RUSH: This is hilarious. This turns out to be one of the biggest inside jokes in the country. The Drive-By Media still doesn’t know, they still don’t know the origins of Chris Cuomo being affectionately called Fredo. They still don’t know, folks. Yet they claim I’m responsible for the El Paso shooter and I’m responsible for all of the lack of gun control. I’m the guy that’s gonna prevent Washington from doing it.
And they do not know that the reason a guy approached Fredo Cuomo at some bar in New York last night and said, “Hey, Fredo, can I have a picture,” is because they don’t listen to this program. Yet they have assigned all of this evil to me. If they had listened to this program, if just one of the Drive-Bys ever listened to this program, all of this would have been understood the moment that it happened last night.
Anyway, folks, just our own little private joke here, and it has blown up, and, man, is it delightful. And now we got Fredo running around claiming that it’s a racial slur. Everything to these people on the left is racist. Hey, you know, people have forgotten. Remember when the Covington kids were confronted by the elderly Indian banging on the drum?
You remember what Fredo said on CNN? Fredo said the kid should have walked away. Fredo said the kid should have not stood there in the Indian guy’s face and provoked the incident. He should have walked away. Did Fredo walk away last night? Fredo did not. And you know this is totally innocent? The guy that walked up to Fredo and asked him for a photo really thought his name was Fredo. The guy listens to this program! (laughing)
Here’s the tweet! “My source that sent this in says that he was just asking for a photo, thought his name was Fredo for being an avid listener of Rush Limbaugh.” The guy really thought his name was Fredo Cuomo! (laughing) And Fredo blew up and ended up calling me a punk ass b-i-itch. Not by name. He said, “Yeah, right-wing punk-ass b-i-itches call me this.” Then he started calling it a racial slur.
All I ever did was call him Fredo and now he’s out there calling me a punk-ass b-i-itch and worse. And the Drive-Bys are scrambling to try to find out, “What is this?” Now “Fredo” has become a racial slur. I call him Fredo for a reason! (laughing) I don’t believe this. Let me find the right sound bite. Grab sound bite number 5.
Look, I’m not even gonna set this up other than to tell you it was March 21st, 2016, when Fredo was doing the morning show on CNN with Alisyn Camerota, and she said, Fredo — (laughing) — I don’t believe this — Fredo, “we can’t help but notice your culturally appropriate garb that you’re wearing. Tell us the history of your shirt, will you?” And here’s Fredo’s answer.
CUOMO: My guayabera? This shirt belonged to my father. It was given to him by Fidel Castro. It marked conversations going on decades ago that were the same as those today. The concern was the freedom of the people. What is the point of this communist regime if it is not to truly make everyone equal, not at the lowest level —
RUSH: Stop the tape! That’s when I started calling him Fredo. We went back and looked. My first documented reference to Chris Cuomo as Fredo was May 19th, 2017. This clip is March 21st, 2016, where he says… here, play it again. Cue it from the top, and I’m not gonna stop it this time. What is it these communists don’t understand? (laughing) Oh, my God. Folks. I don’t know if I can…
CUOMO: My guayabera? This shirt belonged to my father. It was given to him by Fidel Castro. It marked conversations going on decades ago that were the same as those today. The concern was the freedom of the people. What is the point of this communist regime if it is not to truly make everyone equal, not at the lowest level, not by demoralizing everyone, but lifting everyone up. My father, generations of politicians have been fighting this. So I wear this shirt as a reminder of that.
RUSH: The guy doesn’t even know what communism is so we have to excuse him for thinking that Fredo is a racial slur. But go to the Urban Dictionary. You can find the definition for Fredo in the Urban Dictionary. It basically means “dumb brother.” And it comes from The Godfather.
(laughing) I mean, there’s no racial connotation! (laughing) Yeah, here! Here! Here’s the origin of it in three, two, one. It’s sound bite 4.
