CNN host Don Lemon parroted Democrat attacks on Vice President Pence late Wednesday, after President Trump announced he would be taking over the coronavirus response. Lemon engaged in fearmongering claiming Pence would cause people to die by elevating his faith over “science.”
Lemon started spreading panic about Pence, after the network’s Democrat town halls, concluded. During Elizabeth Warren’s hour, she attacked the Pence choice, saying he put “politics” over people’s lives, when an HIV outbreak happened in his state when he was governor. Lemon touted that clip during the network's coverage, early Thursday morning, before grilling conservative guest Scott Jennings about Pence’s faith.
“So Pence was heavily criticized for his delayed response to an HIV outbreak while governor of Indiana. Is he really the right person for this?” he posed.
Jennings praised the choice, saying it was good that Trump was taking the virus seriously and appointing the response to the highest level of government.
But Lemon was adamant about going after Pence. He repeatedly questioned the vice president’s faith and prayer, even claiming that by praying, he was “ignoring science” and “allowing people to die:”
LEMON: At one point he said he wanted to pray on it before he ultimately decided to go ahead with the exchanges. And the study show that had he done it, that he could have prevented the outbreaks from happening if he had done these needle exchanges. If he had not waited to pray on it before doing these exchanges. Is that the person you want in charge of the coronavirus outbreak? Someone who needs to pray on something instead of looking at science? Come on. Let's be real about it. Let’s be honest about it. Is that the person you want in charge?
JENNINGS: Couple things. I'm not familiar with the Indiana situation I know needle exchanges in some communities had been controversial policy decisions. I'm not surprised a governor of a state of Indiana, would stop and take a beat on it. That’s number one. Number two, in this particular case --
LEMON: Scott, to pray on it?
JENNINGS: The president and vice president --
LEMON: He didn't say I want to look at the studies. Scott he didn’t say he wanted to look at the studies. He said he wanted to pray on it.
JENNINGS: Yeah I mean--Are you saying that our elected official shouldn't say they are going to pray? I mean it’s pretty much a staple of our political leadership in the country. I don't have a problem with him praying on it.
LEMON: I don't have a problem with praying. I have a problem with someone who is allowing people to die because he doesn't want to look at science and to save lives. I don't have a problem with praying on anything. But when an elected official is not looking at the science and people are dying because you're not looking at science. I have a problem with that.
CNN hosts and analysts have repeatedly bashed calls for prayer during difficult situations.
Read the transcript from CNN Tonight, below:
CNN
2/27/2020
12:30:33-12:35:09AM EST
DON LEMON: Scott Jennings, Mike Pence is in charge of the coronavirus response. Elizabeth Warren blasted him tonight. Listen to this.
WARREN: This vice president has dealt with a public health emergency before. In Indiana. And what was his approach, it was to put politics over science and let a serious virus expand in his state and cost people lives. He is not the person who should be in charge.
LEMON: So Pence was heavily criticized for his delayed response to an HIV outbreak while governor of Indiana. Is he really the right person for this?
SCOTT JENNINGS: Yeah, look, I think the president needed to elevate his response to this to the highest level of the government. I think [HHS] Secretary Azar is a good secretary and he’s doing good job. To elevate it to the highest level of the government was the right move. Because it is a serious issue. People need to know It could spread and if the government is dealing with it at the highest level. It was smart to put Pence on this. I also think it was smart to for the president to put a combination of his political leadership and his medical leadership and medical experts on the stage together. To show the country that the politicians and the experts are working well together. I thought Azar’s priorities he laid out were good. And frankly I thought it was a good sign the president said he was willing to accept Sen. Schumer's idea to spend more on this from what the administration asked for. I have no problem with the press conference. Elevating it to Pence was the right move. I think anybody like Warren who wants to take potshots from the sideline are doing so because they are struggling in their presidential campaign and not because they are trying to make measured response to what could be a verious serious and sober issue.
LEMON: I have to ask you, hold on. I have to ask about this. Elevating it to the top echelons of government I understand what you're saying. But when Pence was the governor of Ohio [sic], there was an HIV outbreak between the years 2011 -- Indiana excuse me. 2011 and 2015. And at one point he said that he was criticized about resisting a needle exchange. At one point he said he wanted to pray on it before he ultimately decided to go ahead with the exchanges. And the study show that had he done it, that he could have prevented the outbreaks from happening if he had done these needle exchanges. If he had not waited to pray on it before doing these exchanges. Is that the person you want in charge of the coronavirus outbreak? Someone who needs to pray on something instead of looking at science? Come on. Let's be real about it. Let’s be honest about it. Is that the person you want in charge?
JENNINGS: Couple things. I'm not familiar with the Indiana situation I know needle exchanges in some communities had been controversial policy decisions. I'm not surprised a governor of a state of Indiana, would stop and take a beat on it. That’s number one. Number two, in this particular case --
LEMON: Scott, to pray on it?
JENNINGS: The president and vice president --
LEMON: He didn't say I want to look at the studies. Scott he didn’t say he wanted to look at the studies. He said he wanted to pray on it.
JENNINGS: Yeah I mean--Are you saying that our elected official shouldn't say they are going to pray? I mean it’s pretty much a staple of our political leadership in the country. I don't have a problem with him praying on it.
LEMON: I don't have a problem with praying. I have a problem with someone who is allowing people to die because he doesn't want to look at science and to save lives. I don't have a problem with praying on anything. But when an elected official is not looking at the science and people are dying because you're not looking at science. I have a problem with that.
JENNINGS: Needle exchange programs are had been extremely controversial decisions in a number of states. Again I'm not familiar with the Indiana situation. These are not decisions that political leader have made in many places willy nilly. Am I surprised a conservative governor of Indiana took a beat and waited? I'm not surprised at all. What I saw gave me confidence. That's what I care about today.
