CNN anchor Don Lemon unloaded on President Donald Trump after the Justice Department said Thursday that the president was “actively monitoring” the investigation of four Minneapolis police officers over the death of an unarmed black man, exclaiming that nobody “wants to hear from the Birther-in-Chief.”
During a press conference late Thursday afternoon, local and federal investigators insisted that they “can’t rush” bringing charges for the death of George Floyd, who was pronounced dead after an officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. With protests raging across the country, U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald said the investigation was a “top priority” for the feds before adding that Trump and Attorney General William Barr were paying high attention to the case.
Moments after the presser wrapped up, Lemon blew up over MacDonald invoking the president in this particular situation, bringing up a number of incidents Trump has been involved in over the years that have widely been seen as racist.
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“I know she has a tough job, but guess what, as long as we are being honest right now, nobody wants to hear from the White House or the attorney general right now,” Lemon exclaimed. “No one wants to hear from the man who wanted the death penalty to come back for the Central Park Five.”
“No one wants to hear from the man who says that the former president was not born in this country,” the CNN anchor continued, in something of a call-and-response fashion. “No one wants to hear from the man who said there are ‘very fine people on both sides.’ Do you understand what I am saying?”
“No one wants to hear from the person that they perceive as contributing to situations like this in this society,” Lemon kept going. “Not directly, but allowing people like that to think they can get away from this. No one wants to hear from the Birther-in-Chief, from the ‘sons of bitches’-calling person, who says that athletes are kneeling for this very reason.”
After scolding federal investigators for seemingly having more urgency in telling protesters to calm down than investigating police brutality, Lemon concluded by expressing some solidarity with demonstrators amid the increasingly violent clashes.
“I understand the anger of the people upset in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” he said. “I don’t condone the actions. I don’t understand the actions, but I understand the anger.”
