After President Trump announced a series of initiatives to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, CNN host Don Lemon got into a heated debate with network contributor and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Lemon criticized Trump’s Oval Office remarks on Wednesday night as riddled with inaccuracies, yelling at Kasich for calling the president’s messaging and tenor “fine.”
“I thought he did fine. What I saw tonight is what I anticipated before he delivered the address. Mr. President, you’ve got to be serious. You’ve got to warn the country. We have to move forward. And just stick to the script and read what’s on there. And that’s exactly what he did,” Kasich, a critic of Trump, said. “I’m glad he did the address tonight. And I think that was important.”
“I don’t know if he stuck to the script or not. But whatever script he read was wrong, because they’ve had to clarify it several times. And I’ve just got to say, if the president came out to calm people’s fears, he didn’t do a good job of it because they’ve had to come back and clarify it several times! And this has been going on long enough for them to get it straight!” Lemon replied.
“We need straight, accurate information from this president and this administration. And we’re not getting it!” he added. “And I don’t understand why you are tiptoeing around it! He came out. Gave an address. That happens very rarely. And he doesn’t get it right!?”
“First of all, he read it,” Kasich said before attempting to shift the conversation. “I don’t want to get into that.”
“Why not!? That’s why you’re here! To talk about the president’s address!” Lemon yelled.
“Can I finish now!?” Kasich shot back. “Let me talk!”
“No you can’t, John!” Lemon responded.” I don’t want you to go on and deflect and talk about something else because we are here to talk about the president’s address. And you said that someone else wrote it. He’s the president! Even if someone else wrote it, it should be right!”
The argument continued for awhile, but the former governor maintained his position despite the CNN host’s push back.
“I thought it was fine. It was the right tone,” the 2016 Republican presidential candidate said.
During the president’s remarks hours earlier, he announced a 30-day travel ban from all European countries, with the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland, as nations such as Italy struggle to limit the virus’s spread. His announcement came after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic.
COVID-19 cases have appeared in every continent except Antarctica since the virus first appeared in Wuhan, China, last year. Worldwide, nearly 128,000 people have tested positive for the virus and it has killed at least 4,717 people. In the United States, more than 1,300 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus and at least 35 patients have died.