BEGIN CLIP FROM THE GODFATHER
FREDO CORLEONE: “Send Fredo off to do this! Send Fredo off to do that! Let Fredo take care of some Mickey Mouse nightclub somewhere. Send Fredo to pick somebody up at the airport!” I’m your older brother, Mike, and I was stepped over.
MICHAEL CORLEONE: That’s the way Pop wanted it.
FREDO CORLEONE: It ain’t the way I wanted it! I can handle things. I’m smart. Not like everybody says — like dumb. I’m smart and I want respect!
END CLIP FROM THE GODFATHER
RUSH: (laughing) “I’m smart, not dumb like everybody says! I’m smart! I want respect!” (laughing) So for two years… (laughing) For two years, nobody in the Drive-Bys knew this, and now this poor guy who’s a listener to this program sees Fredo at the bar in New York last night and says, “Hey, Fredo, could I have a picture?” and Fredo erupts! But the guy is a listener and he thought… (laughing) He thought Fredo’s name was Fredo. (laughing) Ah, my friends, we are genuinely trailblazers here. I mean, there was a reason!
When I heard what he thinks communism is and why Cuba is failing… It’s supposed to lift everybody up and supposed to promote equality and freedom? These people, folks… You know, the lack of understanding and the lack of education and the genuine ignorance that so many people in the Drive-By Media have, it’s stunning. It is breathtaking to behold. So you come up with an appropriate little nickname and (laughing) some guy… Here. Grab sound bite number 2, because if you missed it… I don’t know how you could have, but if you missed it, this is what happened. This is this guy who’s a listener to the EIB Network.
He runs into Fredo on Shelter Island in New York. Fredo’s on vacation this week. He’s out there with his family. By the way, a lot of people on our side are taking Fredo’s side in this and Fredo… I think part of the reason is ’cause they know I gave him the nickname and they don’t want any part of it. They’re out saying (impression), “This is unfortunate! I think Fredo was exactly right to respond this way,” because, you know, so many conservatives have been attacked while doing nothing more than eating is a restaurant. They’ve been heckled and forced to leave.”
Do you think Fredo was critical of that? Fredo probably supported the harassment of conservatives like Sarah Huckabee Sanders and others. There wasn’t any condemnation of that when these Looney Tune leftists start harassing Mitch McConnell at his home or Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a restaurant or Betsy DeVos. The same thing happened to her! The mob descends on her, they have to leave the restaurant, and the restaurant owner says, “Good! Get out. We don’t want you here,” and all over the Drive-By Media they’re applauding this.
So now the same thing happens to Fredo, and Fredo reacts — not politely and not with dignity. He doesn’t walk away. He confronts the guy, calls him a bunch of names and me a name, and people on our side start praising Fredo. This is why we can never make any headway, and I know people are saying, “We’re trying to show that we are dignified, and we are a cut above, and we are going to condemn this kind of behavior no matter when it happens.” Here is Fredo Cuomo threatening the guy who called him Fredo…
MAN #1: (background noise) I thought… I thought that’s who you were.
FREDO: No! Punk ass bitches from the right call me “Fredo.” My name is Chris Cuomo. I’m an anchor on CNN.
MAN #1: Oh, you’re much —
FREDO: Fredo is from The Godfather. He was that weak brother!
MAN #1: Isn’t that your brother though?
FREDO: And they use it as an Italian aspersion. Any of you Italian?
MAN #1: I’m a little bit, I guess.
FREDO: Are you Italian?
MAN #1: I got a little bit, yeah.
FREDO: It’s a f(bleep)ing insult to your people!
MAN #2: (pause)
FREDO: It’s an insult to your f(bleep)ing people!
MAN #2: (from off camera) I didn’t know that.
FREDO: It’s an insult to your f(bleep)ing people. It’s like the N-word for us!
MAN #1: Wow.
FREDO: So is that a cool f(bleep)ing thing?
