Only Don Lemon can turn a light-hearted moment of political unity during the National Prayer Breakfast into a controversy, which is exactly what he did. During his speech at Thursday morning's National Prayer Breakfast, President Joe Biden addressed Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and told him he is a "man of honor." It was good to hear Biden say something nice about a Republican for once. Unfortunately, CNN host Don Lemon decided to take issue with it.
In the 11 pm hour of Don Lemon Tonight, Lemon invited CNN's senior political analyst John Avlon on to discuss a variety of topics of the day. Towards the end of the segment, Lemon aired a soundbite of Biden heaping praise on his long-time friend and former Senate colleague Mitch McConnell:
Mitch, I don't wanna hurt your reputation, but we really are friends. [chuckles] And that is not an epiphany we're having here at the moment. You've always done exactly what you've said, you're a man of your word and you're a man of honor.
Instead of saying it was a nice moment and moving on to other topics, Lemon immediately dismissed Biden's comments and accused the President of being out of touch for the grave sin of praising a Republican "now look, okay so that is the most Biden thing that ever -- you should stand by your friends but I mean is he a little out of touch?"
Avlon didn't seem to immediately take issue with Biden's praise of McConnell, instead, he sought to defend Biden "look, these are folks who’ve known each other for 30 years." He continued saying "there's a different code among Senators, among honest disagreements. And the degree and he acknowledged that which some of the hyper-partisanship is theater, is kabuki. Look McConnell did work with Biden on infrastructure. That is a big deal bill. Has he tried to block almost everything else? Yeah, you're right. That's unfortunately normal in Washington."
But Lemon could not get over Biden calling McConnell a "man of honor". The following exchange really crystalizes how annoyed Lemon was that Biden would dare to humanize a Republican:
LEMON: He said he’s a man of honor.
AVLON: Yeah I think he’s saying that he thinks that Mitch McConnell is a man of his word.
LEMON: I'm asking you, is he a man of honor?
AVLON: I, I mean, honor -- a man of honor is someone like John McCain.
LEMON: Yeah.
AVLON: But, you know, I take Biden at his word, as he would say.
Avlon had to drive home the point that Biden and McConnell have known each other for thirty years. But according to Lemon, liberals aren't allowed to be friends with conservatives because "our democracy is in peril."
This latest example of Don Lemon dehumanizing Republicans was made possible thanks to lucrative sponsorships by ADT Security Services, Arby's, and Sleep Number. Their information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund.
To read the transcript of this segment click expand:
Don Lemon Tonight
2/3/2022
11:08:27 PMDON LEMON: John, I gotta get your take on what President Biden said about Mitch McConnell this morning at the National Prayer Breakfast. Here it is.
[cuts to video]
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Mitch, I don't wanna hurt your reputation, but we really are friends. [chuckles] And that is not an epiphany we're having here at the moment. You've always done exactly what you've said, you're a man of your word and you're a man of honor.
[cuts back to live]
LEMON: Now look, okay so that is the most Biden thing that ever -- you should stand by your friends but I mean is he a little out of touch about? –
JOHN AVLON: Look, these are folks who’ve known each other for 30 years.
LEMON: And?
AVLON: And there's a different code among Senators, among honest disagreements. And the degree and he acknowledged that which some of the hyper-partisanship is theater, is kabuki. Look McConnell did work with Biden on infrastructure. That is a big deal bill. Has he tried to block almost everything else? Yeah, you're right. That's unfortunately normal in Washington. What's not normal is actually saying the quiet part…
[crosstalk]
LEMON: He said he’s a man of honor.
AVLON: Yeah I think he’s saying that he thinks that Mitch McConnell is a man of his word.
LEMON: I'm asking you, is he a man of honor?
AVLON: I, I mean, honor -- a man of honor is someone like John McCain.
LEMON: Yeah.
AVLON: But, you know, I take Biden at his word, as he would say.
LEMON: He thinks that, you’re right…
[crosstalk]
AVLON: He's known him for 30 years.
LEMON: I get what you're saying. I just – in this day and time when people are our, when our democracy is in peril, in order to really own that term or -- go on.
AVLON: You know what Abraham Lincoln used to say? Catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
LEMON: I don't know about that these days.
AVLON: You got to try to reach out. You gotta hold– the President in particular.
LEMON: Up to a point.
AVLON: Up to a point. They're gonna fight. But you gotta, you gotta, the President, in particular, has gotta reach out.
LEMON: My point is to earn the term an honorable person in this environment, really you gotta be a standup person. There are few and far between.
AVLON: They are few and far between and one measure of that is whether you're willing to condemn Donald Trump out loud.
