Don Lemon’s panel Monday night bashing Republicans crumbled into chaos as two commentators turned on each other for having worked for Republicans in the past.
The host, along with “CNN Republicans” turned reliable sycophants for Democrats -- Amanda Carpenter, Ana Navarro and Anthony Scaramucci -- were venting about Trump voters in Georgia telling CNN that they believed the election was stolen. Carpenter complained Republicans in general had been “radicalized” by “right wing media”:
I'm sorry, these people, the Republican base has been radicalized by right-wing media for many years, quite frankly, before Trump came along, to believe that the other side is bad, right? They're evil. They're socialists. Oh they're pedophiles running some crazy cabal. They've been primed for this message. So when Donald Trump comes along and says they stole it, they say, ‘yup, uh-huh. Uh-huh.’ Because that's been in their ear in this toxic cultural soup that they've created in the right-wing ecosphere. That starts at the bottom, with a lot of talk radio, and has been exploded by Facebook and algorithims, and even see on Fox News. All the time now. Like you can trace what’s on primetime television to these 8 crazy channels. So that's what is going on. They come to the rally already having that in their head. That's not something Donald Trump is spoon-feeding them because they lost a job. Sorry.
While Navarro ranted that Trump’s “cult” didn’t deserve respect because they thought they were above the Constitution, even comparing Trump's actions to "left-wing dictators" in Venezuela.
Lemon agreed that Trump voters should know better and didn't deserve respect. He made this point in the first hour of his show as well, saying to Republicans, “Stop saying that we must respect Trump supporters who believe bullshit because it is bullshit that you have been feeding them!”
However the Trump-voter-bashing turned into a food fight between Scaramucci and Carpenter, who both attacked each other for once working for Republicans.
ANA NAVARRO to SCARAMUCCI: You know damn well it's a dog whistle. You're too smart for that.
AMANDA CARPENTER: Well, he worked for Trump, so I don't know.
[Don Lemon laughs]
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI to CARPENTER: You worked for Ted Cruz, a full-on traitor. What are you talking about? You don't have any standing to say that.
CARPENTER: Excuse me? Excuse me, Anthony Scaramucci.
SCARAMUCCI: You worked for Ted Cruz, a full on traitor. C’mon.
CARPENTER: I remember you going to the cameras and praising Donald Trump to the hilt. When I worked for Ted Cruz, you want to go there? He took principled Constitutional stands. Excuse me, what was that? You really think I should answer to you? With my work history, when you were Donald Trump's communications person willingly? Get lost.
SCARAMUCCI: Don't be a hypocrite on national TV. I owned to the mistake of Donald Trump. Try not to be a hypocrite on national TV.
CARPENTER: You were Donald Trump's mouthpiece. Everybody knew what kind of person he was then and has shown himself to be now.
SCARAMUCCI: 74 million people voted for him. This is the country you're living in.
The argument dwindled from there as Lemon cut to commercial.
This GOP-bashing segment was paid for by sponsors Aveeno and Allstate. You can contact them at the Conservatives Fight Back page here.
Read the full transcript below:
CNN Tonight With Don Lemon
1/4/2021
11:21:25-11:30:08PM EST
DON LEMON: Anthony, President Trump is spreading his lies on phone calls, he’s spreading it on Twitter, and at rallies. The most dangerous part, the fact that so many Americans believe it. Why?!
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI: Well, a lot of Americans unfortunately are dissatisfied with the system. So they're prone to conspiracy theory. He likes creating that kind of havoc. But just remember one thing. This is totally premeditated. He knows exactly what he's doing. He knows he lost the election. He said the same thing about Ted Cruz after the Iowa caucus. He was going to say the same thing about the 2016 election, because he thought he had lost that election. So he's just repurposing that for right now. It's a money making scheme. It's designed to intimidate the Republican party and bring--basically effectively burn down the house, Don.
LEMON: Okay, I understand that. I mean, those people are --
AMANDA CARPENTER: I disagree with that a little bit.
LEMON: I was going to say, most people are adults. Go on.
AMANDA CARPENTER: We shouldn't buy the idea that people are dissatisfied with the system. I'm sorry, these people, the Republican base has been radicalized by right-wing media for many years, quite frankly, before Trump came along, to believe that the other side is bad, right? They're evil. They're socialists. Oh they're pedophiles running some crazy cabal. They've been primed for this message. So when Donald Trump comes along and says they stole it, they say, ‘yup, uh-huh. Uh-huh.’ Because that's been in their ear in this toxic cultural soup that they've created in the right-wing ecosphere. That starts at the bottom, with a lot of talk radio, and has been exploded by Facebook and algorithims, and even see on Fox News. All the time now. Like you can trace what’s on primetime television to these 8 crazy channels. So that's what is going on. They come to the rally already having that in their head. That's not something Donald Trump is spoon-feeding them because they lost a job. Sorry.