MAN #1: You are a much more reasonable guy in person than you seem to be on television.
FREDO: Yeah, well, if you want to play, then we’ll f(bleep)ing play! You got something you want to say about what I do on television, then say it. But you don’t have to call me a f(bleep)ing insult!
MAN #1: Hey, man…
FREDO: What? What? What?
MAN #1: Hey, listen I don’t want any problems, bro.
FREDO: Yeah? You’re gonna have a big f(bleep)ing problem!
MAN #1: What’s the problem?
FREDO: It’s a little different on TV.
MAN #1. What’s the problem?
FREDO: Don’t f(bleep)ing insult me like that!
MAN #1: I didn’t insult you.
FREDO: You call me Fredo! It’s like I call you “punk bitch.” You like that?
MAN #1: No, I —
FREDO: You want that to be your nickname?
MAN #1: I didn’t call you that. I — I —
FREDO: You called me Fredo! You know my name is not f(bleep)ing Fredo!
MAN #1: I thought your name was!
FREDO: You did not think my name was f(bleep)ing Fredo! Don’t be a liar!
MAN #1: I thought your name was Fredo.
FREDO: You want to be a liar, then stand up like a man!
MAN #1: I’m standing up, man.
FREDO: You want to be a man? I’m here!
MAN #1: Yeah, I’m standing up.
FREDO: Then f(bleep)ing own it! Then own what you said!
MAN #1: Hey, listen, man —
FREDO: (shoves citizen)
MAN #1: Hey!
FREDO: Then own what you said!
MAN #1: Listen, man. I don’t have a problem with you, man.
FREDO: Well, you are gonna have a f(bleep)in’ problem.
MAN #1: What? What are you gonna do about it?
FREDO: I’ll f(bleep)ing ruin your s(bleep)!
MAN #1: Let’s do something then.
FREDO: I’ll f(bleep)ing throw you down these stairs like a f(bleep)in’ punk!
MAN #1: Please do.
FREDO: Why, so you can —
MAN #3: You don’t wanna do that.
FREDO: — f(bleep)ing sue?
MAN #3: You don’t wanna do that.
FREDO: So you can f(bleep)in’ sue?
MAN #1: Well, why don’t you do it then?
FREDO: Go ahead! Take a swing at me! You want to call me Fredo? Take a f(bleep)ing swing!
MAN #1: I’m not gonna swing at you.
FREDO: Take a f(bleep)ing swing!
MAN #2: Watch your f(bleep)ing hands!
MAN #1: I’m not gonna swing.
(crosstalk)
FREDO: Take a swing!
Man #3: Watch your f(bleep)ing hands!
MAN #1: (crosstalk) I’m not impressed.
FREDO: Take a swing. No, no. Come on, boy! Come on, boy! You want to call me s(bleep), call me s(bleeped) then!
MAN #1: Hey, listen, man —
FREDO: I’m right f(bleep)ing here!
MAN #1: I’m not doing anything.
FREDO: I’ll f(bleep)ing wreck your s(bleep)!
MAN #3: Just stop!
FREDO: I’ll f(bleep)ing wreck your s(bleep)!
MAN #3: Chris, stop!
FREDO: You didn’t know what you were doing when you called me Fredo?
MAN #1: I thought it was your name!
RUSH: All that happened was a guy walked up to him and said, “Hey, Fredo, can I get a picture with you?” That’s all that happened, and Fredo lost it — and Fredo sounded like Fredo. He sounded like Fredo! He sounded like Michael. He sounded like a bunch of them rolled into one here. Now, these people, folk,s they all think they’re Walter Cronkite. (Fredo impression) “I’m an anchor! I’m an anchor at CNN!” Yeah, that nobody watches. “I’m an anchor at CNN. My name is Chris Cuomo! I’m gonna throw your ass down the stairs,” whatever else he was threatening to do there.
