Last night on CNN, Don Lemon had John Kasich on to discuss Trump’s national address and, believe it or not, Kasich thought Trump did a fine job. It was exactly what Kasich said was hoping Trump would do, sticking to the script and striking the right tone, and he said as much to Lemon. But Lemon wasn’t happy with his answer because, as he’d already noted, the White House had to clarify the European travel ban to note that it didn’t include American citizens returning home. So Lemon starting yelling at Kasich about this clarification, accusing him of tiptoeing around the issue:
Lemon goes off the rails here, shouting over Kasich and refusing to let him talk at times, trying to force him to say Trump did a horrible job because they had to clarify a point from his address. But Kasich wouldn’t budge and kept saying he thought Trump did a fine job, regardless of the clarification.
It’s much better if you watch it, but here’s a transcript for those of you who need it:
LEMON: …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 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! We need straight, accurate information from this President! And this administration! And we’re not getting it! And I don’t understand why you are tiptoeing around it! He came out, gave an address that usually — that happens very rarely, and he doesn’t get it right?!
KASICH: I’m going to — first of all, he read it. And somebody that wrote this — look, I don’t want to get into that. He —
LEMON: Well, why not?! That’s why you’re here! To talk about the President’s address!
KASICH: Can I finish now?
LEMON: But, no, no, no, no, no! No, you can’t, John!
KASICH: Let me talk. Let me talk.
LEMON: John, because we’re here to talk about the President’s —
KASICH: I can’t talk?
LEMON: Wait! We’re here — 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 — and you said that someone else wrote it. He’s the President! Even if someone else wrote it, it should be right!
KASICH: I know he did and he has to be– Don. Don. He put — he put this thing out because there was some confusion out there. Okay?
LEMON: Now, there’s more confusion, John!
KASICH: And what I — look. Look. I’m trying to say to you, Don, we got to move down the road. Looking back doesn’t get things fixed.
LEMON: We’re not looking back! The President’s address — the President’s address was tonight! That is the newest information with this, was the President address!
KASICH: I thinks his address tonight, I think it was fine. I think it was fine. That’s what I think.
LEMON: You think the wrong — you think inaccurate information that you have to come back and clarify two or three times, you think that’s fine?!
KASICH: Look. I thought he did fine. That’s what I thought. I thought he had the right tone. And he no longer played around with we’re going to blame Democrats or we’re — forget this stuff. He — I hope he’s trying to move forward because he understands the seriousness of this situation.
Now, the fact that they clarify, it isn’t unusual in a speech for somebody to clarify something. Okay? But I don’t think that the tone he showed tonight takes away from some clarification. I think he set a serious tone. That’s what I wanted out of him for a long time. And I think we got it.
In case you want to see more, it continues below:
LEMON: John, I could be serious and sit here and tell you four plus four equals 85. I am serious. That doesn’t mean that I’m right. The information he gave was not right. You have to come back and clarify several times, information that you gave. Listen. I tried to cut him a break at the top of the show.
KASICH: You mean like, who’s going to get back into the country? You mean — what is it in the clarification that you thought was so terrible? Tell me what you thought.
LEMON: I didn’t say I thought it was terrible! I’m telling you that we are in the middle of a pandemic right now! We’re the middle of a pandemic and every time this President comes out, he gives inaccurate information! So, I don’t understand why he would even come out and do it at all if he is going to confuse the American people even more! You don’t understand that? You’re a governor, I’m surprised you don’t understand that. If you’re not going to be accurate than why do it?
KASICH: I do understand it. Look, I’m just trying to tell you that I thought his tone tonight was good. So, had to clarify something. Okay. 98 percent of what he did was good. And what we wanted was a seriousness out of the President, to tell people that things are not good and they’re probably going to get worse and I’m not saying this is going to disappear or go away…
I love how Kasich put Lemon on the spot and asked him which clarification he thought was so terrible. Lemon responded “I didn’t say I thought it was terrible!”, and that response there proved that he was trying to make a mountain out of a molehill because of his anti-Trump hatred. CNN needs to fire Lemon because he’s lost all objectivity with regard to Trump.