OPINION:
Don Lemon of CNN is more opinion than fact. But still: Busting out in a two-minute fit of laughter as show panelists go on a mocking routine of President Donald Trump is beneath even CNN. At least, you’d think.
Make way for the new standard of low at the cable outlet.
But here’s the hypocrisy: A Lemon by a different employer — say, Fox — would be on suspension right about now.
In a skit with panelists Rick Wilson and Wajahat Ali, CNN’s Lemon broke into uncontrollable laughter as discussions ensued about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his rebuke of NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly over a Ukraine line of questioning.
Wilson referred to Pompeo’s call for Kelly to locate Ukraine on a map, and then added this bit: “[Pompeo] also knows deep in 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.”
Cue Lemon’s laughter.
Which wouldn’t have been all that notable — except Lemon went on and on and on. And on.
“Donald Trump is the smart one and y’all elitists are dumb,” Wilson said, with a drawl, calling out Pompeo for playing to the “boomer rube.”
From Ali: “You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling.”
The clip continued; Lemon’s laughter continued; the mocking of Trump and Trump supporters continued.
Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television (with terrible ratings!). https://t.co/iQXCc7lvCt
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2020
And that’s the eyebrow-raiser.
Poke fun of Trump. Poke fun of Trump’s team. But why poke fun in such arrogance and condescension and smugness of Trump supporters?
It’s disrespectful. Disgusting. Disdainful of American citizens.
And one other thing: If conservative Fox News opinion hosts had cut a similar clip during the Barack Obama administration, the left wouldn’t have just screamed. Leftists would’ve launched a call for boycotts of the Fox show advertisers. Obama supporters, Obama voters would’ve demanded the Fox host be fired.
But because Lemon is a liberal and hates Trump, his job is safe, his position secure. The double standard of liberalism marches on.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE.
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