Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has launched a fierce critique against comedian Dave Chappelle, accusing him of spreading antisemitism through a joke made about Israel during a recent stand-up performance.
The Joke That Sparked the Controversy
The incident centres on a stand-up set Chappelle performed in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, which was filmed for a Netflix special. During his routine, the 52-year-old comic discussed free speech in the US and joked about creating a passphrase to signal to fans if he was ever "co-opted" by an external force.
"It's got to be something I would never say in practice, so if I actually say it, you'll know never to listen to anything else I say after that," Chappelle stated. He then proposed the phrase: "I stand with Israel."
Cuomo's Blistering On-Air Response
Reacting on his NewsNation show the following Wednesday, Cuomo, 55, dissected the joke with clear disapproval. He questioned the implication that supporting Israel was an unthinkable act.
"'In case I get co-opted by them,'... 'This anonymous evil, of who's making everything worse,' right?" Cuomo paraphrased. "'You could never say, "I stand with Israel," because you’d never believe that? Because you’d never see any value in supporting the existence and survival of a state and a people that is surrounded by people that want their destruction and act on that on a regular, if not cyclical, basis?'"
Cuomo directly challenged Chappelle's previous defence of his comedy targeting transgender people. "I don’t think it’s funny, and as someone who begged us to believe he does not wish ill to trans or other people that he jokes at or targets, he should be more aware of spreading anti-Semitism, especially now," the host asserted.
Religion, Politics, and Past Controversies
Cuomo then brought Chappelle's faith into the discussion, noting the comedian converted to Islam nearly two decades ago. He called this fact "relevant," urging viewers to distinguish between being Muslim and being an "extreme Islamist."
"I cannot judge from Dave Chappelle’s behavior how devout a Muslim he is. I mean, he’s walking around smoking and drinking," Cuomo said. "But his understanding of the faith clearly affects his politics." Cuomo concluded by saying he was "truly disappointed" in the comedian.
The controversy arrives against a backdrop of scrutiny for both figures. Chappelle has faced sustained criticism since 2021 for jokes about transgender people and drew attention for performing in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, a country with a notorious human rights record.
In that same Netflix special, Chappelle referenced the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, allegedly approved by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, before comparing it to journalist deaths in Gaza.
Cuomo, meanwhile, was fired by CNN in December 2021 for improperly aiding his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, during a sexual harassment scandal. His brother recently lost a bid to become New York City's mayor to Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor-elect, who has been critical of Israel's actions in Gaza.
