CNN anchor Don Lemon began last night’s broadcast with “The president of the United States is racist”
Yesterday, January 11th, President Donald Trump continued his pattern of offensive rhetoric when he questioned in an immigration meeting why the United States would want to take immigrants from “shithole countries.” Many were quick to respond to Trump’s comments with outrage. And CNN anchor Don Lemon took it a step farther, plainly stating that Trump is a racist.
“This is CNN Tonight. I’m Don Lemon. The president of the United States is racist,” Lemon began his broadcast.
“Those comments are frankly disgusting,” Lemon continued. “They’re not shocking — not even really surprising because this is who Donald Trump is — this is what he thinks.”
The Washington Post reported that Trump made the comment in question during a meeting to discuss replacing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. When members of Congress brought up protecting immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, and nations in Africa, Trump wondered aloud why the U.S. would want immigrants from “shithole countries.”
In his broadcast, Lemon cited Trump’s preference for immigrants from Norway — a predominantly white, European country — as further proof of the president’s racism. He also called out Trump’s supporters for ignoring Trump’s bigoted remarks.
“For years, I and others have been trying to tell you, the American people, that this man was was exhibiting bigoted behavior,” he said.
Trump denied making the “shithole countries” remark in a tweet on January 12th, but the White House, but Senator Dick Durbin confirmed on CBS Chicago that the president had made the comment.
The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made - a big setback for DACA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
Lemon and Trump have feuded before. In December, after the New York Times reported that Trump watches Lemon’s show out of spite, the president responded by denying that he watched the show and called Lemon the “dumbest man” on TV.
Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the “dumbest man on television!” Bad Reporting.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2017
And Trump has a history of discriminatory statements. In November, he called Senator Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas” at a Navajo veterans’ event. And most recently, the president said that immigrants from Haiti “all have AIDS” and Nigerians wouldn’t want to “go back to their huts” after living in the U.S.
Sadly, even in 2018, racism is still alive and well in the U.S. But one of the first steps to ending prejudice is to bring attention to it, so Lemon’s commentary was greatly needed. We commend Lemon for calling out prejudice, even at the hands of our own president.