But, you know, it’s a fascinating case study. These people can dish it out. They can talk about Donald Trump all day long. They can spread lies. They can slander and libel people left and right. They can spread false conspiracy theories and hoaxes, and they can try to pass them off as real. They can try to overturn the results of an election! They can join a silent coup. They can join in the attempted destruction of anybody who is on the right simply because they don’t agree with them. But, man, they cannot take a single little bit.
This guy wasn’t even confrontational. This guy wasn’t even pushing back. This poor guy really thought his name was Fredo because he listens to this program. Do you notice that Fredo lost it immediately? He didn’t say, “What did you say?” I mean, the minute this guy said, “Fredo,” here came the Mount Vesuvius eruption. And it went on. That was a minute-and-a-half tirade. Meanwhile… (interruption) This has been pent up for a while. I’m sure it’s been very frustrating for Fredo for a while.
Meanwhile, I’m scouring the Drive-By Media last night (laughing) and nobody knows why! Nobody can figure out why. (laughing) It’s one of the most incredible things. I couldn’t wait to get here today! If this guy wanted to, he could maybe take action against Fredo for committing assault. People had to hold Fredo back from attacking the guy — and Fredo’s kids are there! Fredo’s wife and kids are standing right there with Fredo’s the guy using the filthy language.
Fredo’s the guy acting threatening and all of this while claiming to be Walter Cronkite. As I say, folks: They can dish it out; they can’t take it. They can call us racist all day long. They call us sexists and bigots and homophobes. They can see to it we’re kicked out of restaurants, frog-marched and what have you. They can’t take a silly little nickname. I guess because it hits too close to home, maybe.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: We got time squeeze this in. Grab sound bite number 3. They did get this in New York. The Drive-Bys had no clue, but local New York news radio understood what was going on. Here’s a little clip of that.
LEE HARRIS: Listeners to conservative talk radio know that Rush Limbaugh and other hosts like to refer to Governor Cuomo’s brother Chris as “Fredo,” a reference to the weaker and dumber Corleone brother in The Godfather. Chris Cuomo, who works at CNN, is quite familiar with this meme and he doesn’t appreciate it, as 1010 WINS newsman Glen Schuck reports live.
SCHUCK: He certainly does not. The younger brother of the gov, Lee, captured on two minutes of video in this face-to-face with a man who called him “Fredo,” the CNN host calling it an Italian slur comparable to a black man being called the N-word. The insults coming as Cuomo was with his wife and young daughter.
(BEGIN CLIP)
FREDO: Don’t f(bleep)ing insult me like that!
MAN #1: I didn’t insult you.
FREDO: You call me Fredo! It’s like I call you “punk bitch.” You like that?
MAN #1: No, I —
FREDO: You want that to be your nickname?
MAN #1: I didn’t call you that. I — I —
FREDO: You called me Fredo! You know my name is not f(bleep)ing Fredo!
MAN #1: I thought your name was!
FREDO: You did not think my name was f(bleep)ing Fredo! Don’t be a liar!
(END CLIP)
SCHUCK: Later in the video Cuomo threatens to toss the guy down a flight of stairs. Now, among those retweeting, the president, where he says: “I assume CNN is not available for comment.” But the network is commenting in a statement saying they support Cuomo for defending himself from an ethnic slur that was clearly orchestrated.
RUSH: Did you hear what else Trump said? Trump said: “It’s a good thing he didn’t have a gun.” His little kid, right, Fredo’s little kid is right there, and Fredo loses it and starts — look, the tweet is this. “My source that sent this in –” meaning the video of Fredo losing it “– said that he was just asking for a photo, thought his name was Fredo from being an avid listener of Rush Limbaugh EIB.”
Fredo didn’t believe the guy, didn’t know who he was. He didn’t believe that the guy really thought his name was Fredo. But I’ll bet he did. Fredo should have just posed for the picture and walked away. “Hey, you need a ride home? I know a tollbooth we can stop at,” you know, something like that, but, no, no, no, no, no, had to come stand up there and defend the honor.
