Despite the Washington Post making this same blunder yesterday and facing backlash for it, CNN went ahead and labeled Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan as a “far right” extremist Friday morning. New Day host Alisyn Camerota lumped Farrakhan in with alt-right conspiracy theorists who were banned by Facebook this week for their extreme rhetoric.
In a brief report, Camerota stated:
So Facebook is banning several far-right extremists from its services because it considers them dangerous. This includes the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Also banned, Paul Nehlen, an anti-Semite who ran unsuccessfully for Congress, along with fringe personalities, Milo Yiannopoulos, Laura Loomer, and Paul Joseph Watson.
A chyron also labeled Farrakhan as “far-right.”
Labeling Farrakhan as part of the right, makes absolutely no sense. Farrakhan is most known for his anti-Semitic views as well as being a popular ally to high-profile Democrats. He was most recently seated between black Democrat leaders Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson at Aretha Franklin’s funeral. Farrakhan famously met and took photos with then-Senator Obama in 2005. The right, unlike the left, has always condemned Farrakhan, but he’s been embraced by Democrat politicians numerous times over the years as well as Democrat celebrities, who even as recent as today spoke out against Farrakhan being banned from social media.
