In another example of his open defiance of new CNN boss Chris Licht’s order to be less egregious in their partisanship, Don Lemon spent part of his eponymous show on Wednesday arguing with Republican Scott Jennings and absurdly claiming that President Biden was “unifying” the country by calling Republicans fascists. He even suggested it was “the truth about what is happening in the country” and asked, “where’s the lie?”
Jennings noted that Biden had abandoned his message of unity from his 2020 campaign and inaugural address. “Yes. But a lot has happened between now and his inaugural address,” Lemon scoffed at the objection.
And as Jennings pushed back, Lemon argued that Biden’s attacks – meant to energize the radical left –were the message needed to unify Americans. “Can the unifying message be that some of what he's saying is true because there are a lot of people, I got to tell you, Scott, a lot of folks would go, where's the lie? I don't see no lies detective,” he suggested.
It was an argument he would double down on during a shouting match with Jennings, a short time later:
LEMON: He's telling the truth about what is happening in the country for the most part. I'm not saying that everybody is fascist.
JENNINGS: You go to --
LEMON: Listen, hang on, hang on. I'm not even saying, I don't think it's, it was the best thing for him to use that language. But you have to call a thing, a thing. You have to call it what it is. You can't, you know, that – that is unifying.
JENNINGS: If --
LEMON: By bringing people around to the reality of what is.
Lemon continued to lash out at Republicans and was irritated by those objecting to the fascist label. “I think Republicans in this moment should spare me the hysteria about something that this current president, one thing that he said when every single day I sat here for five years and listened to Donald Trump…” he whined.
But that was a lie. Calling the GOP fascist wasn’t the first disparaging thing Biden has said about Republicans during his time as President. Looking back at the Democratic attempts to unconstitutionally nationalize elections, Biden suggested Republicans were supporting “Jim Crow 2.0.”
Lemon then continued his bitter rant: “And now all of a sudden, Republicans, my gosh. He said that there was a semi-fascist tinge to the Republican Party and you get all bent out of shape about it.”
“First of all, not hysterical about it. Second of all, is that the bar you're setting for Joe Biden? And say, well, Donald Trump was mean. So, it's okay,” Jennings shot back. “No. It's not the bar,” Lemon scrambled.
Lemon knew full well that he was in open defiance of Licht’s order too. As they were going to the commercial break, Lemon admitted “I’m in so much trouble” and gave a big hardy laugh.
Lemon’s suggestion that calling the GOP fascist was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Flex Seal and Discover. Their contact information linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight
September 1, 2022
10:52:12 p.m. Eastern(…)
SCOTT JENNINGS: I mean, look, my views on this are a little different. I do agree it's a shift away. I mean, if you go back and listen to his inaugural address and then you listen to the way he's talking about Republicans now, I mean, he's not trying to unify the country.
DON LEMON: Yes. But a lot has happened between now and his inaugural dress.
JENNINGS: I understand.
LEMON: I mean, there was --
JENNINGS: But he ran his campaign on I'm going to unify the country. His message to the nation was we're all in this together. I'm going to unify the country. And now he's out saying two things. One, lots of you all are fascists. And by the way, if you vote Republican, there's a decent chance that our democracy is no longer going to exist. These are not unifying messages by any stretch.
NATASHA ALFORD: But he can't turn a blind eye to that.
LEMON: Right.
ALFORD: I think you and I both agree he's doing it for --
LEMON: Can the unifying message be that some of what he's saying is true, because there are a lot of people, I got to tell you, Scott, a lot of folks would go, where's the lie? I don't see no lies detective.
JENNINGS: I think there are 70, 80 million Americans who would say just because I choose to vote Republican doesn't make me a fascist and it doesn't make me --
LEMON: But he did not call --
JENNINGS: -- want to --
LEMON: Scott, I got to be honest with you. He did not call all Republicans fascists. And 80 million Americans he said MAGA Republican --
ALFORD: Extreme.
LEMON: And he made it into distinction and he also pointed out Republicans who were not part of what you're saying. Look, I know it's a good campaign.
JENNINGS: Listen, there -- it's why is it up to Joe Biden to divide up the Republicans? When Republicans go to the vote --
LEMON: Well, he's running. He's a --
JENNINGS: -- when they, but listen.
LEMON: OK, Scott, listen.
JENNINGS: No, no.
LEMON: No, no, no, no, no, no. Listen, the former President every single day talk shit about everybody, including other presidents, including members of his own party, probably you on CNN, and now everybody is all of a sudden, they've got the vapors about one statement that Joe Biden made in the entire year and a half of his presidency.
JENNINGS: They're not the ones --
LEMON: It's just, I mean, spare me the --
JENNINGS: But Republicans aren't the ones who had -- who had Joe Biden out every day saying I'm going to unify the country. We're all in this together. We're all -- we're not enemies.
LEMON: But --
ALFORD: You call a thing, a thing.
LEMON: He is also telling the truth, Scott.
ALFORD: That's right.
LEMON: He's telling the truth about what is happening in the country in the most part. I'm not saying that everybody is fascist.
JENNINGS: You go to --
LEMON: Listen, hang on, hang on. I'm not even saying, I don't think it's, it was the best thing for him to use that language. But you have to call a thing, a thing. You have to call it what it is. You can't, you know, that – that is unifying.
JENNINGS: If --
LEMON: By bringing people around to the reality of what is.
(…)
10:56:20 p.m. Eastern
LEMON: I'm saying, I think Republicans in this moment should spare me the hysteria about something that this current president, one thing that he said when every single day I sat here for five years and listened to Donald Trump called people, call country shithole, call people sons of bitches, made fun of reporters for having, you know, for their disabilities. All kinds of things where he talked about people's mother, where he made fun of gold star families.
And now all of a sudden, Republicans, my gosh. He said that there was a semi-fascist tinge to the Republican Party and you get all bent out of shape about it. I'm just saying have the same energy for Joe Biden or for, excuse me, for Donald Trump, as you have for Joe Biden, when there's something you don't like coming out of his mouth.
JENNINGS: First of all, not hysterical about it. Second of all, is that the bar you're setting for Joe Biden?
LEMON: No. It's not the bar.
JENNINGS: And say, well, Donald Trump was mean. So, it's okay.
LEMON: No.
JENNINGS: I mean, that's not -- that's a low bar.
(…)
10:57:41 p.m. Eastern
LEMON: I’m in so much trouble.
[Laughter]
(…)
