Like we saw with the 2018 passings of John McCain and former President George H.W. Bush, CNN’s poisonous operation refused to simply honor the late Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) and his legacy. Instead, CNN personalities fixated Monday on Lewis through the lens of bashing President Trump.
Even though he would have been attacked as unworthy and a stain on the service if he had done so, they also harped on the President declining to watch his hearse pass near the White House or visit his casket at the U.S. Capitol. In other words, Monday was another case of CNN telling Trump: “Heads, we win. And tails, you lose.”
Inside Politics host John King griped in the noon hour how it was a “sad statement on the course of our discourse” to know that “there were those asking the President of the United States to say nothing, saying that they did not want his voice, his tweets, his words to ruin the moment if you will, to ruin the tributes.”
Senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson concurred that Lewis himself “was saddened” by the lack of discourse that, in their eyes, has been and will continue to caused by the right and the Trump administration (click “expand”):
John Lewis himself was saddened by this fact. He, of course, did not go to the inauguration of Donald Trump. He lamented the lack of moral clarity, moral leadership in this White House, fitting that he is pausing by the Memorial to Martin Luther King as well as other Founding Fathers of this nation and that is who he was. He was one of the founders and it’s fitting that we celebrate him in this way today. He was certainly saddened by what he has seen as a real I think degradation of the political discourse. He, of course, was a deeply Christian man. The entire civil rights movement, very Christian movement, planned in the basements of churches all throughout the south so that is what led him, that Christian faith and the idea that you leave with love, right? That there's always a room for redemption, that you might hate what people do, hate the kind of things they inspire others to do, but you don't hate the person and so, here he is going through the streets of Washington. He gave 30 years of his public service to serving those folks in Georgia. I think certainly saw that a lot of the work he was doing more work to do.
(....)
You know, in some ways, it is fitting that the President doesn't salute John Lewis. He — he’s cut from a different cloth. Right? I mean, John Lewis, deeply spiritual man. Someone who cares about justice and equality and has a real vision for this country that is inclusive and that is very different from the vision that this current President has for this country. And again, this is something that saddened John Lewis and it kept him busy, right? I mean, that is what he was so hard at work doing for most of his life.
Senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns joined King (and then Brianna Keilar in the next hour) and continued the near-constant them of Zuckerville uniformity.
Boasting that the BLM Plaza “has been seen as sort of a bridge between the youthful activism of John Lewis and the youthful activism of today,” Johns invoked the June 1 clearing of Lafayette Park for Trump “to walk over to St. John's Episcopal Church and do...a very infamous photo-op” as a contrast between Lewis and the supposedly authoritarian Trump.
King replied by noting that “this is not a day for politics” before doing just that and complaining that Trump didn’t salute Lewis because “[t]his is a American hero who deserves to be saluted by his President whether that President is a Democrat or a Republican.”
Before handing over to Keilar, King reiterated as the hearse left BLM Plaza that it includes “St. John's Church, that is where the President came and held up the Bible, you see the White House right there in the middle of your screen.”
Two words: Must we?
Sadly, the answer was and has always been yes for the jejune CNN. Speaking to Keilar, Johns reupped the Trump-centric theme and how Lewis disliked him (click “expand”):
The people who appeared right here not long ago on Black Lives Matter Plaza and essentially took it over until that point when the President of the United States was leaving the White House, had it cleared of peaceful protesters go over to St. Johns Episcopal Church to do what was essentially a photo-op holding a Bible, but it's not just that. It is also sort of, if you look at John Lewis' life and his career, many people know that he was highly critical of President Trump. He called him a racist, he said his presidency was not legitimate. He boycotted the inauguration.
But across John Lewis’s career, he, in fact, had many run-ins with a number of other Presidents. He didn't go to George W. Bush's inauguration. You have to go all the way back to the Lyndon Johnson administration where at least I believe I find the first run-in he had with a President and that was over the best way to approach getting the Voting Rights Act through the Congress, so that sort of tells you how long this man has been doing what he's doing. He was at a time called radical and now, perhaps still a radical, but not so much and he stands tall in the legacy of civil rights leaders in the United States[.]
