NewsNation host Chris Cuomo sparked controversy this week after accusing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other far-left progressives of harboring more contempt for the United States than affection for it. Speaking on his podcast, The Chris Cuomo Project, the former CNN anchor said Democrats like AOC rarely express appreciation for the country they seek to govern.
Cuomo made the remarks during a conversation with progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen. Reflecting on his father’s immigrant background, Cuomo argued that earlier generations of Democrats fully embraced America even when the system worked against them — and that today’s far-left lawmakers do not reflect that same patriotism.
“My father was not considered a white guy. He was considered an ethnic… and he hated it,” Cuomo said. “He hated the people who got to decide that, and who kept opportunities from him. So he was a real one, okay? But he loved the country.”
Cuomo said that love for America is missing from voices like Ocasio-Cortez. “I have a hard time believing they love the country,” he said. “I think they hate more about it than they love about it. And that may be unfair. But if it is, it’s because of how they’ve made their own case about themselves.”
When Cohen tried to push back by criticizing “jingoism” and overly superficial patriotism, Cuomo refused to budge. Instead, he pointed to how Democrats have allowed the political symbolism of the American flag to drift entirely to the Republican side.
“Why are people surprised when they see an American flag on my truck, or in front of my house?” Cuomo asked. “Why were the Democrats okay with that becoming a party symbol for the GOP?”
Cuomo said genuine patriotism includes criticism and dissent — but it must also include acknowledgment of America’s strengths, something he says the modern left rarely offers.
“You are absolutely right… dissent and criticism of your government is one of the strongest forms of patriotism,” Cuomo said. “However, what do you balance it with? When’s the last time you heard Democrats say something good about this country?”
Cuomo suggested that the “sweet spot” is loving America enough to want to improve it — not tearing it down. But he argued that voices like AOC seldom express that balance.
“A real one who hates certain things that were done to them… and is fighting to change it because they believe so much in what this country can be — that’s the sweet spot,” he said. “I can’t think of the last time I heard AOC say something good about the country.”
Cuomo’s remarks touch on a long-running frustration among conservatives — and increasingly among moderates — that Democrats refuse to defend American values, traditions, or achievements, leaving the GOP alone to champion patriotism.
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