We regret to inform you that we have officially reached the point in the pandemic where anti-vaxxers are trying to reward people who refuse to get vaccinated against the virus.
A California restaurateur has made national news for putting in place a policy that requires restaurant patrons to show proof of not having been vaccinated in order to dine in the establishment.
If that sentence makes you want to smash everything in your house in a blind rage, you're not alone.
During an interview with the business owner on his CNN show, host Chris Cuomo unloaded on the gentleman, calling him "an idiot" on live television.
Watch the clip below.
The restaurateur, Tony Roman, is owner of Basilico's Pasta e Vino in Huntington Beach, California in the state's Orange County, which has become something of a hotbed of anti-vaxxers, QAnon devotees and other deeply misinformed rabble rousers during the pandemic.
Roman told Cuomo he has put the no-vaccinations-allowed policy in place because he feels vaccinations are a sign of low intelligence.
As he put it to Cuomo:
"It's an IQ test. Like I say to people when they ask me, if they're so blinded with their rage and their hate, I tell them, you know what, if you don't understand it, maybe we should put up a sign that says you're too stupid to come into the restaurant."
Cuomo, who could barely contain his exasperation, asked Roman point-blank if he was vaccinated.
Roman responded by asking Cuomo if he would answer the same question. Cuomo immediately replied both he and his family are fully vaccinated.
Roman then launched into an inscrutable diatribe about Cuomo failing his test.
"You're failing the IQ test. What you're not getting, which I expected... is this is not an anti-vaccine stand, it's a pro-freedom stand. That's what you're not getting."
That word salad—which went on for another four minutes—left Cuomo bewildered and with only one conclusion to draw about Roman.
"I mean honestly you sound like an idiot."
On Twitter, people applauded Cuomo and dunked on Roman.
Damn he sounds so stupid 😂. Cuomo be going in fr lmao. https://t.co/hDCUdEODcB— Øsᴄᴀʀ (@Øsᴄᴀʀ) 1627598787.0
Proof CNN is NOT fake news. https://t.co/cZyvndHxys— Machine Pun Kelly (@Machine Pun Kelly) 1627597309.0
my mom and i BEEN knew there was something about chris cuomo.. https://t.co/cgVZFh9PK3— Delany (@Delany) 1627593144.0
That restaurant owner looks a lot like a "legitimate business man" if you know what I mean That exchange with Chr… https://t.co/i6mFK3HQKu— Mostly Rowdy Introvert (@Mostly Rowdy Introvert) 1627644684.0
that chris cuomo interview with that restaurant owner omgosh 🥴💀— Rich Mendez (@Rich Mendez) 1627602116.0
The Chris Cuomo interview with Huntington Beach, CA restaurant owner Tony Roman was next level WTF. It was almost… https://t.co/bJ2N3SZZHc— AC Junior 😷 (@AC Junior 😷) 1627524129.0
@keithboykin Would someone please explain to me how one goes about proving that they aren’t vaccinated? 🤔— Bree 🇺🇸🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@Bree 🇺🇸🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️) 1627576834.0
Watching this Chris Cuomo/Tony Roman interview on @CuomoPrimeTime right now and https://t.co/5KqYWjk5yB— Joanie (@Joanie) 1627523034.0
Chris Cuomo was not prepared for the stupidity that comes out of Huntington Beach. https://t.co/5NwaF2KWGO— Alisha Grauso (@Alisha Grauso) 1627529422.0
Chris Cuomo interviews Dick Tracy villain cosplayer https://t.co/UrjXpNR0nI— Scott Weinberg (@Scott Weinberg) 1627548873.0
Like most places, Orange County California is experiencing a sharp spike in Covid cases as the Delta variant of the virus continues to spread throughout the country.
Freedom displays like Roman's don't do anything to curb that tide.