It was an argument so asinine that CNN PrimeTime host Chris “Fredo” Cuomo couldn’t believe what he was hearing from his dear friend. During the routine banter during the handoff from Cuomo’s show to CNN Tonight, host Don Lemon made the argument (in all seriousness) that if Democrats were in control of the Senate they would allow President Trump to nominate his third Supreme Court Justice.
While discussing how terrible Senate Republicans were, Cuomo flipped the tables a bit to ponder about how Democrats would act. “If the Democrats were in control of the Senate right now, and Trump was president, and he wanted to nominate a justice. What do you think they’d say,” he wondered.
Lemon’s initial response was to say “they would do the same thing they did in 2016. They’d do it. That's what they did.” This meant they would hold hearings for the nominee and presumably want to confirm them.
Cuomo misunderstood and thought the obvious, that the Democrats would try to block the nomination as well. As Lemon began to clarify, Cuomo was floored:
LEMON: No, no, no, no. I think they do exactly what they did in 2016. You can say what you want about Democrats. Democrats usually wet the bed. They’re not as strategic when it comes to politics.
CUOMO: You think they give him a justice after what happened with Merrick Garland?!
LEMON: I think, if—Yes! I think they would abide by-- It's different, because – It’s different because Democrats did not make the promise. See? You keep comparing things that aren't equal. Democrats did not make the same promise in 2016.
After going back and forth about what Senate Republicans did in 2016 with President Obama and Judge Merrick Garland, Lemon proclaimed: “That wasn't Democrats doing that. That was Republicans doing it. And if you come on this side I don't know what Democrats would do. It would not mean that they were being hypocritical if they didn’t.”
Um, Earth to Don! Democrats were being hypocrites because they’re against Trump nominating and Republicans confirming a justice ahead of the 2020 election! And shockingly, Cuomo was the voice of reason and explained that fact to him. “Klobuchar and others back then were saying, ‘you’ve got to have a full bench, you’ve got to have a full bench,’” he said.
Lemon’s comeback was seemingly to defend Democrats by saying they were being hypocrites out of spite. “Because of what the Republicans did in 2016. Democrats didn't do that in 2016,” he exclaimed. “If Democrats actually put the person one of the person in office now to do it they would be making the same choice. They would be consistent with their principles.”
“I don't know that. And I think that most people don't agree with that idea. Which is why they don't care about the difference between left and right,” Cuomo lamented.
For his solution to that problem, Lemon’s radical solution was to “blow up the entire system.” That included doing away with the Electoral College because the real problem was Republicans having representation:
LEMON: Honestly, from what your closing argument is, you’re going to have to get rid of the Electoral College. Because the people --
CUOMO: I don't see it.
LEMON: Because the minority in this country decides who judges are and they decide who the president is.
He then advocated for Democrats to pack the courts. “If Joe Biden wins, Democrats can stack the courts. And they can do that amendment and get it passed,” he boasted. This would be against Justice Ginsburg’s advice, not to mention a nakedly partisan and petty maneuver that would come back to bite them.
Again, somehow, Cuomo was the voice of reason, telling his radical friend “You need a constitutional amendment to do that.” Adding: “Well, you need a two-thirds vote in the Congress and three-quarters of the state legislatures.” Lemon held onto hope.
Lemon’s ridiculous assertions and radical political machinations were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Procter & Gamble and Carvana. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Cuomo PrimeTime
September 21, 2020
10:06:00 p.m. Eastern(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: Let me ask you something. If the Democrats were in control of the Senate right now, and Trump was president, and he wanted to nominate a justice. What do you think they’d say?
DON LEMO: Well, I think they would do the same thing they did in 2016. They’d do it. That's what they did.
CUOMO: That’s right, that’s my point. That’s why nobody cares what the Democrats are saying now.
LEMON: No, no, no, no. I think they do exactly what they did in 2016. You can say what you want about Democrats. Democrats usually wet the bed. They’re not as strategic when it comes to politics.
CUOMO: You think they give him a justice after what happened with Merrick Garland?!
LEMON: I think, if—Yes! I think they would abide by-- It's different, because – It’s different because Democrats did not make the promise. See? You keep comparing things that aren't equal. Democrats did not make the same promise in 2016.
CUOMO: It wasn’t a promise.
LEMON: Democrats were on the other side. They said--
CUOMO: It wasn't a promise. It was a BS rational to explain what they were doing to deprive them of power.
LEMON: Semantics. Semantics. Semantics. They didn’t allow the – the – his nominee to go through. They wouldn't even have a hearing. They said we’re not going to do it. So, that wasn't Democrats doing that. That was Republicans doing it. And if you come on this side I don't know what Democrats would do. It would not mean that they were being hypocritical if they didn’t.
CUOMO: Democrats back in 2016 -- they are being hypocritical. It's not the same.
LEMON: Chris, it would be the same. They would have the same stance. Democrats –
CUOMO: They don’t, they don’t!
LEMON: Listen. Chris, Chris.
CUOMO: Klobuchar and Biden back then – not Biden. Klobuchar and others back then were saying, ‘you’ve got to have a full bench, you’ve got to have a full bench.’
LEMON: Because of what the Republicans did in 2016. Democrats didn't do that in 2016. If Democrats actually put the person one of the person in office now to do it they would be making the same choice. They would be consistent with their principles.
CUOMO: I don't know that. And I think that most people don't agree with that idea. Which is why they don't care about the difference between left and right. See? Until you have a group of people that decide to consistently be better than what they reject, you're going to have people in the exact position they are now, Don. Which is no matter what happens, everybody sticks with their team.
LEMON: We're going to have to blow up the entire system. And you know what we’re going to have to do?
CUOMO: I don’t know about that.
LEMON: Yes. We’re going to have to do?
CUOMO: You just got to vote.
LEMON: Honestly, from what your closing argument is, you’re going to have to get rid of the Electoral College. Because the people --
CUOMO: I don't see it.
LEMON: Because the minority in this country decides who judges are and they decide who the president is.
CUOMO: You need a constitutional amendment to do that.
LEMON: And if Democrats – if Joe Biden wins, Democrats can stack the courts. And they can do that amendment and get it passed. That’s the danger.
CUOMO: Well, you need a two-thirds vote in the Congress and three-quarters of the state legislatures.
LEMON: The may be able to do that.
CUOMO: Maybe. But that’s a tall task.
(…)
