Former CNN anchor Don Lemon delivered a scathing rebuke of former President Donald Trump's recent xenophobic comments targeting Somali immigrants, while also taking aim at what he perceives as a lack of forceful pushback from mainstream media outlets.
Lemon's Blunt Condemnation on His Show
During the Friday episode of his Substack program, Lemon did not mince words. He characterized Trump's rhetoric as "racist, it's vulgar, it's beneath the dignity of the White House, it is sexist." Lemon went further, stating, "And quite frankly, it's just gross and Donald Trump seems like a gross, bigoted, racist piece of shit." He concluded that such language should be "disqualifying to be a president of the United States."
Media's 'Tough Position' and Fear of Pushback
In a discussion with White House press veteran Tommy Christopher, Lemon analyzed the journalistic response to Trump's frequent offensive tangents. He expressed sympathy for reporters, noting they are in a "really tough position right now" due to concerns over job security. "I think CNN has the best journalists in the world, but I think it's a tough position right now because I think people at all the networks are concerned about how much they push back," Lemon said.
He argued that this fear directly impacts the "quality and the content" of coverage. "Why doesn't it get called out? I think it would be called out even more if people weren't afraid to criticize this president," Lemon questioned.
Context of Trump's Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric
The comments from Lemon came in response to a series of anti-immigrant attacks Trump launched this week. These followed his administration's decision to halt all asylum processing after two National Guard soldiers were shot in Washington, D.C.
Despite the suspect being from Afghanistan, Trump specifically targeted Somali immigrants, claiming they "contribute nothing" and stating, "I don't want them in our country." His rhetoric escalated during a Wednesday Oval Office press conference, where he said, "Look how bad their nation is. It's not even a nation. It's just people walking around killing each other," and falsely accused Somalis of taking "billions of dollars out of our country" and destroying Minnesota.
He also launched a verbal attack against Somali refugee and Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, saying, "We can go one way or the other, and we're going to go the wrong way, if we keep taking in garbage into our country." This rhetoric aligns with reported plans by the Trump administration for a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions around immigration policy and the challenges faced by media in holding powerful figures accountable for inflammatory language, a dilemma sharply outlined by Don Lemon's commentary.
