Don Lemon will be starting his totally-not-a-demotion stint on CNN’s revamped morning show CNN This Morning this morning. NewsBusters thought it would nice to go down memory lane and review Lemon’s disgusting remarks that the network would prefer were not memory-holed.
Lemon’s earliest comments that got people talking and asking questions about his intelligence was his speculation about the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and if it was swallowed up by a black hole. “It’s absurd, but is it absurd?”
Lemon was an integral part CNN’s plunge into the s***hole, accounting for 33 of the 195 mentions of “s***hole”, on January 12, 2018.
Lemon also made it his mission to be the arbiter for race relations in America, and proved himself to be one the most hateful TV hosts. He once stated that white men were the greatest terror threat to this country and recommended they be banned. He also claimed that the Black Lives Matter Riots of 2020 were similar to Boston Tea Party, and that Trump voters were like the Klan or Nazis.
He insists that Republicans are “very harmful to our society” and that he must admit that. This is unlikely to change with a cup of morning coffee.
NewsBusters Media Editor Bill D’Agostino compiled this short montage of Lemon’s primetime blathering.
These are just a few examples of Lemon’s most outrageous and absurd outbursts throughout the years.
Missing Jet: A Coverage Beyond-Embarrassing
“Whether it was hijacking, terrorism, mechanical failure or pilot error; but what if it were something that we don’t fully understand? Many people have been asking questions about this, about black holes, and all the other conspiracy theories. Let’s take a look at this …. I know it’s absurd, but is it ridiculous ?”– Anchor Don Lemon wrapping up a CNN special at 10 p.m. ET on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on March 19, 2014. The headline was: “The Theory of Black Holes.”
Hillary: Bill’s Bad Behavior is “Low Blow”
Kurt Schlicter, Townhall.com columnist: “I would love to bring Hillary Clinton’s actions into it. She was faced with the choice of standing with a serial abuser or with women who are being abused — “Host Don Lemon: Stop, stop stop, stop stop, and stop. It’s unfair.”Schlicter: “—- by a serious sexual harasser. That’s fair.”Lemon: “It’s not fair. It is unfair. It is a low blow. This has to stop. This is the lowest low, and it has nothing at all to do with Hillary Clinton. It’s a cheap shot. Please, stop. Please, cut him off. We are grateful. We’re done. We are grateful. We’ll be back .”– Exchange at CNN Newsroom, December 22, 2015
Trump is not smart enough to understand those big words
“The extemporaneous speech of President Trump is different from what he said tonight. It sounded to me — and this is just — I thought it was — he sounded very presidential. This speech was written by a college student to impress someone else. The person who was reciting it didn’t know the meaning. It sounded .”– Don Lemon discusses Trump’s address to Congress, CNN Tonight, March 1, 2017.
What do Blacks have to lose under Trump? There are many.
“What does African-Americans have at stake? The President’s budget proposes to cut funding for federal agencies that aid poor and urban areas. This includes many African-Americans. The proposed budget cuts funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by 13.2 percent, 13.5 percent and 16.2 percent respectively for the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Education. It seems that some African-Americans are losing much .”– Host Don Lemon, CNN Tonight, March 16, 2017.
GOP “Enablers” Are “Complicit” in Racism
“It’s unbelievable that people are willing to defend Donald Trump’s statements yesterday on CNN and other networks. There is no defense for what Trump said. Yesterday’s comments were disgusting. It was not American. It was un-American. Let me be clear: anyone who is in the White House and is supporting him is complicit with their racism …. When will Republicans stand up and say enough .”– Don Lemon, CNN New Day, August 16, 2018.
Trump’s “Cruel DACA Decision = White Supremacy Agenda”
“This is one the most cruel acts we’ve ever seen in the presidency in many years ….I fear since Charlottesville and the talk regarding the white supremacists ….[The pardon for Sheriff Joe] Arpaio, and now this ….Increasingly there’s a sign out there saying, “If you’re white, you’re probably not especially welcome .”– CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, September 5, 2017, September 5, 2017.
Time to Ban White Men
“White men are the greatest terror threat to this country, most of them radicalized right-leaning, and we must do something about them. They are not subject to a travel ban. They are not banned – they had the Muslim ban. There is no ban on white guys. What can we do about the ?”– Host Don Lemon, CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time on October 29, 2018?
Lemon defends Antifa
“It’s right there in the name Antifa, Anti-Fascism which is what they’re fighting. Listen. You know that no organization is perfect. There are instances of violence. The violence is not condoned by anyone. There are many reasons why Antifa and these neo-Nazis exist. One, racists and fascists. The other group fighting racism, fascists is the one that exists. There is a distinction .”– Don Lemon speaks about Antifa on CNN Tonight on August 28, 2018.
