Don Lemon Calls On Trump to ‘Stand Up to the Powerful Gun Lobbies’ That Supported Him
A night after he made an emotional plea for a discussion on gun control following the horrific Florida school shooting, CNN’s Don Lemon directly addressed President Donald Trump in his opening monologue, calling for the nation’s leader to do something in the wake of a tragedy that took 17 lives.
Stating that we should all know better by now not to offer “empty words,” Lemon explained that “we need to turn those thoughts and prayers into action.”
“We need to do it now,” he said. “We can’t waste one more day waiting for another shooter somewhere to erupt in deadly violence and end the lives of more innocent Americans.”
After playing a clip of an anguished mother who lost her daughter demanding the president to take some sort of action, Lemon noted that in his remarks on Thursday, the president didn’t once utter the word “gun” while speaking to the nation about the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
The CNN anchor pointed out that the mother was “very loud and clear” about what she wanted to see: “Stop guns from getting into the wrong hands.”
He then concluded by imploring the president to take a stand:
“There have already been eight school shootings this year. We’re at February 15th, the Monday after Valentine’s day. Barely — about a month into the year and there have been eight already this year. There were 48 last year. What can you do, you ask, Mr. President? You can stand up to the powerful gun lobbies that spent over $30 million to support you for president. Remember how you campaigned that you were your own man, self-made, no one could buy or own you? You wouldn’t be beholden to special interests. Remember when you said that? So, prove it. Do that. Do something.”
Watch the clip above, via CNN.
[image via screengrab]
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