Gay Black news anchor Don Lemon’s haunting warning as Donald Trump threatens to deploy military against Black Lives Matter
CNN anchor Don Lemon told viewers to ‘open their eyes’ to the chaos unfolding on screen (Twitter/CNN)
CNN news anchor Don Lemon has warned that America is “teetering on a dictatorship” after Trump threatened to deploy the military against those protesting racism.
Lemon’s dire warning came as the US is gripped by nationwide protests against racist police brutality, highlighted by the shocking murder of George Floyd on May 25.
On Monday evening Trump emerged from hiding in his secret bunker to condemn the protestors, whom he referred to as “an angry mob”, vowing to wield the power of the military if states don’t get them under control.
Shortly after the dystopian speech, police officers used tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades against peaceful protestors to make way for Trump to do photo op with a Bible outside the nearby St John’s Church.
The shocking moment was captured live by CNN, with Don Lemon sharing his dismay as he watched the scene. “This was a made-for-television moment,” he told viewers.
“For this very moment that just happened in front of our eyes, why were we pretending otherwise? Open your eyes, America. Open your eyes. We are teetering on a dictatorship. This is chaos.
“Is the president declaring war on Americans? What is happening here? He’s saying that he wants to protect peaceful protesters at the same time sending law enforcement and military into the streets to push peaceful protesters back, to be aggressive with peaceful protesters.
“He is doing the exact opposite of what he said in that speech.”
#BREAKING video -> CNN’s @DonLemon declares: “Open your eyes, America. Open your eyes. We are teetering on a dictatorship. We are teetering — this is chaos. Has the President — I’m listening — is the President declaring war on Americans? What is happening here? pic.twitter.com/ipKjqa8Xta
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 1, 2020
He continued: “I think the president is playing a very, very dangerous game here. There are a lot of Americans who are out on these streets who are upset, who are frustrated, who are angry.
“I am not condoning violence at all, and I hope that they remain peaceful but I hope that they stand up and fight for their rights to peacefully protest in this country.
“He is playing a very dangerous game, because this will backfire… according to his orders, we are living under a militarised country or we will be soon, and it will play out on national television.”
Head of Washington church condemns Trump’s ‘prop’ photo op.
The Episcopal bishop of Washington DC has said she is “outraged” with Trump for sanctioning the use of violence against peaceful protestors so that he could use the church for a photo opportunity.
“I am the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and was not given even a courtesy call, that they would be clearing [the area] with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop,” reverend Mariann Budde told the Washington Post.
“Let me be clear, the president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus,” she later added to CNN.