Then after the Capitol memorial, Keilar expressed relief Trump wouldn’t be paying his respects, which teed up the ever-arrogant John Avlon to lambaste Trump:
He’s a man who cannot measure to same moral stature of John Lewis. But simply that declaration, that he would not come pay his respects, the consistent refusal to play the role of the President's are obligated to do to try to unite the nation, however imperfectly, and the way that contrast, Brianna, with the words we hear from John Lewis echoing under the dome one last time that Bakari mentioned and you mentioned. Never be bitter. Never be hostile. Never hate. We're one family. One people. One love. We must try to build a beloved community and the example President Trump sets not just through his hate tweets, not through his plantering to the opposite of the better angels of our nature, it is the exact opposite of those words of wisdom, of John Lewis.
Huh. Perhaps CNN should follow Lewis’s example seeing his how they exhibit on an hourly basis bitterness, hatred, and hostility toward people they disagree with.
Since CNN spent the early afternoon in rolling coverage of Lewis’s arrival in Washington D.C., there were no commercial breaks. However, to learn more about some of the advertisers that do support CNN, go here to the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant CNN transcript from July 27, click “expand.”
CNN Newsroom
July 27, 2020
12:38 p.m. EasternJOHN KING: Nia-Malika Henderson, as we watch this play out, it’s — it's sad, I don't know if that's the right word, but because of the contentious times, because — just got to pause for a second here as you see the white marble there. That's the Martin Luther King Memorial. The hearse passing by. The road does not pass in a way to see the facade of the wonderful memorial but you see this, the first stop, appropriately, the first stop for the procession through the streets of Washington, see them slowing down but continue — continuing to move on here. They will pass soon the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial. You do see the motorcade coming to a stop here. Nia-Malika Henderson, they're not far from the White House and the reason I said sad is that it was — I’m not criticizing anyone for what they said in that moment, that's not what I mean, but when Congressman Lewis passed, there were those asking the President of the United States to say nothing, saying that they did not want his voice, his tweets, his words to ruin the moment if you will, to ruin the tributes. On this day we’re we pay tribute to this hero, that is — I'm going to use it again, just a sad statement on the course of our discourse on any issue but especially on an important issue of race and civility that an American hero can pass and it is controversial for the President of the United States to say nothing.
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON: Yeah and John Lewis himself was saddened by this fact. He, of course, did not go to the inauguration of Donald Trump. He lamented the lack of moral clarity, moral leadership in this White House, fitting that he is pausing by the Memorial to Martin Luther King as well as other Founding Fathers of this nation and that is who he was. He was one of the founders and it’s fitting that we celebrate him in this way today. He was certainly saddened by what he has seen as a real I think degradation of the political discourse. He, of course, was a deeply Christian man. The entire civil rights movement, very Christian movement, planned in the basements of churches all throughout the south so that is what led him, that Christian faith and the idea that you leave with love, right? That there's always a room for redemption, that you might hate what people do, hate the kind of things they inspire others to do, but you don't hate the person and so, here he is going through the streets of Washington. He gave 30 years of his public service to serving those folks in Georgia. I think certainly saw that a lot of the work he was doing more work to do. If you traveled throughout the south, towns like Selma, many of us have been there, so much work to do, so much racial inequality, educational inequality, economic inequality so he was constantly in this fight, encouraging others to get into this fight that he brought — that he was brought into by Martin Luther King and had a long life unlike Martin King, right? He didn't live to be 40 and a lot of those folks that joined the movement didn't have long lives. He lived to be 80 years, grateful that we got to see it.
(....)
12:47 p.m. Eastern
KING: As this moves on, I want to go ahead to Joe Johns standing at the next stop which is become now a painted street in the middle of America's current racial reckoning. Steps from Lafayette park, a few steps more to the White House. You see it right there. This is now Black Lives Matter Plaza as they call it in Washington, D.C. Our Joe Johns is right there.
