Donald Trump allegedly once tried to prank-call former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s younger brother from the White House.
The claim the pair tried to punk former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo while Trump was US president is made in the upcoming memoir ‘What’s Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics and Crisis’ by ex-governor Cuomo’s former top aide Melissa DeRosa.
She says in the book about an alleged White House meeting when Trump, 77, suggested to Cuomo, 65, they trick his famous 53-year-old brother.
Melissa, 38, writes Trump asked: “What’s Chris’ number?” while picking up the phone in the Oval Office before having a meal.
She adds in her book, out Tuesday (24.10.23), that Trump added: “Your brother. What’s his number? It would be hilarious if we prank-called him right now.”
Cuomo’s phone had apparently been taken by security, and the book says he repeatedly dodged Trump’s request by saying he thought Chris was “busy right now” – but that he’d pass along a message.
Trump allegedly carried on: “Oh, come on, it would be so funny!”
Finally, the former president is said to have given up on his plan by saying: “OK, fine. But, it would have been fun.”
Melissa said: “The whole thing felt like I was having an out-of-body experience.”
Then-governor Cuomo was apparently in Washington, DC, at the time to ask for infrastructure funding after the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Washington Post reported in 2020 Cuomo said he met with Trump days after they had a huge row on Twitter and national TV.
Chris was later ousted from CNN for allegedly helping his brother navigate his own political scandal.
During the early days of the Covid pandemic, the pair made headlines by cracking jokes at each other and arguing about which brother was their mother’s favourite.
In 2021, Chris was fired from his long-time CNN after reports that he advised the then-governor on how to dodge sexual misconduct accusations, which Andrew denied, with Chris also denying any wrongdoing.
