On the Wednesday edition of his eponymous NewsNation show, host Chris Cuomo took a rare swipe at his former employer, CNN and seemingly storied chief international affairs correspondent Clarissa Ward for giving attention to a dubious group of purported “scholars” who claimed Israel was carrying out a “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. Cuomo blew up the erroneous accusations by pointing to the facts on the ground and how the group weren’t actually scholars and broke their own regulations in order to reach their conclusion.
Cuomo started his opening monologue lamenting how “it's hard to be reasonable” and “much easier to be rash and that's why we see such extreme positions all the time.”
He would build off that premise by turning his attention to the so-called International Association of Genocide Scholars, which issued a resolution asserting that Israel was committing a genocide. With images of Ward up on the screen, he noted that many people had sent him video of “an old colleague of mine at CNN” who was “calling out the lack of attention to it that we all have a responsibility.”
“Now, I respect this reporter tremendously and the situation that we are all witnessing. But the lack of attention, the responsibility is really about how faulty this resolution is and calling it out,” he countered.
Cuomo proceeded to deliver body blow after body blow as he pointed to the facts that less than a third of the organization was involved in the decision, they didn’t have their usual debate, and their “scholars” were just “artists and activists” with one calling for the assassination of Israeli officials:
First, the headline, 90 percent of 500 genocide scholars say Israel is committing genocide, man. That is damning. If it's true, but it isn't. Less than a third of the membership voted. Just 28 percent. And one member told us why did so few vote, because they felt unqualified to judge. Now, you go look at the different renditions of this story and you will see how few are saying what I just told you, which is a matter of fact. Why do you think that is?
The report also does not mention that the group usually debates and then votes. Here, no debate. Why not? Isn’t that what academics do?
I may be using the wrong word too by calling them academics or scholars. Why? Because not all were experts let alone scholars, some are just artists and activists, including one doctor who said Israeli and American officials “need to be taken out” and “neutralized.”
That certainly didn’t sound like the group was made up of cool-headed academics and scholars.
The group also didn’t seem to rely on trustworthy facts. Cuomo drew attention who how they relied on “an official U.N. estimate” that “the IDF has killed more than 59,000 in Gaza.” He noted that the U.N. only cited one source for that figure, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
Cuomo also highlighted how the group took the words of former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant out of context to suggest he viewed Palestinians as a whole as “animals.” “Now, Gallant says he was referring to a Hamas, not all Palestinians. But that context isn't included. We actually found it somewhere else,” he said.
Cuomo went on to argue that “this push to call this a genocide” by the so-called scholars and CNN was “another example of the increasing extremist thinking in our politics. Everything is exaggerated for effect in our politics. And this is very dangerous.”
“Here's the reality,” he declared. “Do you remember when the Nazis allowed all those Jews to stay safe in Germany during the holocaust? Me neither, because they rounded up all they could, brutalized, massacred, burned. That’s genocide. Like Hamas did on October 7.”
Seemingly speaking directly to Ward, Cuomo dressed down her faux righteousness: “So, yeah, I’ll report about this resolution. I don't think the organization is what they say they are. I don't think the facts are what they say they are. And I don't think the conclusion deserves the regard that they want to give it.”
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
NewsNation’s Cuomo
September 3, 2025
8:01:07 p.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: Chris Cuomo here. Welcome to NewsNation where right and left come to be reasonable. A tonight, we have proof that man, it's hard to be reasonable. It is much easier to be rash and that's why we see such extreme positions all the time.
So, I start off with this first issue: the president made a new play for peace in the Middle East. Did you see what he put out? “Tell Hamas to immediately” – all caps – “give back all 20 hostages, not 2 or 5 or 7 and things will change rapidly. It will end.” Wish he was right, I also wish he had added that Hamas must surrender to end this war. They started it and constantly say they will attack again.
Now, I'm not saying ‘they started it’ like a child. I'm saying it because only then will the onus - Okay? The burden shift to Israel to stop the war. They have their people back. There is surrender. That must be peace. And there is no questioning that this has gone on too long and has been too destructive to too much and too many. It is a sickening state of affairs. I have covered it from the beginning and long before from all sides. I have been there. I have donated openly to you to the kids who are affected in Gaza.
There are no clean hands in war. But many disagree with our president and say Israel is the most to blame because they are conducting a genocide and that latest in – The latest in the story is that that claim went from an opinion to a resolution, like a matter of fact, because of what we just learned from the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
Many sent word to me of their resolution, especially a clip from an old colleague of mine at CNN, the first western reporter to show us this war-torn Gaza. Now, she's reporting this group's resolution and calling out the lack of attention to it that we all have a responsibility.
Now, I respect this reporter tremendously and the situation that we are all witnessing. But the lack of attention, the responsibility is really about how faulty this resolution is and calling it out. And I'll give you the facts and you can feel any way you want.
First, the headline, 90 percent of 500 genocide scholars say Israel is committing genocide, man. That is damning. If it's true, but it isn't. Less than a third of the membership voted. Just 28 percent. And one member told us why did so few vote, because they felt unqualified to judge. Now, you go look at the different renditions of this story and you will see how few are saying what I just told you, which is a matter of fact. Why do you think that is?
The report also does not mention that the group usually debates and then votes. Here, no debate. Why not? Isn’t that what academics do?
I may be using the wrong word too by calling them academics or scholars. Why? Because not all were experts let alone scholars, some are just artists and activists, including one doctor who said Israeli and American officials “need to be taken out” and “neutralized.”
Now, this fact sheds light on this reckless introductory statement or salvo, the way I see it, that the group made.
According to official U.N. estimates, the IDF has killed more than 59,000 in Gaza. Now, that's a number of 59,000 that you see all the time on social media. An official U.N. estimate. What does that mean? Go to the U.N. website. They list a single source for this official estimate. And you know what it is? The Gaza Ministry of Health. You know, controls that? Hamas.
The key to the finding is that Israel has the intent to kill all Gazans. What is their lead piece of proof? What do they tell you first? Israel's former defense minister, Gallant is his last name, who said Israel is fighting human animals. Now, Gallant says he was referring to a Hamas, not all Palestinians. But that context isn't included. We actually found it somewhere else.
Here's my take. I see this push to call this a genocide as another example of the increasing extremist thinking in our politics. Everything is exaggerated for effect in our politics. And this is very dangerous. And it really is just about politics.
Here's the reality. Do you remember when the Nazis allowed all those Jews to stay safe in Germany during the holocaust? Me neither, because they rounded up all they could, brutalized, massacred, burned. That’s genocide. Like Hamas did on October 7.
Right now, do you know who are living as full citizens, working, raising families, and voting in Israel? Arabs; 20 percent of Israel's population, most of Palestinian descent. Why do they let any aid in at all? Why warned of attacks? Why treat the wounded? Why not go in on the ground and take out as many as they can? If this is their intention, that's the question that you have to ask.
So, yeah, I’ll report about this resolution. I don't think the organization is what they say they are. I don't think the facts are what they say they are. And I don't think the conclusion deserves the regard that they want to give it. But you tell me.
(…)
