CNN host Don Lemon argued that the United States is “teetering on a dictatorship” during a Monday night appearance on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
Lemon’s analysis came after President Donald Trump’s promise Monday to mobilize federal resources against those rioting, burning buildings, looting and assaulting police after the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
Promising to take “immediate presidential action” to restore order, Trump said, “I am mobilizing all federal resources, civilian and military to stop the rioting and looting, to end the destruction and arson, and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights.”
Lemon reacted to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer’s contention that the president “did not mince his words at all” by calling it a “made for TV moment.”
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Lemon said that Trump “sounded weak and scared” during a call with governors urging them to take a stronger stance against rioters.
“Those were the orders from the commander-in-chief for this very moment that just happened in front of our eyes,” said Lemon. “Why were we pretending otherwise? Open your eyes, America. Open your eyes. We are teetering on a dictatorship. This is chaos. Has the president — I’m listening — is the president declaring war on Americans? What is happening here?”
“He’s saying he wants to protect peaceful protesters at the same time sending law enforcement and military into the streets to push peaceful protesters back, to be aggressive with peaceful protesters,” the CNN host continued. “He is doing the exact opposite of what he said in that speech. I think the president is playing a very, very dangerous game here.”
Lemon characterized those on the streets as “upset” and “angry.”
“Again, I am not condoning violence at all, and I hope that they remain peaceful, but I hope that they stand up and fight for their rights to peacefully protest in this country,” he said before again accusing Trump of “playing a very dangerous game” that “will backfire.”
The CNN host argued that “militarized police departments” have made people “feel like they are occupied in their own communities.” (RELATED: Beating Up An Old Man, Assaulting Journalists, And Ramming Protesters With Cars: Police Violence During Protests Caught On Video)
“Now the entire country according to his orders, we are living under a militarized country or we will be soon and it will play out in front of our very eyes on national television,” he concluded.
