CNN Tonight host Don Lemon was out of control as he raged against former Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) for not bashing President Trump’s Wednesday night address to the nation about the coronavirus crisis. At one point, Lemon was so infuriated that he told his guest that he wasn’t allowed to speak anymore. The triggering event? The White House had to issue a simple clarification about the travel ban from Europe.
“Listen, President Trump announced he was suspending travel from Europe to the U.S. CNN got clarification that it was about most foreign nationals, not U.S. residents. The President misrepresented the travel ban during his primetime address,” Lemon declared as if it was an intentional lie.
It almost seemed as though Lemon was upset that they couldn’t report that Trump was barring American citizens from coming home.
Kasich’s take was that the address was “fine” and walked Lemon through his evolution in how he came around to supporting the administration’s response to the crisis. “Listen, you said the President should stick to the script. I don't know if he stuck to the script or not. But whatever script he read was wrong because they've had to clarify it several times,” Lemon started to yell in response.
From there, Lemon began to scream about how terrible it was that the White House had to issue a clarification at all:
And I just got to say. If the President came out to calm people's fears, he didn't do a good job of it because they've had to come back and clarify it several times! And this has been going on long enough for them to get it straight! We need straight, accurate information from this President! And this administration! And we're not getting it! And I don't understand why you are tiptoeing around it! He came out, gave an address that usually -- that happens very rarely, and he doesn't get it right?!
Lemon became completely unhinged to the point of seemingly telling Kasich that he wasn’t allowed to speak unless he was going to bash the address (click “expand”):
KASICH: I'm going to -- first of all, he read it. And somebody that wrote this -- look, I don't want to get into that. He --
LEMON: Well, why not?! That's why you're here! To talk about the President’s address!
KASICH: Can I finish now?
LEMON: But, no, no, no, no, no! No, you can’t, John!
KASICH: Let me talk. Let me talk.
LEMON: John, because we’re here to talk about the President's --
KASICH: I can't talk?
After some more shouting from the unstable host and Kasich insisting that Trump struck the right tone by being serious, Lemon suggested that the address needing a minor clarification was the equivalent of saying “four plus four equals 85.” “I am serious. That doesn't mean that I'm right. The information he gave was not right. You have to come back and clarify several times, information that you gave,” he said.
Kasich explained that it’s not uncommon for clarifications to be issued after an address and then flipped the tables by demanding to know “what is it in the clarification that you thought was so terrible? Tell me what you thought.” Lemon couldn’t answer saying: “I didn't say I thought it was terrible!”
Lemon grew so infuriated that he started to bash Kasich:
I'm telling you that we are in the middle of a pandemic right now! We’re the middle of a pandemic and every time this President comes out, he gives inaccurate information! So, I don't understand why he would even come out and do it at all if he is going to confuse the American people even more! You don’t understand that? You’re a governor, I’m surprised you don’t understand that. If you’re not going to be accurate than why do it?
“98 percent of what he did was good. And what we wanted was a seriousness out of the President, to tell people that things are not good and they're probably going to get worse,” Kasich countered. He was eventually able to defuse the situation by talking about how they each wanted to focus on something different (with him touting the President’s serious attitude toward the crisis) and agree to disagree.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN Tonight
March 11, 2020
10:34:12 p.m. EasternDON LEMON: So, here’s the breaking news. President Trump addressing the nation from the Oval Office as the coronavirus is spreading -- sweeping across this country. Saying that he is banning travel from Europe to the U.S. for the next 30 days. That is everyday life in this country is changing in ways none of us could have imagined.
So, let's bring in now CNN senior commentator, John Kasich, the former governor of Ohio. John, thank you so much. Listen, President Trump announced he was suspending travel from Europe to the U.S. CNN got clarification that it was about most foreign nationals, not U.S. residents. The President misrepresented the travel ban during his primetime address. And we're getting all of these mixed messages. So give me your thoughts.
