recorded. CNN has no choice, Fredo must go!’

Trump has often referred to Cuomo, the younger brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as Fredo. It is a reference to The Godfather character Fredo Corleone who is considered to be weaker than his crime boss brother Michael Corleone.

Cuomo has not responded to Trump’s tweet and he hasn’t yet commented on the emergence of the tape.  

The CNN host was caught in the secret recordings, lamenting and denying apparent rampant rumors of sexual misconduct in a phone conversation with Cohen.

‘I’m always careful when I talk to media,’ Cuomo says on the recording obtained by Fox News.

‘Do you know how many f***ing phone calls I’ve gotten from ABC, who say that reporters are calling and lying about things they heard about me, to try and get stories about me when I was at ABC,’ Cuomo said, referencing his prior stint as chief law and justice correspondent at ABC News.

‘Guys calling and saying ‘I heard he was the Charlie Rose of ABC, used to invite women to his hotel room in a bath robe,” the newsman goes on. ‘Do I look like the kinda f***ing guy who’s gotta do that?’

‘Sure, why not,’ Cohen replies, which Cuomo appears to ignore.

The CNN host continues: ‘Like, ‘I already have a good source who says he forced a woman to have sex, I just want to know if you’ve heard anything like that?’ There is no woman! There is none of this!’

‘So here’s the problem,’ Cohen replies, upon which Cuomo immediately cuts him off to continue his rant.

Cuomo went on: ‘Women who do work there, saying ‘Oh yeah you known, some of these men’ and naming me with other guys, ‘you know he bumped into me once in the elevator, and he put his hand on my shoulder and he made me really uncomfortable.’ I mean what the f***?’  

‘It’s a problem,’ says Cohen, to which Cuomo blasts back: ‘I always told you, the media is not your friend.’

The recording was apparently made by Cohen, who is well known for secretly recording conversations, and admitted that he had a copy of the audio tape in question. 

In a tweet promoting his upcoming memoir, Cohen denied that he was the one to release the secret audio tape to the media, however.

‘The only people in possession of these recordings are me, [the Department of Justice and President Trump] & Trump Org,’ Cohen wrote.

‘I did not give this recording or authorization for its use to @FoxNews or anyone,’ he continued. ‘[Trump] and cronies violated my First amendment rights and now this; all to discredit me and my book. What’s next?’

Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison in December 2018 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and campaign finance violations.

He is currently serving the remainder of his sentence on house arrest due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cohen mounted a successful court battle to overturn his re-arrest when photos of him dining out in Manhattan emerged in July, in apparent violation of the terms of his house arrest.

His memoir, which will be highly critical of Trump, is due to be released on September 8.