CNN host Don Lemon lamented the media’s attempt at bipartisan coverage rather than attacking Republicans’ alleged “extremism” on CNN’s “New Day” Thursday.
Lemon dismissed the idea of straight, bipartisan reporting, which is reportedly being pushed by CNN President Chris Licht, instead calling on media coverage to “acknowledge” Republicans’ actions as a “danger to our society.”
“We sit around and we talk about these things and we want to give this false equivalence to Democrats and Republicans,” Lemon said. “That is not where we are right now. Republicans are doing something that is very dangerous to our society and we have to acknowledge that. We have to acknowledge that as Americans, we must acknowledge that as journalists, because if we don’t, we’re not doing our jobs. We cannot sit here and pretend like ‘Oh, Republicans, cut them a break.’ They have a lot to answer for in this moment.”
The host claimed Republicans must answer for former President Donald Trump’s actions leading up to and during the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and passing abortion bans after the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
“If they come on CNN, they must answer for that. If they come on MSNBC, they must answer for that. If they go on ABC, they must answer for that,” he continued. “They cannot expect to be coddled when they go onto a news organization or when they step up in front of a crowd of supporters or voters or of Americans.”
He claimed that Republicans are becoming increasingly associated with extremists, warning American society will go “off a cliff” if these associations continue. He also said President Joe Biden’s vow of uniting Americans is a “misrepresentation” of the reason he was elected.
Lemon said the American people elected Biden because they longed for a return to normalcy, fearing the possibility of “an insurrection at the United States Capitol” and reading “crazy headlines.” He accused the Republican Party of endorsing extremism.
“You have the inmates running the asylum, basically. You have the extremists, because I know there are Republicans sitting out there going ‘No, Don Lemon, that’s not what we are.’ It’s maybe not what you are, but it’s what your party’s become. It is what you have allowed to happen.”
CNN’s Brianna Keilar pushed back arguing there are Republicans, including former communications director for 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush, who would agree with Lemon’s interpretation of the modern Republican Party. The host agreed there are members of the party who reject extremism, but argued the number is limited.
Lemon’s remarks follow the network’s evaluation of their partisan tone.