DON LEMON: I was just going to say---
[cross-talk]
DON LEMON: Hang on, hang on. What I was going to say is, I will, hold on, Ana. I understand that people, if you say you have to respect -- no. Those people are adults. They should know better. Yes, the president is responsible for spreading misinformation. But as an adult, you have to take responsibility for your own beliefs. They're believing things that have been proven over and over to be false. Yet they still want to believe them. Who do you think you are that you -- yes, you have the right to vote. And you should. But people Don't -- the right only goes so far. No one has to show you a voting machine. As a private citizen. That's what authorities do, the people who investigate. That's their job, to investigate the election and to investigate if there's voter fraud and to give you the information. It is not--You can't say, show me this and show me that and show me that. That's called entitlement. That's not deserved or earned, just because you lose, it doesn't mean you have the right to those things. That's not how the world works. The other side lost. People lose all the time. And they Don't demand that you show them any of that stuff. That is delusional, and that's entitlement, and that should be called out. You guys, go on.
ANA NAVARRO: Listen, Don, the ironic thing is, the voting machines have been shown. There's been court cases.
LEMON: Yup.
NAVARRO: Joe Biden has won Georgia now three times. He's won in court, he's won at the ballot box. It's been audited. I mean, they have been shown. They have been investigated. But, listen, part of what is happening with this Trump base, with this Trump cult, because when you are subject to a cult leader, and you put that over truth and fact, it's a cult. Whether you like the word or not. It's a cult. Is that Donald Trump, has been the president of that base, of that cult. So he'll tell Cubans what they want to hear regarding Cuba. Even if he might do something different. He'll tell racists what they want to hear about discrimination, against taking a knee and all those things. They like Trump. It’s a lot of what Amanda has said, but it's also the fact that he has courted that base. But let me tell you something. You know, I cannot respect the Trump voter if they cannot respect the Constitution. We cannot put respect for one man's supporters over democracy. And over the Constitution. And over election results. And anybody who heard that phone call, and if you haven't, you should, should know that this is the kind of stuff that happens in Venezuela. That happens in Nicaragua, under left-wing dictators. I spent months hearing Republican elected officials warn that voting for any Democrat would mean that America would turn into Venezuela. Well no, if they don't speak up against this abuse of power by Donald Trump, that is what dictators in those countries do. Harass, and attack and threaten the political opposition.
LEMON: I wanted to give Anthony an opportunity to respond. Go on, what did you want to say?
SCARAMUCCI: Listen, I agree with Ana. I Don't want to sound like a cult deprogrammer. But people that are unhappy or dissatisfied with the system are prone to conspiracy, they're prone to cult leaders. And we got to fix the system. You have to acknowledge that 74 million people voted for him, that's more people that voted for him after he was impeached. That tells you there's something wrong in the system. Yes, you guys are right that these Republican leaders are taking advantage of it, despicable people like Josh Hawley. But we have to either break down that party, rebuild another center-right party. But the people are unhappy.
LEMON: Is there a breakdown in the system or in the people. Is there a breakdown in society?
SCARAMUCCI: There are so many have and have nots, now.
LEMON: I Don't see this about haves and have nots.
SCARAMUCCI: It's identity politics and it’s economics.
[cross-talk]
NAVARRO: Anthony, I got to tell you. There is no phrase I hate more than identity politics. Because somehow when people talk about identity politics, when Republicans talk about identity politics, they're talking about people like me. And people like Don. They're talking about our agenda, our sexuality, they’re talking about our skin color. And our ethnicity. How about people who identify as Second Amendment voters, who want to vote for candidates who represent that? Is that not identity politics? How about people who vote only based on abortion, and they want to vote for people who identify with the way they feel? Is that not identity politics--
LEMON: I've got to run, Ana.
SCARAMUCCI: I don't agree with it, Ana. I'm just pointing out what it is.
NAVARRO: It's a stupid --
LEMON: I got to go.
NAVARRO: It’s a stupid--You know damn well it's a dog whistle. You're too smart for that.
CARPENTER: Well, he worked for Trump, so I don't know.
[Lemon laughs]
SCARAMUCCI: You worked for Ted Cruz, a full-on traitor. What are you talking about? You don't have any standing to say that.
CARPENTER: Excuse me? Excuse me, Anthony Scaramucci.
SCARAMUCCI: You worked for Ted Cruz, a full on traitor. C’mon.
CARPENTER: I remember you going to the cameras and praising Donald Trump to the hilt. When I worked for Ted Cruz, you want to go there? He took principled Constitutional stands. Excuse me, what was that? You really think I should answer to you? With my work history, when you were Donald Trump's communications person willingly? Get lost.
SCARAMUCCI: Don't be a hypocrite on national TV. I owned to the mistake of Donald Trump. Try not to be a hypocrite on national TV.
CARPENTER: You were Donald Trump's mouthpiece. Everybody knew what kind of person he was then and has shown himself to be now.
SCARAMUCCI: 74 million people voted for him. This is the country you're living in.
