Don Lemon and former Trump official Len Khodorkovsky engaged in a spirited debate regarding former President Donald Trump’s recent dinner with entertainer Kanye West and alleged “white nationalist” Nick Fuentes.
News of the former [resident’s dinner with Fuentes fueled unwelcome publicity for Trump, who recently launched his 2024 presidential run. Some on the left have cited the dinner as justification to call into question Trump’s judgment and fitness to lead the country.
Trump contends that Fuentes was an unknown and unexpected guest who arrived with West at his Mar-a-Lago home.
Len Khodorkovsky, a long-time adviser to politicians and political analyst for several news networks, acknowledged that Trump’s dinner with Fuentes represented poor optics. However, he downplayed the dinner’s significance and reminded Lemon that leading Democrats had made racist remarks without being checked by the media.
Lemon pushed back, saying: “Sir, they’re not the President of the United States. He’s a former president of the United States, and this is not ‘what-about-ism,’ he met with an antisemite. So, can we stick to the former President and not do ‘what-about-ism?’ We can talk about those other people when they are issues. But they aren’t issues right now.”
According to the Daily Caller, Lemon then pressed Khodorkovsky by asking if Trump should be “condemned” for inviting West and having dinner with Fuentes “at a time when he is being investigated for storing classified documents in his private home?”
When attempting to reply, Khodorkovsky was cut off by Lemon. The former deputy secretary of state complained: “I’m trying to give you an answer—”
Lemon continued to press: “It’s a yes or no.”
An irritated Khodorkovsky responded: “I didn’t realize I was on the witness stand, here, Don. I’m trying to have a substantive conversation about a real issue like anti-semitism, and you’re trying to make it all about Trump. It’s not about Trump.”
Lemon pressed further: “It is about Trump, sir. We’re talking about the former President meeting with an antisemite; how is this not about Trump?”
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Khodorkovsky noted that the broad issue of antisemitism should be confronted but that centering the discussion on Trump, who has a history of supporting Israel and Jewish interests, is inappropriate.
Khodorkovsky also noted that “CNN and other media outlets” need to quickly “condemn” antisemitic comments when they come from “Democrats in Congress” rather than excusing or burying those stories. Khodorkovsky said:
“When the issue is someone in the halls of Congress or in the government who is trafficking anti-semitism, CNN will call it out.”
Lemon pushed back: “This is about Donald Trump meeting with a known anti-semite and someone who traffics in anti-semitism. This is not about any other people who may have trafficked in anti-semitism. When they do it, we’ll discuss it, and we’ll have you have on to discuss that part of it.”
In the heated exchange, Khodorkovsky accused Lemon of being “fixated on Trump” and unable to see the big picture.
Lemon argued that Khodorkovsky should be more offended by Trump’s actions and immediately condemn Trump’s meeting with Fuentes.
Khodorkovsky pushed back: “Oh, I see, Don. So if there’s an answer that you want from me, why don’t you tell me what that answer would be.”
Lemon had no immediate reply. Khodorkovsky continued his rebuke by telling Lemon it is “insulting” for the host to lecture him, a Jew, on antisemitism.
Lemon responded: “It is insulting for you to think that I don’t understand bigotry and racism. Because I understand it, and if someone is a bigot or a racist and you ask me about them, I will always say that it is wrong to traffic and meet with bigots and racists, regardless of what you might think about me and talking about a Jewish person.”
For his part, Donald Trump reportedly was unaware of who Fuentes was when the unexpected guest arrived at his home. After Kanye posted pictures of the dinner, individuals pointed out that Fuentes is a Holocaust denier and has been labeled a “white supremacist” by the Department of Justice.
The Daily Caller noted that former President Barack Obama had a formal meeting with antisemite Louis Farrakhan, and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has made repeated antisemitic comments in her role as a congressional representative.
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