Two panel image. On the left, Don Lemon smiles in a suit in front of a step and repeat. On the right, Caitlyn Jenner grimaces outside amongst protestors.

Breaking news: right-wingers are missing the point completely. Again.

It all started when newlywed newsman Don Lemon appeared on the eye roll of a late-night program that is Real Time With Bill Maher alongside NYU professor Scott Galloway last Friday.

Their conversation largely revolved around the ongoing protests on college campuses, as pro-Palestinian student-led groups at universities like Columbia, University of North Carolina, and UCLA establish encampments. Many schools, including Galloway’s, have turned to disciplinary action against such demonstrators.

To his point, Lemon argued that the clash with administrators and their beliefs is teaching “some of these students to deal with discomfort.” But after a wisecrack from Maher about the hardships about “living in [a] tent,” Lemon explained that he was referring to a much bigger societal force.

“I’m different than you guys,” he explained. “I’m a Black gay man, so I live in uncomfortable spaces all the time.”

It was a well-intentioned and truthful observation about what it means to be a minority in America. But as you can imagine, the idea of empathy and understanding racial inequities didn’t bode well with the 68-year-old television host.

“What’s going on?” Maher retorted, leaning back coolly in his chair. “You said you live in these [uncomfortable] spaces.”

As Lemon clarified, he’s often “the only person of color in the room.” And when Maher quipped that, “There’s only three of us here,” it was clear that he missed the point completely.

But the controversial comedian wasn’t the only one.

Over the weekend, the clip hit conservative-leaning corners of Twitter X, as critics tried to re-contextualize the moment in favor of right-wing talking points.

And who else was there to lead the charge but Caitlyn Jenner? Of course she would be at the scene of the crime.

“Good on you @billmaher,” the pro-Trump and former-athlete-turned-social-media-incendiary wrote. “Don is a privileged, wealthy, (not to mention entitled ie. demands to X and CNN in alleged contract terms), celebrity. Get over yourself.”

Give us a break!

What Jenner’s post – and Maher’s feigned ignorance – failed to recognize are the very real stigmas and struggles that minority groups, especially those within the LGBTQ+ community, have to overcome just to get a seat at the table.

Nevertheless, it’s no surprise that Jenner (a transgender woman who no less disavowed Biden for, uh, recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility) couldn’t bring herself to find nuance in the conversation.

Furthermore, these types of comments are only reinforcing Lemon’s point about what it means to be the only person from a particular group in a conversation.

And while conservative outlets like Fox News –– whose headline reads, “Bill Maher mocks Don Lemon lamenting ‘uncomfortable spaces’ as a ‘Black gay man’ –– are trying to paint one picture, many liberal viewers are seeing through the, excuse our language, bullsh*t.

Considering the political right is sooo obsessed with fake news, you’d think they wouldn’t spend so much time creating it themselves.

At least we’ve got figureheads like Lemon to speak power to truth while the Trump machine keeps chugging.

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