CNN’s Don Lemon warned President Trump of the effects of his rhetoric after a man was arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot and kill CNN employees.
“There’s nothing random about this. Nothing,” Lemon said on CNN.
“This is what happens when the president of the United States, Donald Trump, repeatedly attacks members of the press simply for reporting facts he does not like.”
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Lemon said that the caller who allegedly threatened to kill CNN employees used the words “fake news.”
“‘Fake news’ — I wonder where he got those words?” Lemon asked.
Lemon played a series of clips in which Trump is shown railing against the news media, referring to it as “fake news” that is the enemy of the people.
Lemon then spoke directly to the president.
“We are not the enemy. We are not trying to silence you. It is the job of the free press to report the facts, to ask questions, tough questions, ones you don’t like,” he said.
“No matter how many times you attack us as fake news, we will continue to do our jobs. When you make that baseless and incendiary charge, be aware that people are listening to you. Some very dangerous people.”
He warned of the consequences of Trump’s rhetoric, saying people “take that message seriously.”
“And if one of us is hurt or god forbid something else in some way or another because you either don’t understand the power of your words and/or you don’t care, it won’t be a fake injury or sadly a fake death, it’ll be real,” Lemon said.
“And how will you answer those questions then, not only from journalists but from our loved ones, because you’re going to have to do it. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen.”
The FBI launched an investigation after a man reportedly called CNN 22 times earlier this month.
According to court documents, the man told a CNN operator: “Fake news. I’m coming to gun you all down.”
He allegedly later called CNN again, saying, “I’m smarter than you. More powerful than you. I have more guns than you. More manpower. Your cast is about to get gunned down in a matter of hours.”
“I am coming to Georgia right now to go to the CNN headquarters to f—ing gun every single last one of you,” he said.
Lemon has often been critical of the president in the past. Earlier this month, he referred to Trump as a “racist” following Trump’s reported comments referring to some nations as “shithole countries.”