JOE JOHNS: John, this has been seen as sort of a bridge between the youthful activism of John Lewis and the youthful activism of today. We are expecting to see the procession in just a few minutes. What I want to do is point out to you what's going on in this intersection. You look over my shoulder, you can see a mural of — a large photograph of John Lewis. That apparently is his last public appearance. We're told it was here at Black Lives Matter Plaza on June 7th. As you can see, he is wearing a mask with arms crossed. Now, why is this a bridge? It is a bridge for a number of reasons, including because of the demonstrations, because of the fact that this is the place where the President of the United States cleared a group of peaceful protesters in order to walk over to St. John's Episcopal church and do a photo-op — a very infamous photo-op, by the way — holding a Bible, but it’s more than that. When you look at the life of John Lewis, this is an activist in so many different ways, from the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, everyone to Congress and looking forward to seeing the procession pull up here. There's been some hope that there will be a moment for the mayor of Washington, D.C., who sort of created Black Lives Matter Plaza here to hand over a replica sign of Black Lives Matter Plaza, a street sign, to the procession. We don't know, though, if the hearse or I should say the procession's going to stop long enough to do that. John?
KING: Joe Johns standing by for us and, Joe, I'm watching on the other side of the screen — you can't see this — the live pictures, they're moments away from you as they pass by the nation's Mall and they're prepared to turn up. Van Jones, I had to cut you off a moment ago about the history. I'm going to say something here. They're now -- where Joe Johns is, where this hearse — where you see the hearse today and Joe Johns is, in between them is the White House. I know the President of the United States is traveling today. I'm not sure if he has left the White House yet but what a moment for all Americans if the President of the United States, Democrat or Republican, doesn't matter, on this day would salute this hearse as it drove by his house but that will not happen. Van Jones? Are you — Nia-Malika Henderson, to that point — or Van — Van, I heard you come back in there. Alright. Some technical issues as we work through this day. Again, you’re seeing the hearse right now traveling past the nation's mall right there. If you’ve ever been to Washington D.C., it is a spectacular place, full of the Monuments, the Washington Monument to the right there. You see the motorcade up front beginning to turn. I believe that's 17th Street where they will go up past the White House complex, up past the White House complex. Van, this is not a day for politics. That’s not why I said it, but seeing so much history, the hearse is about to pass. It’s turning on to 17th street. The White House will be to its right as it goes up the street here to Black Lives Matter Plaza. The newly created Black Lives Matter Plaza here in Washington, D.C. If you look at the right hand of the screen, you see the flags flying up there. That is the beginning of the White House complex as it goes up the street here. This is a American hero who deserves to be saluted by his President whether that President is a Democrat or a Republican.
VAN JONES: I agree and what I would say is that the whole country saluting that hearse and I also just want to remind people, people may say Black Lives Matter, though more popular now and still so controversial they might say. You know, this is — this — thy is this happening? This is something that anybody everybody can't embrace. Don't forget that John Lewis was not somebody that everybody could embrace. The Student Non-Violence Coordinating Committee, the sort of Black Lives Matter of its day was considered very controversial, you know? And — and what happens is that over time hurt people holler. If you’re sitting on a white hot stove of injustice, you tend to holler and at first, people say calm down, shut up, please be quiet but over time ,the message gets through. You had mentioned the great story of the great A. Phillip Randolph taking the young John Lewis to the side at the March on Washington, there were a couple of phrases where John Lewis said we're going to march through the south like Sherman and burn injustice to the ground. I mean, it was hot rhetoric and A. Phillip Randolph, a champion for literally generations said, please son, I spent a life to get us here. If you could just take one paragraph off to all stay together and Burke Marshall, who was part of the Kennedy administration, was prepared to literally unplug the entire rally. John Lewis didn't know that but just based on the strength of A. Phillip Randolph’s plea, the young man took out that one line, still gave a very strong speech and they moved on together. Generations can co-author history if — if they're willing. The young people in Black Lives Matter right now, some people see them as controversial, there are a bunch of young John Lewises out there and Jenette (sp?) Lewises out there right now who, for years to come, will serve the country in similar ways and embraced in similar ways. I'm glad they're going by Black Lives Matter Plaza.
