According to CNN anchor Don Lemon, just working for Donald Trump makes you “complicit” in his racism. That goes for supporters as well. Appearing on New Day, Wednesday, he blasted anyone connected to the President: “Anyone who is in that White House and who is supporting him is complicit in their racism as well.”
Lemon concluded that Trump’s press conference on Charlottesville, Tuesday, means all of the businessman’s comments about Barack Obama were motivated by racism: “We know now why he's so... obsessed with Barack Obama. Barack Obama was a black president. Maybe he didn't think that Barack Obama was fit to be in office.”
Later in the show, Lemon invalidated conservative policy agendas in the wake of the press conference: “How much of a tax benefit is worth giving away your humanity? How much is a wall going to — I don't understand it.”
In July of 2016, Lemon characterized the FBI investigation against Hillary Clinton as a sexist attack: “When you're the first woman with a real shot at winning the White House, you know at least one thing is for sure, the men at the top are going to have a lot to say about you.”
A partial transcript is below:
New Day
8/16/17
8:11am ETDON LEMON: Can we stop beating around the bush here. Let's just honest. People who — us New Yorkers, we've known who Donald Trump was for a very long time. We've known with the Central Park Five. We’ve with the housing discrimination. We’ve known with him pushing the whole birther thing, which was a bunch of bull. We’ve know that. We know now why he's so upset — for those of you who did know, so obsessed with Barack Obama. Barack Obama was a black president. Maybe he didn't think that Barack Obama was fit to be in office. He traded on racial animus and racial BS and he's been doing it for decades and we're going to sit here and pretend we're surprised. Why aren’t people talking about — and Carl Bernstein, who has been on CNN for months, talking about his fitness for office and what's going on in his head. How can anyone defend what the President said yesterday?
It is indefensible. I can't believe people get up here on CNN and other networks and actually try to defend, especially African Americans and Jewish people, to try to defend what Donald Trump said yesterday. This there is no defense for what he said. What he said yesterday was disgusting. It was un-American. And anyone who is American and believes in this country should be speaking out against this person and saying that it is wrong for him to do this. And anyone who — let me be plainly clear — anyone who is in that White House and who is supporting him is complicit in their racism as well.
...
LEMON: When do Republicans stand up and say enough is enough. At what cost? Is it — listen, how much of a tax benefit is worth giving away your humanity? How much is a wall going to — I don't understand it.