Trump “Traffics in Racism”
“This President is a racist and bully. From putting children in cages at the border to bullying journalists at rallies, Trump is a bully. Here’s how President Trump’s divide and conquer strategy works. He divides by race, and tries to conquer dignity by smearing the truth and the people who uphold it ….I wonder whether he will succeed …..He has his finger on this country’s pulse. Is he revealing who us really are ?”– Don Lemon responds to Trump’s tweet calling himself the “dumbest man in television” on CNN Tonight, August 6, 2018.
Praise for Pelosi’s Performance
“I was like, “oh, my gods, Nancy Pelosi!’ I mean, she handled herself amazingly I’m sure Democrats will be going all across the nation tonight,’ Don Lemon in discussion on Donald Trump-Chuck Schumer-Nancy Pelosi meeting, aired on CNN Tonight, December 11, 2018.
Trump is Hitler
“But think about the despicable individuals we’ve had throughout history. OK? Okay? Think of Hitler. Think about any one of these people. Would you agree that this person is allowed? Or, let’s just say it this way. Would you be able to look back at history and say that you are glad that this person was allowed to spread hate, propaganda, and lies? Or would you argue that it wasn’t right to spread that because you knew that they were a bad person. They were doing terrible things. They were not only hurting people. They were killing people .”– Host Don Lemon, CNN Tonight, June 18, 2019.
Lemon accuses Trump of having Obama Envy
“What is it that President Obama really gets under your [Donald Trump] skin?” Is it because he is smarter than you? Are you more educated? He did it all on his own, he didn’t need to have help from daddy, and his wife is more accomplished and better looking. I don’t know what it is, but I do not know. What is it about him that makes it so special? He’s a black man who’s succeeded, and became president. He punched you on the whole issue of birth certificates. What is it about him that makes you wonder? Just curious .”– Don Lemon, CNN Tonight, May 3.
Stopping the looting = “Declaring war on Americans”
“Open your eyes, America. Open your eyes. We are on the brink of a dictatorship. This is chaos. Is the President declaring war against Americans? What is the matter ?”– Don Lemon discusses Trump’s plan to bring in the military to stop looters. This was aired on CNN’s Situation Room on June 1, 2020.
Looting and Rioting Just like The Boston Tea Party
“Let’s not forget that if anyone is judging this, I’m judging it. Because we were supposed to have figured out this experiment long ago, I am just curious about what is happening. This is how the Boston Tea Party started our country. Rioting. Don’t get it twisted. This is not something that has ever happened before. This is how the country was founded .”– Don Lemon describes scenes of looting in CNN Tonight, May 30, 2020.
Voting for Trump means you are on the same side as the Klan
“If you voted Trump, you voted the Klan’s supporter. You voted for the Nazi-supporting person. You voted in favor of the alt-right supporter. That’s the crowd you are in.” — Don Lemon, CNN host: The 2nd Trump Impeachment Vote. January 14, 2021.
Republicans Are Always “Horrible” Even When Reagan Was Around
“Reagan wasn’t perfect. They hold Reagan up as a gold standard ….Look at what he actually accomplished He was terrible when it comes to racial issues and even worse when it comes to the AIDS crisis. He was terrible when it came to unifying the country. He did not unify the country, he was a divider! They hold him up as a golden standard …. I think the Republican Party has been moving forward in this direction for a long time. They are the party of all they pretend to be. Now, say ‘The people in Capitol, that’s NOT us.’ It is you! “The people who were in Charlottesville that’s not us” is the correct answer.
“I’m not a partisan” but Dems Must Save America from Insane, Obsolete Republicans
“I’m not a political person ….But our Democracy is in peril right now and that’s because one party, and that party is the Republican party… The Democrats are ….the party that promotes morality. I don’t believe the Republican party ….What they have in mind is white grievance and white fear. Trump took advantage of that. The country is changing and they are afraid …. The only party that is actually operating in reality right now is the Democratic Party. The Republican Party is dead. The Republican Party is not dealing or living in reality. You cannot negotiate with a party which doesn’t operate according to logic .”– Host Don Lemon, CNN New Day, May 21, 20,21
“Dangerous” Republicans Don’t Deserve a Fair Shot
“We want to give this false equivalent to Democrats and Republicans. This is not the situation we are in right now. Republicans are doing something very dangerous for our society and we must acknowledge it. As Americans, we must acknowledge this. As journalists, we must acknowledge this because we can’t do our jobs if we don’t. We can’t pretend that Republicans ….have given them a break .’…They have a lot of questions in this moment ….They have reclaimed a right [abortion] which was ….granted American women for 50 year. If they appear on CNN, they will have to answer those questions. They must answer that question if they appear on MSNBC. They must also answer for ABC if they go on MSNBC. They cannot expect to be coddled when going on to a news organisation.” — Don Lemon, host of CNN’s New Day, July 14, 20, 2022.
