Don Lemon went on CNN on Thursday to claim that Republicans were “trying to whitewash racism” by opposing school children being taught critical race theory.
“Trump spawned deadly violence at the Capitol, and Republicans are trying to whitewash it just like they are, still, trying to whitewash racism in America’s past,” Lemon said. “Trying to block teaching America’s school kids about the history of racism in this country and the impact on our country. Railing against it, calling it anti-American.”
He then played a video in which former President Donald Trump said, “The Biden administration has, also, issued regulations to indoctrinate America’s schoolchildren with poisonous and divisive left-wing doctrines such as critical race theory and the exact opposite of the American belief that we all are created equal in the holy image of God.”
“Let’s just be clear about this, critical race theory, that term, right?” Lemon continued. “That is the new boogieman for the right. There’s always got to be a boogieman. First, it was, um, ACORN, remember that, for a while? Acorn. Then it was The New Black Panthers, The New Black Panthers.”
“And then, it was, oh, Antifa, Antifa, Antifa. It’s always some boogieman, whether it’s Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, whatever it’s got to be a boogieman,” he added. “So now, critical race theory is the new boogieman. Don’t fall for the okey-doke. It is so transparent, but people do fall for it, as we know since there was an insurrection on Capitol Hill from people who were co-opted by the big lie. So, now, critical race theory is the big lie.”
Earlier in his show, Lemon had lashed out at critical race theory opponents, saying, “That’s the whole thing about what privilege is — that people don’t like to have their pleasure interrupted, their peace interrupted. So people think that it should be the way that it should be because they’ve been taught that in this country.”
“You don’t think that telling them people were beaten and sold and lynched makes them feel bad?” Lemon asked, according to The Wrap.
“Having people come to the realization, especially ancestors of slaves, that they were enslaved and that they were beaten and they were sold and they weren’t able to accrue wealth, they weren’t able to go to school, they weren’t able to go vote — you think that makes them feel good?” the outraged CNN host continued. “So the folks on the other side, stop making it about you, and be curious instead of judgmental.”
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