In a broadcast earlier this week, out CNN anchorman Don Lemon called white men the “biggest terror threat in this country.” His comments prompted an outcry among conservatives on Twitter, so let’s take a closer look at the context of his statement and what to make of it.
Lemon made his comments while discussing last week’s shooting at a Kroger supermarket in Kentucky where a white man killed two black people. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime as police believe the shooter chose his victims based on their skin color.
Lemon offered an editorial comment on Monday night to point out that people tend to focus on external terror threats, such as the caravan approaching the southern U.S. border, rather than terrorists already residing in the U.S.
The caravan Lemon mentioned is a group of 5,000 people approaching the U.S., largely made up of people from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala fleeing violence in their home countries. President Trump has falsely claimed that there are Middle Eastern terrorists in the caravan even though no proof exists to back up that claim.
How about we take this to the next level?
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CNN's Don Lemon: "We have to stop demonizing people and realize the biggest terror threat in this country is white men, most of them radicalized to the right, and we have to start doing something about them." pic.twitter.com/OFu9fL3eHn
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 31, 2018
Here’s exactly what Lemon said Monday night:
“I keep trying to point out to people and not to demonize any one group or any one ethnicity. But we keep thinking that the biggest terror threat is something else, some people who are marching, you know, towards the border, like it’s imminent. The last time we did this, a couple hundred people came and most of them got tuckered out before they even made it to the border. So we have to stop demonizing people and realize the biggest terror threat in this country is white men, most of them radicalized to the right, and we have to start doing something about them. There is no travel ban on them. There is no ban on — you know, they had the Muslim ban. There is no white guy ban. So what do we do about that?“
It seems as if he’s repeating a talking point from an April 2017 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) entitled, Countering Violent Extremism.
Related: Despicable Donald Trump Says He ‘Appreciates Congrats’ For ‘Being Right’ On Terrorism
The GAO report said that out of 85 deadly attacks carried out by extremists on U.S. soil from September 12, 2001 to the end of 2016, “106 people were killed by far-right extremists in 62 separate attacks, while 119 people were killed by Islamist extremists in 23 separate incidents.”
Put another way, 72% of all extremist attacks on U.S. soil have been carried out by far-right extremists. But the report also says that only half of those attacks were carried out by white-supremacists.
That is, the report doesn’t list the race of the people who carried out all of the attacks, only their motives. The rest of the right-wing extremists are made up of “anti-government groups, groups with extreme views on abortion, animal rights, the environment, and federal ownership of public lands.”
A 2015 study by the non-partisan think tank New America found that 19 of 26 terror attacks on U.S. soil since 2001 were committed by white Americans. But both the New America and GAO studies differ on how they define “terror attacks,” a definition which changes the tallies.
Lemon’s right that the media focuses too much on external terror threats rather than discussing the complicated issue of home-grown terrorism. But it’s far more helpful to discuss specifics rather than speaking in generalities.
barkomatic
The country is obviously suffering from terrorism perpetrated by radicalized right wing men and most of them — but not all — have been white. However, I fail to see how we can effectively combat the hateful violent racism from these guys by stating broadly that white men are the biggest terror threat in the U.S.
I get his point but he was extremely inarticulate in expressing it. This is the type of headline that right wing extremists use to radicalize people.
Lacuevaman
could not agree more. he’s a foolish ass known for being inarticulate. not sure how he keeps his position with so many other brilliant folks around
Franklin
Didn’t we start a war and change immigration policy over islamic terrorism, yet we haven’t done anything about right wing terrorism? Everyone keeps trying to go around pretending like these incidents are lone woof attacks.
whatsaywhat
Well said – Don Lemon is NOT a journalist. He’s a self-obsessed loudmouth “commentator”. The perfect case-in-point example of a so-called journalist who is only too happy to make himself the center of every story. A discredit to CNN, which is already pop-news sleaze trash. He gives credence to the right-wing disdain for “the media” and lowers himself to the level of the US president – using his platform to label people, divide them by their racial attributes & stoke division. F*ck you Don Lemon.
mr guy
“The rest of the right-wing extremists are made up of “anti-government groups, groups with extreme views on abortion, animal rights, the environment, and federal ownership of public lands.””
How are animal rights and environmental extremists even remotely Right wing? I used to be associated with the former and they are anarchist and/ or far left almost to a man. Granted the horshoe theory pertains here..hence my own dissociation with the methods and ideology of the far left
Kieran
CNN’s Don Lemon: “I keep lecturing my dopey audience that you shouldn’t demonize a specific group of people, so let me go ahead and demonize all white men like a total hypocritical Fake News jackass.”
DarkZephyr
What does news being fake have to do with the topic of the article? Do you NOT see how cultish you sound when you use that term, especially when it is in no way warranted at all?
tham
Well in the US…maybe sure.
BUT, let’s not forget, racism is alive and well in other races besides white folks.
It’s in EVERY race. For example, if you dropped a white guy in South Korea, you just fat, stupid, hairy white bear. Dumb fat American.
