It is rare when a cable news host comes right out and says “I’m not objective.” And on CNN on Wednesday night, host Chris Cuomo seemed to acknowledge the many ethical dilemmas arising from his repeated interviews with his big brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, as he appeared to offer a final, praiseworthy send-off to his elder sibling.

After yet another intra-family interview, in which the younger Cuomo offered some blunt questions about the state’s nursing home deaths scandal — but offered little aggressive follow-up to the older Cuomo’s dismissals — the CNN host nodded at the “unusual” circumstances of journalist questioning his own politician brother. More than just “unusual,” however, the arrangement, which has not been above stooping to jokey, amateur-hour prop comedy, has been highly criticized for eroding journalistic integrity and “picking ratings over ethics.”

“We’ve never really done it, but this was an unusual time,” Cuomo said, by way of a subtle excuse on Wednesday. “And they were unusual needs. You stepped up in an unusual way that really was created by a vacuum of power on the federal level.”

“But these unusual times have demonstrated some unusual characteristics in people,” Cuomo went on, before hinting that the end of this segment would also double as a kind of permanent valedictory. “And of course I won’t always be able to keep having you on the show. It will never be seen as fair in people’s eyes, and we both get that, that’s okay, you have plenty of people to talk to.”

The CNN host then launched into what amounted a lengthy and fairly close approximation of a campaign endorsement for his brother.

“I hope you are able to appreciate what you did in your state and what it means for the rest of the country now and what it will always mean to those who love and care about you the most,” Cuomo said to the governor. “I’m wowed by what you did, and more importantly, I’m wowed by how you did it. This was very hard. I know it’s not over. But obviously I love you as a brother, obviously I’ll never be objective, obviously I think you’re the best politician in the country. But I hope you feel good about what you did for your people because I know they appreciate it. Nothing’s perfect, you’ll have your critics. But I’ve never seen anything like what you did and that’s why I’m so happy to have had you on the show. And I hope you know that.”

The governor then agreed with his brother’s rosy assessment of his coronavirus response, adding: “I’m comfortable with what I did. I think the facts bear it out. I think the numbers bear it out. I think we saved tens of thousands of lives..”

“I love you very much. I appreciate you being on. I’ll see you soon,” the CNN host said, wrapping up.

“Thank you, brother, same.”

“Unusual times, right?” Cuomo reiterated to his audience, before one last moment of praise. “He’s my big brother, I love him. Of course I’m not objective, but let’s call it straight. Look at the state. Look at the numbers. Look at New Jersey. Look at Connecticut. Look how they came together. Yeah, he’s my brother. There’s no question, I can cry about it in a second. But the results are there for all to see. Was it perfect? No. You tell me what is. But look at the state our country is in.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.

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