Former CNN anchor Don Lemon expressed outrage at the idea that the rhetoric from Democrats could be compared to President Trump’s comments, particularly in light of a recent shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He described such comparisons as “absolutely crazy!”
During Monday’s episode of “The Don Lemon Show,” he acknowledged that some pollsters and journalists have suggested that it’s time for the left to reevaluate its messaging, especially after the third attempted assassination of the president over the weekend.
“Words have consequences. Rhetoric really matters, and I truly believe that. It’s not just something that applies to one side; it impacts everyone,” Lemon stated.
However, he couldn’t align with the notion of equating Democratic criticisms of Trump with the former president’s call to action during the January 6th insurrection. “For Democrats to claim that Trump is detrimental to this country is in no way similar to him urging his supporters to march on the Capitol and ‘fight like hell,'” he explained.
Lemon voiced his frustration about what he views as false equivalencies. He stood up and exclaimed, “That’s because it’s a bull—!”
His remarks seemed to blend two segments of Trump’s January 6 speech where Trump stated, “I know that everyone here will soon be marching to the Capitol to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” followed by, “And we will fight. We will fight like hell. And if we don’t fight like hell, we won’t have a country anymore.”
Trump is currently pursuing legal action against the BBC for $10 billion, claiming defamation for how those statements were presented in a documentary.
Follow the latest updates on the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Lemon went on to emphasize that there are numerous instances where Trump has said and done harmful things. “The person who has worsened the political climate in this country is the one man in the Oval Office. I want to make that clear,” he reiterated.
Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old California teacher and engineer, appeared in court on Monday to face charges stemming from the attempted targeting of White House officials. He faces a potential life sentence on three charges, including attempted assassination.
In a disturbing manifesto, Allen referred to himself as a “friendly federal assassin” and made his intentions regarding Trump known. He expressed a determination to combat what he viewed as crimes by political leaders, mentioning issues such as drug smuggling and immigration policy.
Lemon reflected that some of Allen’s grievances are indeed shared by many people. “But the specific language he used comes from a toxic environment, one not fostered by Democrats,” he added.
He made it clear that Allen’s actions were unacceptable, stating, “It doesn’t matter how upset you are; you can’t go into a room full of people with a weapon.”
Trump noted that Allen was subdued and arrested after exchanging gunfire with agents during the incident, which resulted in one Secret Service agent being injured but saved due to wearing a bulletproof vest.
Lemon concluded by asserting, “I don’t want Donald Trump to die. It’s not because I have any fondness for him; I really don’t. I think he’s quite unpleasant.” He argued that eliminating Trump would only create a martyr and that he would prefer to see him defeated at the polls.