Let me tell you how absurd this is. “Fredo is an ethnic slur, it’s like calling an African-American the N-word.” It isn’t. How many Fredos are there out there? It has a specific meaning. You can look it up in the Urban Dictionary. There’s not a racial connotation to it at all.
Everything is racist, everything’s sexist, everything’s bigoted, everything’s homophobic, exactly right, everything’s racist. That’s why it’s losing its impact. That’s why they’ve had to go to white supremacy now. And where they gonna go after that?
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: We got Fred in Cleveland. Fred, great to have you with us. You’re up first today. Welcome to the Rush Limbaugh program and the EIB Network.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. After hearing that opening, I couldn’t resist. I’m Italian. I have some friends that call me Fredo. I take it as a term of endearment. I don’t fly off the handle. And I think the insecurities on Cuomo’s end of things are reprehensible, and the way he treated that poor guy is over the top. The guy didn’t spit on him like people have spit on Eric Trump. I mean, this is total madness. And any conservative that sticks up for Cuomo and says, “Oh, I’m on his side,” this is crazy! How could they be? This guy was harmless —
RUSH: Well, because they’re trying to rise above. You know, what happens is like you said, Eric Trump gets spat upon, Sarah Huckabee Sanders gets run out of a restaurant, Betsy DeVos gets heckled out of a restaurant, violent people show up on Mitch McConnell’s front lawn. We condemn it.
CALLER: Right. Don’t you think it was a little crazy for Fredo to absolutely lose his mind like that? The guy didn’t even —
RUSH: I think it’s typical! This is who the left is out there, Fred! Fredo’s not unique. This is who they all are! They can dish it out all day long. They can insult people. They can endanger people. They can spread lies. They can try to tell you that Donald Trump is a Russian agent and is a traitor. They can do all of that, knowing full well there’s nothing behind what they’re saying. They can do that all day long and let there be one tiny little example of the same thing happening to them, they can’t take it.
And the reason — it’s not insecurity, although I think Fredo is, but I think what it is is arrogance! He thinks he’s Walter Cronkite! Don Lemon thinks he’s Walter Cronkite. These people think they are the glue holding this country together because they are journalists. You heard, it’s the first thing he said, “I’m Chris Cuomo, I’m an anchor at CNN.” As though that’s supposed to stop everybody dead in their tracks, and we’re supposed to bow down like he’s Mohammed bin Salman, supposed to bow down to the crown prince.
“Oh, you’re CNN, you’re an anchor. Oh, my. I’m sorry! I’m sorry. Please forgive me!” Bow down, beg for forgiveness, “Don’t send me to jail, please! I love you. I respect you.” I think it’s arrogance. They take themselves, I cannot tell you, Fred, how seriously they take themselves. If I took myself one-tenth as seriously as these people do, I would have driven all of you away by this time. They take themselves so seriously. And every damn one of them at CNN.
And it’s not just CNN. They all take themselves so seriously that you are not permitted to treat them casually. You are a fan. You’re not supposed to approach them. You’re supposed to marvel at them from a distance. It’s okay to point at them and say, “Look! There’s Fredo!” But you are not supposed to approach them. You are beneath them, Fred.
If you see Fredo at baggage claim you’re supposed to watch and admire. You’re not supposed to go and approach him as though you are on the same plane, because you’re not. You’re just a schlub. Now, I don’t think it’s insecurities. Although, I mean, look, in this case there may be some of that. But in addition to that, it’s something else.
I can’t express any more fervently than I have how seriously these people take themselves. It’s not normal, folks. It just isn’t normal anybody that takes themselves this seriously. And these people, nobody watches them anyway, other than the captive audiences they have in airports. Anyway, Fred, I appreciate the call.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Meghan McCain. You know who Meghan McCain is? She had a tweet about Fredo’s tirade. You know what I find fascinating is how people will take an event and find a way to make it about themselves. But nevertheless, Meghan McCain has a point here.