FMR. GOVERNOR JOHN KASICH: Well, look, I watched the address tonight. And I thought it was fine. I thought he did -- he did fine. And, you know, what I saw tonight is what I anticipated before he delivered the address. Mr. President, you've got to be serious. You got to warn the country. We have to move forward. And -- and just be -- stick to the script and read what's on there. And that's exactly what he did.
(…)
I was on with you -- I don't know a week or so ago. And I was sharply critical. Then I was on again and I said I think they're getting their sea legs, they're doing better. I'm glad he did the address tonight. And I think that was important.
(…)
LEMON: Well, listen. The governors can't make choices if there are no test kits. If the test kits that the federal government has promised aren't out there, then those governors can't make choices. And you said -- listen, you said the President should stick to the script. I don't know if he stuck to the script or not. But whatever script he read was wrong because they've had to clarify it several times!
And I just got to say. If the President came out to calm people's fears, he didn't do a good job of it because they've had to come back and clarify it several times! And this has been going on long enough for them to get it straight! We need straight, accurate information from this President! And this administration! And we're not getting it! And I don't understand why you are tiptoeing around it! He came out, gave an address that usually -- that happens very rarely, and he doesn't get it right?!
KASICH: I'm going to -- first of all, he read it. And somebody that wrote this -- look, I don't want to get into that. He --
LEMON: Well, why not?! That's why you're here! To talk about the President’s address!
KASICH: Can I finish now?
LEMON: But, no, no, no, no, no! No, you can’t, John!
KASICH: Let me talk. Let me talk.
LEMON: John, because we’re here to talk about the President's --
KASICH: I can't talk?
LEMON: Wait! We’re here -- I don't want you to go on and deflect and talk about something else because we are here to talk about the President's address! And -- and you said that someone else wrote it. He's the President! Even if someone else wrote it, it should be right!
KASICH: I know he did and he has to be-- Don. Don. He put -- he put this thing out because there was some confusion out there. Okay?
LEMON: Now, there's more confusion, John!
KASICH: And what I -- look. Look. I'm trying to say to you, Don, we got to move down the road. Looking back doesn't get things fixed.
LEMON: We're not looking back! The President's address -- the President's address was tonight! That is the newest information with this, was the President address!
KASICH: I thinks his address tonight, I think it was fine. I think it was fine. That's what I think.
LEMON: You think the wrong -- you think inaccurate information that you have to come back and clarify two or three times, you think that's fine?!
KASICH: Look. I thought he did fine. That’s what I thought. I thought he had the right tone. And he no longer played around with we're going to blame Democrats or we're -- forget this stuff. He -- I hope he's trying to move forward because he understands the seriousness of this situation.
Now, the fact that they clarify, it isn't unusual in a speech for somebody to clarify something. Okay? But I don't think that the tone he showed tonight takes away from some clarification. I think he set a serious tone. That's what I wanted out of him for a long time. And I think we got it.
LEMON: John, I could be serious and sit here and tell you four plus four equals 85. I am serious. That doesn't mean that I'm right. The information he gave was not right. You have to come back and clarify several times, information that you gave. Listen. I tried to cut him a break at the top of the show.
KASICH: You mean like, who's going to get back into the country? You mean -- what is it in the clarification that you thought was so terrible? Tell me what you thought.
LEMON: I didn't say I thought it was terrible! I'm telling you that we are in the middle of a pandemic right now! We’re the middle of a pandemic and every time this President comes out, he gives inaccurate information! So, I don't understand why he would even come out and do it at all if he is going to confuse the American people even more! You don’t understand that? You’re a governor, I’m surprised you don’t understand that. If you’re not going to be accurate than why do it?
KASICH: I do understand it. Look, I'm just trying to tell you that I thought his tone tonight was good. So, had to clarify something. Okay. 98 percent of what he did was good. And what we wanted was a seriousness out of the President, to tell people that things are not good and they're probably going to get worse.
(…)
