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Chris Cuomo tells Texas ex-mayor to be 'better leader', Internet asks if he meant it for 'his brother' Andrew

Tim Boyd deleted the controversial post and received massive backlash. The target was diverted to Chris when he decided to share his wisdom

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been facing heavy criticism over the Covid-19-related deaths in nursing homes for a while, and now his journalist brother, Chris Cuomo, got roasted online for tweeting advice to the former mayor of Colorado City in Texas. The ex-mayor mocked the local residents who have been struggling with the inclement weather conditions and the power outage that have currently engulfed the state.

Tim Boyd uploaded a post on Facebook which told the residents that he owed them “nothing” as winter storms left millions in the Lone Star State without electricity amid dipping temperatures. “No one owes you [or] your family anything,” Boyd wrote, adding, “I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn handout!" He also said “only the strong will survive and the weak will [perish.]”

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Boyd later deleted the post but not before facing a massive backlash. The post was widely circulated on social media and Boyd eventually resigned. In another Facebook message, he apologized saying: “I would never want to hurt the elderly or anyone that is in true need of help to be left to fend for themselves. I was only making the statement that those folks that are too lazy to get up and fend for themselves but are capable should not be dealt a handout. I apologize for the wording and some of the phrases that were used!”

Cuomo, an anchor at CNN, responded to a CBS News report announcing the resignation of Boyd by tweeting: “Resign or apologize and learn and become a better leader?” and soon, he faced an avalanche of reactions in the form of both anger and hilarity with his elder brother being dragged into the scene. 

The elder Cuomo, 63, has been facing strong calls to step down and even be prosecuted for allegedly covering up the data over deaths in nursing homes because of Covid-19. Recently, Melissa DeRosa, a senior aide to the governor, admitted that the NY administration feared that revealing the actual number of deaths could see it coming under the lens of the justice department which launched a probe into the coronavirus nursing-home policies in four states, including New York. In January, New York Attorney General Letitia James found that 13,000 nursing patients died of the deadly virus, which is an increase of almost 50 percent in the official figure presented by the Cuomo administration. 

Problems have multiplied for Cuomo’s administration as the US attorney in Brooklyn and the FBI have started a preliminary investigation into the way the data about the deaths in nursing homes have been handled. Governor Cuomo, who was earlier praised for her leadership in dealing with the pandemic that has wreaked havoc in New York, has also been accused by a fellow Democratic lawmaker from the state of threatening to destroy him for speaking up on the issue. 

The younger Cuomo, 50, faced a backlash with many asking him why he didn’t tweet something similar for his own brother. 

'Was this meant for your brother?'

“Was this meant for your brother?” one user asked, while another joked: “Can I introduce you to the governor of New York?” A third said: “You don't need to subtweet your own brother.” Another said the mayor of Colorado City did the right thing by resigning and asked why Governor Cuomo did not do the same.

Buzz Patterson, a Republican politician who ran for a congressional seat from California last November but lost, mocked Chris tweeting: “Should we tell him?”

Chris also found sympathy from some users who felt it was wrong to target him for the accusations against his brother. “Why are people harassing Chris about his brother? They’re brothers, as a journalist, he can’t comment on it impartially, and he isn’t responsible for his brothers actions,” said one.
 
On Wednesday, February 17, CNN claimed that it has reinstated a “rule” that stops Chris from “interviewing or covering his brother” after the former ignored the nursing home death issue as the federal probe started. Last year, Chris interviewed his politician brother time and again about the pandemic and even engaged in banter that did not go down well with many people. Initially, the Cuomos’ shows brought in good ratings but soon, they plummeted.