Media Research Center Founder and President Brent Bozell didn’t hold anything back Thursday night on the Fox Business Network’s Evening Edit, telling host Liz MacDonald that “every person in inner-city America” should watch the clip of CNN hosts Chris Cuomo and “utterly contemptuous” “liar” Don Lemon laughing about and mocking rising crime and murders in major American cities.
Before bringing in Bozell, MacDonald played the clip in question from Tuesday and noting that, despite their laughter, what’s going on in cities has been no joking matter: “Murders and homicides are up double digits across 25 of the country's largest cities. The New York Times is also reporting that. We had seven children shot dead since last Friday. Three children were shot in separate cities last night.”
After the clip, Bozell replied that “under normal circumstances, I would urge the public not to waste its time watching CNN,” but this time was different:
I wish every person in every inner-city in America watched that clip, and they would understand exactly what the left thinks of it. People in the inner-cities are being mowed down. Children are being shot to death. There is that kind of a lawlessness taking place in the streets. You can blame the cops till the cows come home, but it ain't going to work. What they're seeing in the inner city is that the police have been chased out by hoodlums and the police are saying, if I do anything, there’s going to be a camera on me, and I'm the person who is going to be charged with something. I'm not going there. In this inner-city when you've got 19 out of 20 cities are controlled by Democrats, there needs to be a conversation and this is a conversation CNN doesn't want to have.
MacDonald went on to play two more clips of Lemon with the first coming from his Monday scolding of actor Terry Crews for dissenting from the agenda of Black Lives Matter. As for the second, it featured Lemon demanding in July 2013 that black families fight black-on-black crime and preach the importance of nuclear families.
Upon hearing both clips, Bozell diagnosed the change as an example of how “the left has become so radicalized,” “out of control” “incoherent,” and “deceptive in its delivery.”
Bozell asked viewers to examine the Black Lives Matter platform calling for the destruction of “the nuclear family” and consider how CNN sees no problem with that, “lashing against anybody who questions” BLM.
“Now listen to Don Lemon. Don Lemon says that’s the reason it is happening. So, Don Lemon, are you lying now or were you a liar then? Which one is it, because you are justifying and you're glorifying exactly what you said in 2013, was utterly contemptuous. That’s reality,” Bozell concluded.
To see the full transcript of the segment from FBN’s Evening Edit, click “expand.”
FBN’s Evening Edit
July 9, 2020
6:22 p.m. EasternELIZABETH MACDONALD: Okay, we've got another media controversy involving CNN. Okay, here’s what is going on. Murders and homicides are up double digits across 25 of the country's largest cities. The New York Times is also reporting that. We had seven children shot dead since last Friday. Three children were shot in separate cities last night but watch this odd exchange between don lemon and Chris Cuomo, mocking the rising crime. Watch this.
DON LEMON [on 07/07/20]: Yeah. “Democratic cities are in chaos right now. Is this what you want from Joe Biden? And they’re gonna take your country away. And they’re taking down the statues.”
CHRIS CUOMO [on 07/07/20]: “Crime is rising!”
LEMON [on 07/07/20]: “Crime is rising!”
CUOMO [on 07/07/20]: “Defund police.”
LEMON [on 07/07/20]: “Oh my gosh! It’s so bad and they get defunding the police.”
MACDONALD: Alright, let's welcome Media Research Center president and founder, Brent Bozell. Brent, when you saw that, what did you think? What was your reaction?
BRENT BOZELL: You know, under normal circumstances Liz — hi, how are you — under normal circumstances, I would urge the public not to waste its time watching CNN. Here’s an exception. I wish every person in every inner-city in America watched that clip, and they would understand exactly what the left thinks of it. People in the inner-cities are being mowed down. Children are being shot to death. There is that kind of a lawlessness taking place in the streets. You can blame the cops till the cows come home, but it ain't going to work. What they're seeing in the inner city is that the police have been chased out by hoodlums and the police are saying, if I do anything, there’s going to be a camera on me, and I'm the person who is going to be charged with something. I'm not going there. In this inner-city when you've got 19 out of 20 cities are controlled by Democrats, there needs to be a conversation and this is a conversation CNN doesn't want to have.
MACDONALD: Yeah. To what you're saying, hundreds of shooting deaths in just five Democrat-led cities over the last month and a half. Homicides are up double-digits in New York, Chicago, L.A., D.C., and Philadelphia. I want you to look at CNN's Don Lemon, first, watch him say the rioting is not “extreme.” Watch this sound bite.
LEMON [on 07/06/20]: I got you. I got you. So, let me – but — Terry — you realize even during the Civil Rights Movement that Dr. King was seen as extreme? That movement was seen as extreme. To people who don't want to make change, movements are seen as extreme. You can paint them easily, as an extreme when they were not.
MACDONALD: But you know, let's watch this clip in 2013, seven years ago, don lemon was upset. He said stop the black-on-black violence. We have black the blue movements of U.S. citizens now. Look at the states, Oregon, Virginia, Maryland, people are saying you need the cops because people are being shot. Brent, that’s what you're saying. Watch Don Lemon talk about black on black violence has got to stop. He said this in 2013. Watch this.
LEMON [on CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon, 07/27/13]: More than 72 percent of children in the African-American community are born out of wedlock. That means absent fathers and the studies show lack of a male role model is an express train right to prison and the cycle continues. So please, black folks, as I said, if this doesn't apply to you, I'm not talking to you. Pay attention to and think about what has been presented in recent history as acceptable behavior. Pay close attention to the hip-hop and rap culture that many of you embrace, a culture that glorifies everything I just mentioned, thug and reprehensible behavior. [SCREEN WIPE] African-American — young African-American men commit more crime than any other age group, any other ethnicity combined. So why would — why is that even an issue? Why are you concerned about white-on-white crime when the problem appears to be in the African-American community among young black men, congresswoman?
MACDONALD: Listen, any crime is horrific. Any crime is terrible. Crime, we need to fight it and stop it and protect Americans. I just don't understand what is going on with Don Lemon. He was saying that seven years ago but now he is different today. What happened?
BOZELL: Look, if the — the left has become so radicalized, it’s out of control. It is incoherent in its thinking. It's — it’s deceptive in its delivery. Look at those same people at CNN who are lashing against anybody who questions Black Lives Matter. Look at the manifesto of Black Lives Matter. It says unequivocally, it wants to tear down the nuclear family. Now listen to Don Lemon. Don Lemon says that’s the reason it is happening. So, Don Lemon, are you lying now or were you a liar then? Which one is it, because you are justifying and you're glorifying exactly what you said in 2013, was utterly contemptuous. That’s reality, Liz.
MACDONALD: Okay. Brent Bozell, thank you so much for your insights. Really appreciate it.
BOZELL: Thank you, Liz.
MACDONALD: Come back soon.
