- CNN host Don Lemon was visibly flabbergasted by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who claimed white supremacy was “actually not a real problem in America” during his program on Tuesday.
- Carlson downplayed the evidence of the rise of white supremacy throughout the US and described it a “hoax … Just like the Russia hoax.”
- Lemon was speechless after he replayed a portion of Carlson’s segment for his program.
- “Wow,” Lemon said, after an extended pause. “Hold on a second. Was that not the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard?”
- The FBI reported that since October, the majority of roughly 100 domestic terrorism-related arrests involving a racial motive were “motivated by some version of what you might call ‘white supremacist violence.'”
CNN host Don Lemon was visibly flabbergasted by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who claimed white supremacy was “actually not a real problem in America” during his program on Tuesday.
Carlson downplayed the evidence of the rise of white supremacy throughout the US and described it a “hoax … Just like the Russia hoax.”
“It’s a conspiracy theory used to divide the country and keep a hold on power,” Carlson said on his program. “That’s exactly what’s going on.”
“If you were to assemble a list, a hierarchy of concerns, the problems this country faces, where would white supremacy be on the list? Right up there with Russia, probably,” Carlson added. “It’s actually not a real problem in America.”
Lemon was speechless after he replayed a portion of Carlson’s segment for his program.
“Wow,” Lemon said, after an extended pause. “Hold on a second. Was that not the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard?”
The FBI — which has received criticism for its handling of domestic terrorism concerns following the El Paso shooting that killed at least 22 people in Texas — reported that since October, the majority of roughly 100 domestic terrorism-related arrests involving a racial motive were “motivated by some version of what you might call ‘white supremacist violence.'”
The gunman in the El Paso shooting promoted white supremacist views in a purported manifesto.
“We take domestic terrorism or hate crime, regardless of ideology, extremely seriously,” FBI director Christopher Wray said at a congressional hearing in July. “We are aggressively pursuing it using both counterterrorism resources and criminal investigative resources and partnering closely with our state and local partners.”
The FBI was reportedly investigating around 850 domestic terrorism cases — 40% of which involved racial extremism, according to CBS News. The FBI also determined there were eight mass shootings in the country involving attackers who promoted white supremacy since 2017, according to The New York Times.
Additionally, the FBI Agents Association on Tuesday urged Congress to declare domestic terrorism a federal crime: “Acts of violence intended to intimidate civilian populations or to influence or affect government policy should be prosecuted as domestic terrorism regardless of the ideology behind them.”
President Donald Trump addressed the El Paso shooting on Monday and said the gunman was “consumed by racist hate.”
“In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy,” Trump said at his press conference.
Lemon referred to Carlson’s monologue in light of the victims of the El Paso shooting.
“Yet, Tucker Carlson of Fox News is saying white supremacy is not a real problem in America,” Lemon said. “I wonder how the families of the victims in El Paso feel about his statement.”
