CNN anchor Don Lemon claimed on Monday night that it’s “not my intention to say bad things” about President Trump, despite being known as one of the most outspoken anti-Trump journalists.
During his nightly handoff with CNN colleague Chris Cuomo, Lemon complained about the daily White House press briefings on the coronavirus and noted the absence of prominent task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci. And while trashing the president, Lemon praised Cuomo’s brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“Here’s the thing… as I’m watching, I kept saying ‘Why are we even listening to the president?’ But he’s the president and I understand that- ‘Why aren’t we just listening to the experts?’ Lemon began. “I kept watching your brother and my mom kept calling me and saying, ‘Wait, is Chris’s brother the president now? He should be because he’s doing what the president should be doing.’ And then she’ll call me during the president and say, ‘Why are we listening to him? Nothing he’s saying is factual. Why is he talking about the money he gave away, why is he doing this? I don’t understand it. Why is he yelling at a reporter? What is going on? He’s not acting presidential.’ And all I can say to her is, ‘Mom, he’s never going to.'”
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He continued, “I’m not saying that- it is not my business or it is not my intention to say bad things about the president. I just don’t think it’s in him, Chris. And I’m not sure if we should look to him for that even though that’s what we look to presidents for, it’s just not in this man to do it.”
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Lemon later said that Dr. Fauci should “play traffic cop” at the White House pressers since every time Trump “open his mouth,” “the Dow goes down.”
“He should take cues from your brother, I’m just saying…” Lemon told Cuomo.
The “CNN Tonight” anchor was widely criticized in January for his over-the-top laughter in response to his panelists ridiculing Trump supporters as illiterate “credulous rubes.”
