CNN’s Cuomo pulls out massive cotton swab to tease brother after live COVID-19 test

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo pulled out a massive cotton swab to tease his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), on his news program this week after the governor received a COVID-19 test on live television.

A snippet of the test aired Wednesday as the governor appeared on his brother’s show.

“There’s you, you were kind of funny, and they were testing you,” Chris Cuomo says as footage showed a medical professional stick a cotton swab in the governor’s nose as part of a COVID-19 test. 

Which swab was it @NYGovCuomo ? pic.twitter.com/ivMUQtHw4g

— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) May 21, 2020

“Now, a few questions about this process. First of all, is it true that when you were having the test administered, you inhaled and the doctor’s finger went all the way up your nose and got stuck and had to be released with a tool?” the anchor asked his brother jokingly.

“Is that true?” he continues to ask as the governor laughs and his face reddens.

“No,” Andrew Cuomo responds, “she wanted to comment that I have a little button nose and she was afraid that the swab would actually hurt because it extended my nasal cavity … she was speaking about the delicacy my nose.”

“You know what, I understand,” Chris Cuomo then says as he goes on to pull out a normal-sized medical swab, “This is the normal swab I’m holding up here, now, as for everybody at home. A very valuable object. There’s only one company in the entire country that makes these up in Maine.” 

Chris Cuomo then pulled out a swab that was roughly twice the size of his head. 

“Is it true that this was the swab the nurse was actually used on you and that it first, it went into your nose and disappeared so that, in scale, this was the actual swab that was being used to fit up that double-barrel shotgun that you have mounted on the front of your pretty face.”

By that point, the anchor had pulled out another swab at least several feet long.

“See, I said I was going to be nice and sweet and cooperative,” Andrew Cuomo begins to say after fighting back a laugh. 

“Was it this or was it this” Chris Cuomo asks his brother, holding up both larger-than-life swabs. “Which was it?”

“You know, first, I thought I did so well on that nasal test standing up there,” Andrew Cuomo eventually says, referring to his televised COVID-19 test earlier this month, “she did the swab. I did not flinch. I was a cool dude in a loose mood.”

“Of course you were,” Chris Cuomo shouts back. “That swab is like a piece of lint going in that thing in your face. How could it have collected anything?”

The segment from the Cuomo brothers, who ribbed each during another interview on CNN back in March, drew some laughs online.

However, the episode also drew a decent amount of criticism, given how hard parts of New York have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent months.     

Awww. @NYGovCuomo is auditioning for a new comedy show with @ChrisCuomo on @CNN. Of course the Gov didn’t address the thousands of deaths from COVID-19 in nursing homes in New York. (Roughly 20 percent of all deaths in our state). Enjoy the giant swab! https://t.co/U5Yl487oUm

— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) May 21, 2020

I’m not sure I’m going to ever be able to buy a crib or baby clothes for my first child in a store, Most of my friends are jobless, petrified and dealing w depression & @JaniceDean lost both her mother and father in law to covid within a week of each other. This is HILARIOUS guys https://t.co/f0A5XcQauk

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) May 21, 2020

Instead of asking his brother, @NYGovCuomo why he decided to pack COVID patients into nursing homes, killing untold amounts of people, @ChrisCuomo pulled out oversized, prop cotton swabs to mock how big his brother’s nose was. This is the state of “journalism” on @CNN. Pathetic! pic.twitter.com/undeQMyVeN

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 21, 2020

We’re in an economic depression where Trump and McConnell rob the treasury for their donors and Pelosi and Schumer drive the getaway car.@cnn’s priority—all the nepotism you can handle https://t.co/t4MagZUWGN

— Jordan (@JordanChariton) May 21, 2020

With Andrew Cuomo deserving a major part of the blame for New York’s disaster, continually allowing his little brother @ChrisCuomo to repeatedly “interview” him is a journalistic disgrace for CNN.

It was cute the first time but now it’s pathetic and shameful: https://t.co/pzC6nXy9Xs

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 21, 2020

Joe Concha contributed.