Trump calls CNN anchor Don Lemon 'dumbest man on television' after panelist mocks his supporters
A CNN panel has sparked fierce condemnation from President Trump and his 2020 campaign after a Monday night segment where they mocked his supporters as "credulous boomer rubes."
Featuring CNN anchor Don Lemon, New York Times columnist and CNN contributor Wajahat Ali, and ex-GOP strategist Rick Wilson, the panel was originally aired on Saturday night during a special live coverage of the impeachment trial. The trio was discussing the heated exchange between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had with an NPR journalist, where he allegedly challenged the reporter to point out Ukraine on a map.
Wilson attacked President Trump and his supporters using the topic at hand, Fox News reports.
"[Pompeo] also knows deep within his heart that Donald Trump couldn't find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter U and a picture of an actual physical crane next to it," Wilson began, causing Lemon to chuckle. "He knows that this is, you know, an administration defined by ignorance of the world. And so that's partly him playing to the base and playing to their audience. You know, the credulous boomer rube demo that backs Donald Trump."
Notorious for his hatred for Trump, Lemon couldn't control his laughter as Wilson painted a picture of what he thought a typical Trump supporter sounds like.
"Donald Trump's the smart one- any y'all elitists are dumb!'" Wilson quipped, assuming a heavy southern accent. "You elitists with your geography and your maps- and your spelling!" Ali chimed in during the mockery.
"Your math and your reading!'" he added. "All those lines on the map!"
Meanwhile, Lemon had almost choked from laughing as he wiped tears from his eyes with a tissue.
"That was good," Lemon reacted. "That was a good one. I needed that."
The clip was first spotted by a former CNN digital producer Steve Krakauer, who slammed the panel for their behavior on national television.
"The arrogance, the dismissiveness, the smug cackling, the accents," Krakauer said. "If Donald Trump wins re-election this year, I’ll remember this brief CNN segment late one Saturday night in January as the perfect encapsulation for why it happened."
Trump responded to the criticism by blasting Lemon's "terrible ratings" and reiterating how he was still the "the dumbest man on television."
Meanwhile, Trump's campaign denounced the network for mocking the president's supporters.
"Deplorables. This Deplorable is ready," Trump campaign director Brad Parscale responded on Twitter, with a flexing arm emoticon.
"This is a real segment from an actual program on a cable news network that asks to be taken seriously. Not subtle message to huge parts of America: THEY HATE YOU," Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh wrote.
"The media hardly ever hides their contempt for @realDonaldTrump supporters but this clip is featuring CNN’s @donlemon, The New York Times’ @WajahatAli, and @TheRickWilson is ludicrous. This is one of the most offensive segments I’ve seen in a while," GOP rapid response director Steve Guest reacted.
CNN subsequently became the subject of ridicule across social media.
"The smug political class hates the tens of millions of Americans who comprise our movement. They can cackle and grandstand...as we build a country based on sovereignty, economic nationalism, and the diffusion of power," former CNN commentator Steve Cortes reacted.
"This isn't disdain or disagreement. What Wajahat, Don, & Rick showed was a disrespect, hatred, & mockery for their fellow man who disagree. I don't want to hear @JakeTapper, @AndersonCooper, @BrianStelter, @ChrisCuomo, or anyone on @CNN lecture about their higher level of decency," NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck wrote.
"Don Lemon will laugh for a minute straight over Rick Wilson and Wajahat Ali mocking Trump supporters and calling them stupid, but don't you dare make a meme or he will freak out," Washington Free Beacon media analyst Cameron Cawthorne quipped.
"If you want to give people a reason to vote Trump as a screw you to the media, keep airing segments like these," Daily Caller editor Peter Hasson said.
Lemon is currently facing a lawsuit by Dustin Hice, a man who alleges he was a victim of a sexual assault by the CNN anchor. According to the report, Lemon offered a six-figure settlement but a formal complaint was filed nonetheless.
Having said that, Lemon is currently competing at the first annual "Smug Industries Liberal Hack Tournament," where he has already defeated Vox journalist Aaron Rupar in the first round.
He is now set to face BuzzFeed editor-in-chief, Ben Smith, in the second round.