When Chris Cuomo was still with CNN and purportedly had COVID, he would call Dr. Anthony Fauci nightly and they’re still buds to this day. So, it was no surprise that Cuomo would take up a ridiculous position to defend his friend from accountability for his harmful lies and deceit of the American people. According to the NewsNation host on his eponymous Wednesday night show, Republicans who were trying to hold Fauci to account were actually trying to shift blame from China to America for creating COVID-19.
After tacitly admitting that Fauci likely was in contempt of Congress for inappropriately pleading the Fifth Amendment to literally every question including the innocuous ones, Cuomo suggested that if Republicans were serious about getting answers to their questions, they should offer his good friend “immunity” instead:
Is finding him in contempt of Congress. Is that going to make Fauci speak? I doubt it. And we all know was answers anyway. If they really think Tony Fauci can answer some of the vexing real questions about the pandemic, why don't they give him immunity? My suggestion is they're not even talking about that because this is about finding a fall guy as much as anything else.
Cuomo used to be one the loudest voices on CNN at the time denouncing the Wuhan lab leak theory and even scoffed at the idea that it came from China at all, arguing, “it could have come from anywhere.”
Chris Cuomo suggests that Republican animus toward Fauci and focus on his NIH funding gain-of-function research is about saying "America cause the [COVID] pandemic" and not China.
He says Republicans should be giving Fauci immunity and not holding him in contempt:
"Is finding… pic.twitter.com/QC6Zh4JA5v— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 30, 2026
Since his buddy was on the line, Cuomo was now for the lab leak theory and insisted that Fauci was being made the “fall guy” by Republicans, who he suggested were trying to blame America for the COVID since his National Institute of Health was funneling money to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“Otherwise, why insist that America funded the virus?” he declared. “This is not about the definition of gain of function. That's about whether or not America caused the pandemic. Have you ever seen proof that what America funded could have even possibly lead to COVID-19. They certainly didn't point to any today.”
The NewsNation host then tried to pivot to suggesting Republicans were using Fauci to deflect and distract from more important and substantive finger pointing:
Seems to me there is as much or more cause to point to China. Why didn't they cooperate? I won't they cooperate now. Why did they shut things down? Why did they remove things? Why don't any lawmakers target them if this is about truth and whether it came from the lab, which, of course, seems likely now?
Fredo, it’s probably because the American Senate had no authority to demand anything from a foreign government.
Cuomo suggests to Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) that anyone trying to hold Fauci accountable for his NIH funding China's gain-of-function research with coronaviruses is actually claiming "America created COVID-19" and not China:
CUOMO: Here's what I don't get Senator. It didn't… pic.twitter.com/oI09rnofmi— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 30, 2026
Following the opening monologue, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) joined Cuomo, who then questioned what evidence existed to show the funding Fauci was funneling to WIV went to anything to do with research into COVID (Click “expand”):
Here's what I don't get Senator. It didn't discourage the President from calling it the China virus, right? And he made plenty of suggestions. And the right was fine with that. What I don't get is why have regret about whether or not it came from the lab when you don't know what that even means.
Who made it in the lab? Do you have any reason to believe that anything that America funded on Fauci's watch or otherwise couldn't even possibly lead to it? Have you ever heard anybody ask any questions in any of these hearings about what China was doing?
Seemly thinking he found a good gothcha line of attack, Cuomo questioned why Trump was calling it the “China Virus” and not the “‘America virus' or the 'Fauci virus.’”
“So obviously, their curiosity was, are we shielding China? But now it's apparently to me unless I missed it today, they seem to think that America created COVID-19,” he said, twisting the premise of the theory and the hearing.
Cuomo proclaims "it makes no sense to me" to hold Fauci accountable for anything dealing with COVID. He even argues that Fauci's is "guilty of hubris" but it's no big deal because he was in a room full of senators where were guilty of the same:
"If you're about accountability, I… pic.twitter.com/ljrGStPyA5— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 30, 2026
An absolutely ridiculous premise by Fredo.
The hearing with Fauci was about getting him on the record about how he was making certain harmful recommendations and claims publicly while holding contradictory positions in private, as shown in his diary. Additionally, it was about how he was lying about his NIH funneling money to the WIV where they were known to be working with COVID.
Holding Fauci to account for his parts doesn’t wash China’s hands of being the origin point of the pandemic. And since there likely wouldn’t be any accountability from or against China, there needed to accountability somewhere along the chain.
But what else did we expect from Cuomo, the man to faked leaving his basement quarantine when he was already caught running around long island.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
NewsNation’s CUOMO
July 29, 2025
8:04:45 p.m. Eastern(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: Is finding him in contempt of Congress. Is that going to make Fauci speak? I doubt it. And we all know was answers anyway. If they really think Tony Fauci can answer some of the vexing real questions about the pandemic, why don't they give him immunity?
My suggestion is they're not even talking about that because this is about finding a fall guy as much as anything else.
And I ask 'no' for forgiveness for being suspicious of the idea that only Tony Fauci has something to answer for. Otherwise, why insist that America funded the virus?
This is not about the definition of gain of function. That's about whether or not America caused the pandemic. Have you ever seen proof that what America funded could have even possibly lead to COVID-19. They certainly didn't point to any today.
Seems to me there is as much or more cause to point to China. Why didn't they cooperate? I won't they cooperate now. Why did they shut things down? Why did they remove things? Why don't any lawmakers target them if this is about truth and whether it came from the lab, which, of course, seems likely now.
Why isn't the President, who elevated Fauci answering questions? Why did he substitute Fauci for himself and keep him there as the main communicator with the country long after people started to complain. Why give Tony Fauci, one of the highest civilian accommodations that our government has to offer for his vaccine work, if you think it's poison?
If they believe messaging about the virus was intentionally misleading. Why is it only on Fauci when so many were giving Fau- were giving the messenger? Wasn't what Fauci said coordinated by the White House is that in the diary?
(…)
8:10:58 p.m. Eastern
CUOMO: Here's what I don't get Senator. It didn't discourage the President from calling it the China virus, right? And he made plenty of suggestions. And the right was fine with that. What I don't get is why have regret about whether or not it came from the lab when you don't know what that even means.
WHO made it in the lab? Do you have any reason to believe that anything that America funded on Fauci's watch or otherwise couldn't even possibly lead to it? Have you ever heard anybody ask any questions in any of these hearings about what China was doing?
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): What I'm saying that it's like where could have came from for the first year throughout 2020 in into 2021.
CUOMO: Right
FETTERMAN: That was a full, you know, far-right kinds of conspiracy thing. And that was roundly denounced or described as -
CUOMO: Right. But their point was, John, it was China because he was calling it the 'China virus.' He wasn't calling it the 'America virus' or the 'Fauci virus.' So obviously, their curiosity was, are we shielding China? But now it's apparently to me unless I missed it today, they seem to think that America created COVID-19. Do you not get that suggestion?
FETTERMAN: What I'm saying to you is is that that people's squared up and it became partisan. And now it that really stopped us from finding the truth in all of it. Now how it came from. You know, we were just trying to blame the other side or whatever.
(…)
8:14:59 p.m. Eastern
CUOMO: If you're about accountability, I don't know how it begins and ends with Tony Fauci. It makes no sense to me. And look, is he guilty of hubris? Who isn't especially in that room. Senator, you know, the idea that Tony Fauci is distinctive in a room full of senators about people who are, you know, smelling their own scent a little too much.
(…)
