On Monday's CNN This Morning, co-host Don Lemon tried to undermine Republican complaints about the negative effects of bail reform in New York during an interview with (eventually victorious) Republican congressional candidate Adam Lawler.
He also lamely suggested that the Republican candidate for governor, Lee Zeldin, shares blame for crime near his home even though he is currently just a congressman and has no control over local or state law enforcement in the Democrat-controlled state.
In fact, on Friday, Lemon similarly asserted that there is not proof that bail reform has boosted crime as he interviewed the state's governor, Democrat Kathy Hochul.
As Lawler argued that there are many in his district who will likely vote for him because of crime, he complained about bail reform: "So everybody is impacted, whether it's crime in the community where -- because they work in the city -- because they are in law enforcement. People are very frustrated with New York's policies, especially around cashless bail --"
Lemon then jumped in to counter his argument:
Listen, I have to say that there's no evidence that cashless bail has had any impact on -- that's what the facts show. I know that's -- let me get my question out. Let me get my question out. Kathy Hochul was on the air, and she said that the narrative around crime -- we had her on on Friday. She said the narrative around crime is not necessarily what the stats show.
After the Republican candidate pushed back and cited a study finding much recidivism linked to bail reform, Lemon then suggested that Congressman Zeldin could be blamed for not stopping crime in his neighborhood: "But people would say that, if someone, you know, Lee Zeldin had the thing that happened in front of his house. Lee Zeldin is in a Republican district. If he is a Republican congressman, and he can't get control of crime where he lives, therefore, is that not a --"
Before switching topics, co-host Poppy Harlow tried to rescue her liberal co-host: "I think what Don is saying here is, you know, correlation is not necessarily causation."
On Friday's show, as the trio of hosts interviewed Governor Hochul, Harlow at one point asked her guest if she would take action on bail reform:
One thing that Lee Zeldin has said he would definitely do if he becomes governor is that he would, through an executive order, repeal immediately the bail reform law that was passed. You don't love that law the way it stands. You've wanted changes to it. Would you do the same as he is saying he would? Would you repeal it through executive order?
After Governor Hochul made a straw-man argument that bail reform was not the only factor that has increased crime (as if anyone claimed that it was), Lemon helpfully jumped in to boost her dismissal of the issue: "...just a point of clarification here, and this is according to CNN and other fact checks. There is no evidence to suggest that bail reform is a major factor, and, you know, if that changes, of course, we will tell you, but so far there's no evidence linking bail reform to what has been taking place in some cities."
Over a month ago, on CNN's New Day show, network law enforcement analyst John Miller notably informed viewers that, when Governor Hochul tried to get the Democrat state legislature to scale back bail reform, she mostly failed. But the current crop of CNN morning hosts did not bring up this issue. On October 26, Miller recalled: "Kathy Hochul was spending her crime time during the debate defending what she's done so far, that she fixed the criminal justice reform laws, although, when she went to her own Democratic senate and assembly, they only passed about a tenth of what she asked for in terms of rollbacks."
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Transcripts follow:
CNN This Morning
November 7, 2022
7:34 a.m. Eastern
ADAM LAWLER, NEW YORK REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: So everybody is impacted, whether it's crime in the community where -- because they work in the city -- because they are in law enforcement. People are very frustrated with New York's policies, especially around cashless bail --
DON LEMON: Listen, I have to say that there's no evidence that cashless bail has had any impact on -- that's what the facts show. I know that's -- let me get my question out. Let me get my question out. Kathy Hochul was on the air, and she said that the narrative around crime -- we had her on on Friday. She said the narrative around crime is not necessarily what the stats show. I know it's very real. I know it's a very real issue. Do you think there's a disconnect there?
LAWLER: I think she's wrong, and here's the truth. Index crimes in New York City since cashless bail took effect are up 36 percent. Year over year to date, they're up 29 percent. So the reality is that since cashless bail took effect, crime has gone up significantly. And 40 percent of those released on non-monetary bail for felony offenses have been re-arrested while those charges are pending. This is serious. And I think when people are saying they don't feel safe, it's because they're not safe. People are concerned about being shoved in front of oncoming subway cars. They're concerned about being shot in the street. This is a real problem, and Democrats own it. They have done nothing to fix it. And, in fact, they've made it worse with the policies that they have enacted.
LEMON: But people would say that, if someone, you know, Lee Zeldin had the thing that happened in front of his house. Lee Zeldin is in a Republican district. If he is a Republican congressman, and he can't get control of crime where he lives, therefore, is that not a --
LAWLER: But policies are statewide policies that have been enacted by one-party rule. The Democrats control everything in Albany and everything in New York City. They eliminated the anti-crime unit. They have non-enforcement of petty crimes. These are serious challenges, and it requires a balanced approach. We need judicial discretion. New York state is the only state in the country that does not have a dangerousness standard. We need to have a balanced approach -- a common sense approach to crime prevention and ensuring the public safety. That is the number one responsibility of government, and they have failed to do it.
HARLOW: I think what Don is saying here is, you know, correlation is not necessarily causation.
(...)
CNN This Morning
November 4, 2022
8:11 a.m. Eastern
POPPY HARLOW: As someone who takes my kids every day on the subway in New York City very close to where you are this morning, look, yeah, homicides are down, but rapes are up, robberies are up, felony assault is up, and you talked about your opponent not having solutions. One thing that Lee Zeldin has said he would definitely do if he becomes governor is that he would, through an executive order, repeal immediately the bail reform law that was passed. You don't love that law the way it stands. You've wanted changes to it. Would you do the same as he is saying he would? Would you repeal it through executive order?
GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): Again, that is such a simplistic approach. It negates the fact that it's about how we support law enforcement, and he voted against -- he wouldn't support funding for the police. I tripled the amount of money for law enforcement. We're supporting violence disruptor programs. To say that you're just going to change one part of the system shows the naivete that it's not going to be a real solution. So we did make targeted changes to the bail laws, covering gun case and repeat offenders. That has all just been in effect for a few months now because of what I was able to accomplish in the budget.
I'm always willing to look at it again, but the data is not showing that that is the cause of this. There are individual cases, but compared to pre-pandemic and when this was passed, I don't think there's a real disparity. But that doesn't matter. We're dealing with people's feelings here, and I understand that. I'm a mother. You're hardwired to care about your children and your family's safety, so voters need to know that we have a plan. We're working on this.
And just putting up ads that say you have the answer when you really don't -- when you don't think that we should be getting guns off the street -- you want to give guns to every teacher -- you want guns in the subways. That is just irrational to think that that's going to make people safer than -- I just think people need to know really what's on the line here as someone who's been working in the trenches, rolling up her sleeves, getting the job done, and not just running around the state saying, "All you have to do is repeal a bail law, and all the crime will disappear." I think people are smarter than that.
LEMON: Kaitlin, I know you want to get in, but just a point of clarification here, and this is according to CNN and other fact checks. There is no evidence to suggest that bail reform is a major factor, and, you know, if that changes, of course, we will tell you, but so far there's no evidence linking bail reform to what has been taking place in some cities.
(...)
CNN's New Day
October 26, 2022
JOHN MILLER, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Kathy Hochul was spending her crime time during the debate defending what she's done so far, that she fixed the criminal justice reform laws, although, when she went to her own Democratic senate and assembly, they only passed about a tenth of what she asked for in terms of rollbacks.