If you are Mexican and in Argentina, they call you a Beaner. They think you’re Centeral American trash.
Racism is alive and doing very well. This focus on one very specific racism, seems…well…racist.
o.codone
Megyn Kelly must be twisting. She says some dopey thing about blackface and gets canned. He says some dopey (racist) thing about white men and zip happens. Nada, nothing, zip. The guy represents the lowest intellectual level one must achieve to be hired at CNN. He’s a racist moron. Fire him !
Franklin
Megan Kelly has been saying racist stuff. This was just her latest epsidoe of foolishness. What did he say that was untrue?
o.codone
Franklin. Lemmon said “white men are the biggest terror threat in our country”. Pretty racist. I’m not ready to tolerate his agenda and his racist statements.
justsimple
How is he not considered a raciest.
I am so fed up with hypocrites
David
How he even stays employed is beyond me. He’s always so arrogant; and the funny thing about this is that his boyfriend is white. How did that go over.
white-queer-african
And your point being, Mr David?
o.codone
It looks like the consensus is building against Mr. Lemmon. As it should. He needs to be fired.
Goforit
I am a 67 year old gay, white male. I do NOT take any offence to what Mr. Lemmon said. Most of the commenters on this story should look up the definition of racism. If he had said that ALL white males are terrorists, that would be racist. He did not say that. If he had said that ONLY white males were terrorists, that would be racist. He did not say that. He merely said that most of the terrorists in this country are white males. Stating a Fact is not racist.
o.codone
You’re either his lawyer or his mother. ahhahaa.
white-queer-african
@Goforit, I so agree with your sentiment expressed. Ass for o.codone, reading his/her comments, makes me laughing hysterically! And yes, I am a 58 year old gay, white male, living in Africa but very involved in American politics. Even from afar. Don Lemon rocks!!!!!!!
Josh in OR
Of COURSE certain white men got triggered by this. I’m a white man, and I can accept my race/gender combo has had an inordinate amount of power throughout history. As such, I can also accept that my race/gender combo has much to answer for. However, I would add the caveat that it’s less ‘White men’, and more “Rich, Christian White men” specifically who have gotten us all to the shithole that is America in the 21st century. Rich, Christian White men led in the eradication of native cultures and religions. Rich, Christian White men have despoiled the planet’s resources and fouled it’s water, soil and air for profit. Rich, Christian, White men have promoted violence against those they hate and fear for centuries, and it is FINALLY catching up on them. SO they turn gullible, poor white men against their neighbors, co-workers, and fellow sufferers under the Gilded oligarchy rather than risk those poor, white men rising up and demanding change.
Don Lemon calls it out, and poor, white men line up to do their rich bastard overlord’s bidding in tearing down the uppity Negro.
Quelle suprise…
JH0607
Did it ever occur to you that white men have had more power because they are more powerful and intelligent than the inferior races and that is how it will always be? If you doubt that, visit any country on the whole continent of Africa. Some of them still live in mud huts. MUD HUTS!
Josh in OR
No, because I’m not a racist pile of garbage. *Shrug*
JH0607
The blacks are only 13% of the population but commit over 80% of the crime.
white-queer-african
Another racist troll!!!!!!
JH0607
Stating FACTS is not racist.
Josh in OR
That’s utter horse shit. And you know it. ‘Blacks’ are ARRESTED more often, CONVICTED more often, but they HARDLY commit ‘80%’ of crimes. Which a cursory Google search would show you, you racist sock puppet.
Lacuevaman
fool
Onecaddy13
Somebody please help me pick my jaw up off the floor. I’m absolutely apalled at that statement. If that’s not the most racist comment I’ve ever heard, I dont know what is. The name calling has to stop on all sides as we get nowhere. Don, not all white men are are as you described and i’m Livid beyond belief as to what you said. Come on Zucker, something needs to be done about this or are you going to let this slide just like the rest?? Don has had loose lips these past several months along with many co-anchors as well as yourself, and the many guests that come on your network. CNN has been spewing so much vitriol hate and are so biased, you’re no better than the President you claim to be is racist. Why do you continue to allow your staff to air such hate. You were once the most prominent news network on cable. Now your the lowest rated cable news network and you now look like clowns and are beyond classless and should be pulled as you are not a trustworthy news source. I don’t think you’ll ever recover to The days back when Ted Turner on CNN. And that is because but the disrespectful anchors you now have on the airwaves. I don’t understand how your investors still stand stand behind you, as your losing millions of dollars and viewers Daly.
Goforit
Onecaddy13. Is that a joke? In one sentence you call Don Lemmon a “racist” and the next sentence you say that the name calling has got to stop. I shudder to think that you and most of the rest of Trump supporters truly can not see the problem with your statement.
Mojohood
Lemmon is one of the most racist anchors on television. If he hates whites so much, then why does he sleep with a white man? He is a joke. They need to get rid of him. All he does is preach hate.