CNN’s Don Lemon is fretting that conservative-leaning media outlets and the President of the United States will pounce on news that the Jussie Smollett hate crime was likely a hoax.
The statement came in response to news that Smollett himself had been charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report.
From the onset of the story, readers of The Political Insider have been keenly aware of the oddities and discrepancies in Smollett’s story.
And they are well aware that a hate crime hoax is devastating to the community, leaving everyone viewing others of a different race with a wary eye. It could have resulted in the arrest of innocent people. And it makes things exponentially harder for actual victims of actual hate crimes.
But that’s not the real problem according to Lemon. The true tragedy in his world is that Fox News and President Trump will be able to score some political points over the fake news story.
CNN’s Don Lemon panics over Jussie Smollett’s felony charge: “Sean Hannity is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second. Tucker Carlson is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second. The President of the United States is going to eat his lunch” pic.twitter.com/aYCQE9Y50J
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 21, 2019
“Sean Hannity is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second,” Lemon panicked. “Tucker Carlson is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second. The President of the United States is going to eat his lunch.”
You know what, Don? CNN, if they were a real source of journalistic integrity, would have Smollett’s lunch too.
Everyone should be able to unite behind the fact that reporting fake hate crimes and trying to demonize political opponents, as the actor almost assuredly did, is a reprehensible thing to do. As reprehensible as if the crime had actually been committed.
Smollett seemingly committed his own hate crime here, plain and simple.
Lemon’s Response Gets Worse
As if worrying that a news network far superior to your own might eat Smollett’s lunch because they didn’t fall for the hoax wasn’t enough, Lemon went on to suggest the ‘Empire’ actor’s problems were less about lying to the American people, and more because he didn’t have good public relations advice backing him up.
CNN’s Don Lemon says that it’s “not” Jussie Smollett’s “fault” that he lost “in the court of public opinion” pic.twitter.com/gqlLLeGhkW
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 21, 2019
It’s never the perpetrator’s fault. No responsibility for one’s own actions in the eyes of the mainstream media.
Smollett is 100 percent responsible for everything that comes his way – whether it be legally, criminally, career-wise, or in the court of public opinion.
Lemon’s Own Hoax Stories
Perhaps the problem here is that Lemon can relate to Smollett. He does, after all, have a career in which he likes to perpetuate fake news stories.
Lemon was a huge player in allowing porn lawyer Michael Avenatti get all kinds of screen time on CNN to spread his client, Stormy Daniels, allegations. Daniels would eventually be ordered to pay President Trump’s legal fees after her lawsuit was dismissed.
CNN and Lemon allowed Avenatti to push a ridiculously and easily dismissed allegation against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on their airwaves.
Lemon would later perpetuate another hoax claiming that “white men” are the biggest terror threat in America.
Perhaps Lemon’s not so worried about the President eating Smollett’s lunch as he is about having his handed to him once again. Trump once correctly state that the anchor is “the dumbest man on television.”
These latest comments solidify that title.
