Watch CNN’s Chris Cuomo Call Anti-Vaccine Restaurant Owner ‘Idiot’

First and foremost, get a damn vaccine. I’m begging you. 

Secondly, in news of the inoculation variety, this week has brought us the case of a restaurant owner in California who’s hell-bent on refusing to provide service to would-be customers who are vaccinated.

Tony Roman, owner of Basilico’s Pasta e Vino, has been making headlines as of late for posting signs telling people to show proof they are unvaccinated. Roman is said to not allow diners to wear masks inside, and has also put up a billboard reading “Leave the mask, take the cannoli” in advertisement of his restaurant.

Wednesday night, Roman made an appearance on Chris Cuomo’s CNN show, resulting in—as your timeline may have already informed you—idiocy being referred to as idiocy.

“It’s an IQ test,” Roman said when detailing his recent acts of anti-vaxxery. “Like I say to people when they ask me, if they’re so blinded with their rage and with their hate. I tell them, you know what? If you still don’t understand it, maybe we should put a sign up that says you’re too stupid to come into the restaurant. I mean, it’s very simple. Just like I said, I think you figured it out. Am I right?”

Roman, however, was not right. 

“I don’t even know what you’re saying right now,” Cuomo said.

After Roman clarified that he is indeed not vaccinated, Cuomo noted that he and his family are, at which point Roman again brought up the confounding “IQ test” comparison. In Roman’s words, he’s making a “pro-freedom stand” and not an anti-vaxx one, despite specifically targeting vaccines in his messaging. Also, a “pro-freedom” stance as wide open as implied by Roman would seemingly also include the freedom to wear a mask, but I digress.

From there, Cuomo pushed Roman about his decision to refuse to help his fellow human beings get out of the pandemic faster, prompting the restaurant owner to compare COVID-19 to both the common cold and the flu while also sneaking in something about wearing “a moon suit.”

All of this led to Cuomo later calling Roman an “idiot” to his face when bringing their interview to a close.

“Tony, it doesn’t make sense,” Cuomo said just before Roman’s time on the show ended. “It really doesn’t. I gave you a chance to make the case. I wish you well, I hope your family stays safe.” When Roman criticized Cuomo as not having “much to say” during their discussion, Cuomo agreed and provided an understandable reason.

“I mean, honestly, you sound like an idiot so there’s not much to say,” the host said.

This example of idiocy being referred to as idiocy drew some inspired reactions, some of which you can scroll your way through below. 

As for where the U.S. currently stands with regards to vaccination rates, the CDC said Wednesday that just 49.3 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated.