After Encouraging Riots, Cuomo and Lemon Fear It’s Helping Trump Win

August 26th, 2020 2:34 AM

Back in May and June, NewsBusters reported on how CNN personalities Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon had strongly encouraged violence in the streets in support of the Marxist Black Lives Matter organization (and histories of supporting Antifa terrorists). But with the 2020 election around the corner, the duo was fearful of riots helping President Trump get reelected. “Chris, as you know and I know it's showing up in the polling,” Lemon warned as their Republican National Convention coverage moved into the wee hours of Wednesday.

While this piece was being pulled together, the radical violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin took a bloody turn after rioters apparently chased down an armed citizen and he defended himself, shooting his assailants. That’s according to on-the-ground reporting from Townhall’s Julio Rosas.

After denouncing the RNC as a sham explanation of where the GOP stood, Cuomo was the first to share his concerns about the rioting. “You have COVID, and then you have Kenosha. Don. And what's happening in Wisconsin, it's a Rorschach test for where this country is and I think it probably represents the biggest threat to the Democratic cause,” he told Lemon.

Lemon concurred and complained that it was “a blind spot for Democrats.” He added: “I think Democrats are ignoring this problem or hoping that it will go away and it's not going to go away.

He then played the role of Joe Biden’s campaign manager and instructed his candidate on how the address the issue:

 

 

So, the problem is not going to be fixed by then, but what they can do, and I think maybe Joe Biden may be afraid to do it. I'm not sure. Maybe he won't, maybe he is. He's got to address it. He's got to come out and talk about it. He's got to do a speech like Barack Obama did about race. He's got to come out and tell people that he is going to deal with the issue of police reform in this country, and that's what's happening now is happening under Donald Trump's watch – on Donald Trump’s watch. And when he is the president, Kamala Harris is the vice president, then they will take care of this problem.

What really scared Lemon was the fact that the violence was finally having an effect on voters. “The rioting has to stop. Chris, as you know and I know it's showing up in the polling. It's showing up in focus groups. It is the only thing -- it is the only thing right now that is sticking,” he fretted.

Again, this came months after these two encouraged such violence.

Back in May, Lemon defended the riots as the “mechanism for a restructure of our country or for some sort of change.” And just a few days later, in June, Cuomo was raging as he scolded those who wanted peace. “Now, too many see the protests as the problem,” he whined.

He then declared: “And please, show me where it says that protesters are supposed to be polite and peaceful. Because, I can show you outraged citizens are the ones who have made America what she is and led to any major milestones.”

By the end of the July, violence was still tearing the country apart and yet, Cuomo attacked those who dared to focused on it. “You are ignoring the reality and you are picking on the aberrations for bad reason. And where do we see that? The other side in Portland,” he sneered.

It’s disgusting how CNN’s attitude toward promoting violence changed with the polls. They are complicit. This is CNN.

CNN’s morbid weather vane attitude toward violence in the street was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Ancestry and 4imprint. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about what disgusting behavior their funding.

The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:

CNN’s America's Choice 2020: Republican National Convention
August 26, 2020
12:00:43 a.m. Eastern

(…)

CHRIS CUOMO: The theme from my perspective was, “let us show you who we want you to think we are.” The President using a pardon for a black man, a naturalization ceremony for new immigrants now Americans, and a blatantly political speech by a secretary of state to advance reelection hopes.

All of it is too little too late because we have two major crises falling on our heads. Both of them are on this President's watch, and it doesn't matter what his friends say. It doesn't matter what his wife says. He has not put his arms around this pandemic in a way that will keep our families safe.

And then you get to the second one. You have COVID, and then you have Kenosha. Don. And what's happening in Wisconsin, it's a Rorschach test for where this country is and I think it probably represents the biggest threat to the Democratic cause.

DON LEMON: You took the words right out of my mouth.

CUOMO: That's because we're reading from the same teleprompter and I took your line!

LEMON: No, I’m not. No, you didn’t. That's all you. That all says, Chris, “this is where I come in.” We'll get to that.

But when you said it's too little too late, I don’t know about that. I mean, we still have a lot of time left until election day, and do think that this -- what you said was happening Kenosha is a Rorschach test for the entire country and I think this is a blind spot for Democrats. I think Democrats are ignoring this problem or hoping that it will go away and it's not going to go away. And so, unless someone comes up with a solution over the next 73 days-- or 70-so however many days--  

CUOMO: 68 days.

LEMON: 68 days.

So, the problem is not going to be fixed by then, but what they can do, and I think maybe Joe Biden may be afraid to do it. I'm not sure. Maybe he won't, maybe he is. He's got to address it. He's got to come out and talk about it. He's got to do a speech like Barack Obama did about race. He's got to come out and tell people that he is going to deal with the issue of police reform in this country, and that's what's happening now is happening under Donald Trump's watch – on Donald Trump’s watch. And when he is the president, Kamala Harris is the vice president, then they will take care of this problem.

But guess what? The rioting has to stop. Chris, as you know and I know it's showing up in the polling. It's showing up in focus groups. It is the only thing -- it is the only thing right now that is sticking. And the Democrats tonight stuck with that, right? And they also stuck with the theme that you said. The coronavirus. You've got coronavirus, and you have Kenosha, and then you have the first lady of the United States.

(…)