On Thursday's CNN Tonight, during a discussion of reports that Russia has tried to use social media to stoke up political divisions in the U.S. -- with host Don Lemon citing a poll to call out President Donald Trump for being "divisive" -- the CNN host went into a rant after right-leaning CNN political commentator Ben Ferguson accused Lemon of also being divisive by repeatedly "pounding" President Trump on his show.
Lemon denied having a "point of view" as he complained:
You have a certain point of view and a certain perspective that you would like to get across. I don't have that -- I'm just asking questions. I'm reading poll -- I'm reading information and facts about the President. Because those facts are not favorable does not mean that I don't like the President, so that's -- you're way out of line with that...
After Ferguson, referring to Trump, asked, "How many times have you given him credit for doing something?" the CNN host further ranted:
It is not my job to give him credit -- that's not what I do. I simply give the facts, and the facts are without favor -- fear or favor. And if they don't line up, if he doesn't like them, if you don't like it, that is too bad. But those are the facts. The facts are the facts, so I'm sorry, that's how it is.
Below are transcripts or relevant portions of the Thursday, September 28, CNN Tonight:
11:18 p.m. ET
DON LEMON (after showing a poll finding most Americans believe the President is being "divisive"): What the reporting shows is that what the Russians are trying to sow dissent and discord. That's exactly what the President is doing. He's doing exactly what the people who are trying to influence the country are doing.
BEN FERGUSON: But, Don, there's a lot of people that would look at what you're doing right now and say that you're doing the exact same thing.
LEMON: By reading a poll?
FERGUSON: No, I'm saying you love to have this grand debate, and some people would say that what you're doing right now every night when you pound the President and you demand that he talk a certain way to be acceptable for you is dividing the country because you're pounding this every day --
LEMON: I'm not demanding that anybody ... I think what we're doing is --
FERGUSON: But you hit really hard on him every day.
LEMON: We're reporting on him, and he's not acting like -- he's not acting presidential. What's wrong with reporting on that? What's wrong with reading a poll that is true? I'm speaking truth to power. He doesn't like that. You don't like it. You don't like the reality of the situation, and you say I'm pounding it.
(...)
FERGUSON: There are days when we have debates here where it's very clear that you have something that you don't like about Donald Trump, and you are going to pound him on it, which you can't say in the very next sentence that you want to bring people together.
LEMON: That is not true. That is your opinion. That is your opinion.
FERGUSON: Sure, it is my opinion.
LEMON: Because you are -- you have a certain point of view and a certain perspective that you would like to get across. I don't have that -- I'm just asking questions. I'm reading poll -- I'm reading information and facts about the President. Because those facts are not favorable does not mean that I don't like the President, so that's -- you're way out of line with that, but now let's go on.
FERGUSON: Hold on -- how many times have you given him credit for anything since he's been President?
LEMON: I'm here every night -- I'm here every single night for five nights a week two hours -- this is not about giving somebody --
FERGUSON: Right, but how many times have you -- how many times have you given him credit for doing something?
LEMON: It is not my job to give him credit -- that's not what I do. I simply give the facts, and the facts are without favor -- fear or favor. And if they don't line up, if he doesn't like them, if you don't like it, that is too bad. But those are the facts. The facts are the facts, so I'm sorry, that's how it is.
