C-SPAN said the host who received a call on Friday from a man who threatened to shoot CNN’s Brian Stelter and Don Lemon “did not hear” the ominous comment.
The threatening call was made by a man named “Don” as part of an “open phones” segment on C-SPAN, and Stelter aired the audio recording of the phone call during his Sunday morning show on CNN.
“He made specific references to CNN Reliable Source Host Brian Stelter and CNN anchor Don Lemon,” C-SPAN said of “Don” in a statement Monday. “He ended his call with what seemed to be a threat directed to the two journalists. The C-SPAN host did not hear the comment.”
C-SPAN also shared their guidance to hosts on their programs who encounter inaccurate or concerning statements, noting that “we do not endorse the opinions or analysis offered by the guests on our program” and “specific threats of violence will be reported to the appropriate authorities.”
C-SPAN said that the incident was reported on Friday and all relevant information was provided to the FBI. Additionally, C-SPAN cooperated with security officials from CNN.
STATEMENT FROM C-SPAN ABOUT AUGUST 3, 2018 VIEWER CALL TO WASHINGTON JOURNAL
C-SPAN’s guidelines for the Washington Journal can be found by clicking on the FAQ link here: https://t.co/Qx2bkhPiok. pic.twitter.com/685spL9mg3
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 6, 2018
The man in the audio segment accused Stelter and Lemon of characterizing “all Trump supporters” as “racist.” He said he would shoot them if he saw them, and then quickly ended the phone call.
“Brian Stelter and Don Lemon called all Trump supporters racist, they don’t even know us,” the man said during the call. “They started the war. If I see them, I’m going to shoot them.”
Stelter said Sunday that he and Lemon never claimed Trump supporters were racist. He noted that days prior Fox News’ Sean Hannity aired an old clip of Stelter discussing whether racial anxiety was a factor in Trump’s political success.
“I don’t know if the C-SPAN caller watched Hannity,” Stelter said. “I’m not blaming Hannity. I just thought the timing was odd.”
Stelter also claimed that threats against reporters and the media could be a result of President Trump’s disdain for the media. Trump has often accused outlets, including CNN, of publishing “fake news,” when they publish stories that are critical of him.
[Also read: Roy Blunt insists Republican Party isn’t ‘anti-black’ in face of Trump insults]