KING: When we — when we lose an icon like this, one of the gifts if you will, a tough word, we get to remember the history, relearn and reread the history in the tributes and learn new lessons, that is Pennsylvania Avenue, the hearse is crossing to the right just moments ago was the Eisenhower Executive Office building, which is part of the White House complex. They are steps from the White House which is where Black Lives Matter Plaza now is. Lafayette Park, everyone remembers the protesters were cleared so the President could go to St. John's church. It is right there where you now have this new plaza for this new generation, as van notes, of activists. Nia-Malika Henderson, again, a tour through history for a man who, until he was taken from us just days ago, was literally living history.
HENDERSON: He really was and we are lucky that we get to see him celebrated in this way today through the streets of Washington, D.C., in yesterday going over that bridge in Selma for the last time in that horse-drawn carriage. Just amazing images and you mentioned going by the White House. You know, in some ways, it is fitting that the President doesn't salute John Lewis. He — he’s cut from a different cloth. Right? I mean, John Lewis, deeply spiritual man. Someone who cares about justice and equality and has a real vision for this country that is inclusive and that is very different from the vision that this current President has for this country. And again, this is something that saddened John Lewis and it kept him busy, right? I mean, that is what he was so hard at work doing for most of his life. Right? Beginning at the age of 15 and up until his last days, saluting the work of these Black Lives Matter protesters who Van noted aren't necessarily embraced and John Lewis and that huge movement in the civil rights era wasn't necessarily embraced either. Martin Luther King, at the time of his death, wasn't a real celebrated figure in the way he is now and so here we have John Lewis, 80 years old, going to his rest, going to join Willie Mae and Eddie Lewis, his parents who never could have imagined, right, that their son would end up celebrated in this way by an entire nation.
(.....)
12:58 p.m. Eastern
KING: Again you see the Washington Monument, this shot’s a little shaky as the photographer there follows the live event but you’re going straight back to the White House is to your right. If you go down that street you get to the White House and the mall behind it. This is the site of the last public event. You see the motorcade, the hearse beginning to roll slowly there with the large crowd on hand. It’s the AFL-CIO headquarters there I believe with the Black Lives Matter soon, as well. Van Jones, there’s St. John's Church, that is where the President came and held up the Bible, you see the White House right there in the middle of your screen.
(....)
1:02 p.m. Eastern
KEILAR: John Lewis heading toward the Capitol where he is going to lie in state and be honored by so many people, Democrats and Republicans, honoring everything that he has accomplished for the country over decades at really a time that is just a lot of people, of course, trying to make sense of the racial reckoning going on in the country and reflecting back on John Lewis’s roots as they do that. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was very close to Congressman John Lewis. She was at Joint Base Andrews this morning to greet the plane that was carrying his remains and his family. She and Senate leader Mitch McConnell will be addressing invited members of Congress at the arrival ceremony very soon. You can see here the processional heading toward the Washington Monument and I want to bring in Joe Johns. Joe, I know that you have been following this route as John Lewis makes his way to the Capitol. Tell us your thoughts on this day.
JOHNS: Well, you know, it's personal because I knew John Lewis from my years up on Capitol Hill and it is a very sad day but it's also in some ways heartening just simply because this is a torch passing, if you will, of — of the — the torch of activism from this man, who was one of the big six as they called them in the Civil Rights Movement, to Congress and now, to the younger generations of activists. The people who appeared right here not long ago on Black Lives Matter Plaza and essentially took it over until that point when the President of the United States was leaving the White House, had it cleared of peaceful protesters go over to St. Johns Episcopal Church to do what was essentially a photo-op holding a Bible, but it's not just that. It is also sort of, if you look at John Lewis' life and his career, many people know that he was highly critical of President Trump. He called him a racist, he said his presidency was not legitimate. He boycotted the inauguration, but across John Lewis’s career he, in fact, had many run-ins with a number of other Presidents. He didn't go to George W. Bush's inauguration. You have to go all the way back to the Lyndon Johnson administration where at least I believe I find the first run-in he had with a President and that was over the best way to approach getting the Voting Rights Act through the Congress, so that sort of tells you how long this man has been doing what he's doing. He was at a time called radical and now, perhaps still a radical, but not so much and he stands tall in the legacy of civil rights leaders in the United States, Brooke [sic].
