CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter said President Trump’s tweets “make journalists less safe” after the president went after his colleague, CNN anchor Don Lemon.
“The president’s hateful tweets make journalists less safe,” Stelter tweeted Wednesday after Trump renewed his nickname for Lemon, calling him “the dumbest man on television.”
The president’s hateful tweets make journalists less safe. pic.twitter.com/bpTPlRJkE5
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 31, 2019
“CNN’s Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television, insinuated last night while asking a debate ‘question’ that I was a racist, when in fact I am ‘the least racist person in the world,'” Trump tweeted Wednesday after the first night of the second Democratic presidential debate.
“Perhaps someone should explain to Don that he is supposed to be neutral, unbiased & fair, or is he too dumb (stupid} to understand that,” he continued. “No wonder CNN’s ratings (MSNBC’s also) have gone down the tubes – and will stay there until they bring credibility back to the newsroom. Don’t hold your breath!”
….or is he too dumb (stupid} to understand that. No wonder CNN’s ratings (MSNBC’s also) have gone down the tubes – and will stay there until they bring credibility back to the newsroom. Don’t hold your breath!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2019
Lemon, 53, helped moderate Tuesday’s Democratic primary debate, during which he asked Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar about Trump’s “bigotry.”
“What do you say to those Trump voters who prioritize the economy over the president’s bigotry?” Lemon asked. The question was panned by some as lacking objectivity.
Lemon and Trump have a history of trading barbs, with the president having labeled the anchor “dumb” on multiple occasions. In 2018, Trump went after the CNN anchor for an interview with NBA star Lebron James, saying Lemon “made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do.”
Lemon responded with a segment in which he ripped Trump as racist.
“Let me not mince words here,” he said. “This president trafficks in racism and is fueled by bullying.”
Lemon ran a segment on his show earlier this month in which he listed off what he said was a history of racism by Trump.
