Marc Lamont Hill launched an inflammatory attack on another guest on Monday's CNN Tonight as part of a diatribe against Donald Trump. Hill claimed that the President-Elect's meetings with African American celebrities were "demeaning" to blacks: "Bring some people up there with some expertise...don't just bring up people to entertain." The BET News host unleashed after Trump supporter Bruce LeVell defended the billionaire: "It was a bunch of mediocre Negroes being dragged in front of TV as a photo-op for Donald Trump's exploitative campaign against black people. And you are the prime example of that." [video below]
Host Don Lemon turned to Hill, along with LeVell (the executive director of the National Diversity Coalition For Trump), former Bernie Sanders spokeswoman Symone Sanders, and Trump backer Kayleigh McEnany, for a panel discussion on the Trump transition. Lemon spotlighted how comedian Steve Harvey "went to Trump Tower and has taken a lot of backlash for meeting with the President-Elect." The CNN commentator first complimented Harvey, but continued by underlining that "my disagreement is the way in which he's being used by folk like Donald Trump."
Hill added that "when you're at the table, you should have experts at the table." The BET News host spouted off a list of "experts" that Harvey could have turned to. Unsurprisingly, they were all from the left side of the political spectrum:
MARC LAMONT HILL, HOST, BET NEWS: I don't care if Steve is there, but if I'm Steve Harvey, I'm bringing Michelle Alexander; I'm bringing Cornell West; I'm bringing Ahmadi Perry; I'm bringing Eddie Glaude; I'm bringing Michael Eric Dyson — I'm bringing some folk with me who can challenge the President and inform the conversation....because all he — they keep bringing up comedians and actors and athletes to represent black interests. It's demeaning; it's disrespectful; and it's condescending. Bring some people up there with some expertise, Donald Trump; don't just bring up people to entertain.
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LeVell voiced his objection to the left-wing CNN regular's extended answer with an "oh, my God." When Lemon asked why he responded that way, the guest retorted with a simple question to Hill: "So you were at the [Harvey] meeting? You heard and saw everything?" The BET anchor brushed this aside: "Unless Steve Harvey turns into a policy analyst in the behind-the-scenes meeting, then it doesn't matter. What I'm saying — my concern is...the people who he is trumpeting up and putting in front of the cameras."
The two guests continued their back and forth until Hill dropped his "mediocre Negroes" insult at LeVell. The African American Trump supporter shot back, "So now, you want to name-call, Marc?" The CNN regular dishonestly denied that he was "name-calling." Sanders then chimed in to "back up" Hill:
SYMONE SANDERS, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY FOR BERNIE SANDERS: The point is that black people — black people are diverse — okay? And for Donald Trump to only engage actors and comedians and — you know, reality-type folks — he is not engaging the diversity of black people in America. So again, I would like to see Donald Trump bring some policy analysts — some real people who have some meat on the bones for the issues to the table.
Lemon try to let DeVille have the last word, but Sanders and Hill continued their tag-team attack on their fellow guest. McEnany came to DeVille's defense by pointing out that Trump "can bring in conservative icons. They don't have to be leftist."
The transcript of the relative portion of the panel discussion segment on the January 16, 2017 edition of CNN Tonight:
DON LEMON: Let's move on and talk about something else — about Steve Harvey — and I'm going to get Marc; and then, I'll get the others in. So Marc, Steve Harvey went to Trump Tower and has taken a lot of backlash for meeting with the President-Elect. What do you make of this controversy?
MARC LAMONT HILL, HOST, BET NEWS: You know, I love Steve Harvey, and I have respect for Steve Harvey; and I think his intentions were accurate — or appropriate, rather, but — but my disagreement is the way in which he's being used by folk like Donald Trump. Again, his intention is just to have a seat at the table. But when you're at the table, you should have experts at the table. You should have people who will challenge the President at the table.
I don't care if Steve is there, but if I'm Steve Harvey, I'm bringing Michelle Alexander; I'm bringing Cornell West; I'm bringing Ahmadi Perry; I'm bringing Eddie Glaude; I'm bringing Michael Eric Dyson — I'm bringing some folk with me who can challenge the President—
BRUCE LEVELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Oh, my God—
HILL: And inform the conversation. Otherwise, you're just being (unintelligible)—
LEMON: Bruce, why are you saying, 'oh, my God'?
[CNN Graphic: "Donald Trump Meets With Steve Harvey"]
HILL: Because all — real quick — because all he — they keep bringing up comedians and actors and athletes to represent black interests. It's demeaning; it's disrespectful; and it's condescending. Bring some people up there with some expertise, Donald Trump; don't just bring up people to entertain.
LEMON: Bruce?
LEVELL: So you were at — so you were at the meeting? You heard and saw everything?
HILL: I don't understand how anything I said would prompt that question—
LEVELL: Listen—
HILL: Unless — unless Steve Harvey turns into a policy analyst in the behind-the-scenes meeting, then it doesn't matter. What I'm saying — my concern is who — the people who he is trumpeting up and putting in front of the cameras.
LEVELL: Marc, you weren't even there. You don't even know what happened — okay?
HILL: Yes, I do! Are you disagreeing that he brought — are you disagreeing—
LEVELL: You weren't — you weren't in the room, sir. You weren't there—
LEMON: Let him finish, Marc—
HILL: How does that — how does that — how does that negate my point that he brought Steve Harvey; and then, put him in front of the cameras? That's my critique.
LEVELL: Listen, let me tell you — here's the deal: you don't know what happened. First of all, Pastor Darrell Scott, Michael Cohen — they are in a process of bringing all types of people from all over the country, from all different backgrounds. Like we have — remember the diversity coalition, where we reach out to all different types of people—
HILL: Yeah. It was a bunch of mediocre Negroes being dragged in front of TV as a photo-op for Donald Trump's exploitative campaign against black people. And you are the prime example of that, sir—
LEVELL: Marc, how are you going to — so now you want to name-call, Marc—
LEMON: Simone, you better jump in if you want to talk—
LEVELL: Now you want to name-call—
HILL: No — I'm not name-calling! I'm not name-calling!
LEVELL: Now you want to name-call, and then — and then, you want to de-marginalize—
SYMONE SANDERS, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY FOR BERNIE SANDERS: Let me back — let me back Marc up here. What I think—
HILL: No. 'De-marginalize' isn't the word—
SANDERS: Let me back Marc up here — okay?
LEMON: Simone has not spoken—
SANDERS: Let me back up Marc here — because Marc is making an important point—
LEVELL: Marc is not making an important point. Marc is just talking—
SANDERS: The point is that black people — black people are diverse — okay? And for Donald Trump to only engage actors and comedians and — you know, reality-type folks—
LEVELL: Symone!
SANDERS: He is not engaging the diversity of black people in America. So again, I would like to see Donald Trump bring some policy analysts — some real people who have some meat on the bones for the issues to the table.
LEVELL: Danged if you do; danged if you don't—
LEMON: You got ten seconds, Bruce—
SANDERS: He ain't — he ain't done! What do you mean 'danged if you do, danged if you don't'? He ain't done—
KAYLEIGH MCENANY: But there is going to be far less liberals, though—
SANDERS: What do you mean 'danged if you do, danged if you don't'? He ain't done. That is the point—
LEVELL: There's that—
HILL: Right! You can actually bring qualified people—
MCENANY: Bruce is an expert, and he brought Bruce in—
HILL: What's your expertise, Bruce?
MCENANY: He can bring in conservative — conservative icons. They don't have to be leftist—
HILL: What's your expertise, Bruce?
LEMON: All right. So that's it.