“However you feel about Cuomo’s behavior today, there’s not one woman in all of media who could be filmed in public on an obscenity filled tirade and be supported by their network and public the way Fredo is right now. Men get to be tough and swear. Women are said to be unhinged.”
And yet the governor of Virginia, Ralph Nader, gets to go out there in blackface and kill babies after they done been born, and he’s still governor, he’s still governor! And poor Sarah Silverman is gone! She done been thrown off by Hollywood.
Yeah, Meghan McCain may have a point. (interruption) What’d you say about Fredo that’s no big deal? The Fredo rant is no big deal? Oh, right! The guy calling Fredo is no big deal. The guy thought his name was Fredo. The guy was not provoking him! The guy wanted a photo with Fredo. To this poor guy, Fredo was a star, he’s a TV guy.
Anyway, let’s get back to the phones here. I promised we’d do that. This is — ha-ha. What is this? We have somebody named de Blasio from Star, Idaho? Great to have you on the EIB Network. Hello.
CALLER: Hey, Rush.
RUSH: Hey.
CALLER: I’ve listened to you cage-free since 1987.
RUSH: Great to have you in the audience. So that must mean that you are not having your inquisitiveness impaired.
CALLER: No. I do want to say something. I want to make a statement for you.
RUSH: Okay. Go ahead.
CALLER: I want to say as a proud Italian-American whose last name was culturally appropriated by the mayor of New York City, speaking for my people, I say today we are all Fredo, to show our solidarity with you, Rush.
RUSH: Thank you. (laughing) Wait a minute. Are people dumping on me out there? I’m not aware of it. I don’t keep track of this.
CALLER: I’m sure somebody is somewhere. And I’m here to defend you.
RUSH: (laughing) Yes, indeed. I’m sure somebody is somewhere. The only reason I asked is Meghan’s tweet says here “– and be supported by their network and public the way Fredo –” Is Fredo being supported by the public here? I don’t spend any time on Twitter. I think it’s an overall sewer, as I have previously stated. So I have to rely on external input.
Michael in Jacksonville, Florida. Great to have you. You’re next. Hello, sir.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. It’s great to talk to you.
RUSH: Thank you.
CALLER: I just wanted to remind you in case you weren’t thinking about it, but a couple of years ago Fredo actually made another accusation about an N-word used against him. It was when he had interviewed Richard Blumenthal and Trump responded to the tweet saying that Cuomo didn’t ask him about his service in Vietnam and called it fake news. And Fredo responded by saying that anyone saying fake news to journalists is the equivalent of the N-word.
RUSH: Yeah, we have that bite. And he said it more than once. We have one from February 9th, 2017. He was not on CNN. He was being interviewed by somebody on satellite radio. And the question came up about something, and this is what Fredo said about Trump calling CNN fake news.
CUOMO: The only thing that’s bothersome about it is that I see being called fake news as the equivalent of the N-word for journalists, the equivalent of calling an Italian any of the ugly words that people have for that ethnicity. That’s what fake news is to a journalist.
RUSH: Do you think this guy has the N-word on the brain? I think Fredo actually is quite common among journalists. I think he is a great microcosm of your average journalist mind. They don’t think. They all end up getting talking points. So the N-word is bad. So anything that is said that is insulting is the equivalent of the N-word. Fredo is like calling Italians the N-word. Fake news is like calling journalists the N-word.
There’s no thought to this. Fredo is just repeating something that makes sense to him. And it is his effort to promote the idea that there’s nothing but racism and bigotry on the right. He cannot disagree with us substantively. He cannot debate us on the issues. He’s clueless! So he has to resort to everything we say is the equivalent of the N-word or racism. Because that’s how you shut down opponents if you’re a leftist. That’s all he knows how to try to do.
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