Don Lemon Goes Off on ‘Political Correctness’ Defense of Anti-Asian Rhetoric: ‘It’s About Hate … Stop Being a Bigot!’

CNN host Don Lemon went off on Republican Rep. Chip Roy, former President Donald Trump, and others who defend anti-Asian rhetoric by claiming they’re being “censored” by the forces of “political correctness.”

On Thursday night’s edition of CNN Tonight, Lemon delivered a lengthy bit of commentary about remarks that Rep. Roy made during a hearing in defense of a reference to lynching he’d made earlier. At a hearing on anti-Asian violence, Roy ranted about China and said he would not be “ashamed” of expressing his views.

Lemon also played a powerful response from Rep. Grace Meng from the same hearing, and another plea from Rep. Ted Lieu to tamp down the rhetoric — followed by another “political correctness defense by Republican Rep. Rodney Davis.

Then, Lemon went to work:

It’s always some excuse. For saying some BS, for being racist or bigoted or letting it slip. Maybe these days, I don’t even know if it’s letting it slip, people just say it.

That’s what the former president did became the imprimatur for bigots. The bigot imprimatur. Just say it right in the open. Not behind closed the doors, right in the open wearing a suit.

I know that the grammatically correct thing to say is “This is not about political correctness.”

It ain’t about political correctness, okay, if you’re listening, this is about hate. It’s about hate. Hate that is exploding into violence all across this country. This is about Asian-Americans who are afraid to go to the store , afraid to lead their daily lives, wait for a bus, just play with their kids outside. It’s about hate.

Stop making it about you. “My freedom, my freedom to be a bigot, to say racist things. My freedom to be, it’s political correctness, it’s cancel culture,” please, I’m sick of it, shut up! Look in the mirror. Stop being a bigot! Stop it.

Watch the clip above via CNN.