"None of that is in dispute, and none of it explains, excuses, or justifies what has unfolded on Friday. The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, a local Black journalist and Emmy winner, are not merely shocking: They are frightening. This moment fits into a long, deliberate pattern of intimidation from the Trump administration, one that targets journalists, dissent, and, with particular intensity, Black and LGBTQ+ voices."
"For years, Trump has singled out Lemon with an obsession that went far beyond journalistic criticism. Trump demeaned Lemon as "the dumbest man on television," a "lightweight," a "loser." These insults were repeated endlessly, and they came with mockery of Lemon's intelligence, credibility, and even his physical appearance. After Lemon interviewed LeBron James, Trump sneered that Lemon "made LeBron look smart," a comment that was definitely steeped in racial contempt."
The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, a local Black journalist and Emmy winner, are frightening. The arrests fit into a deliberate pattern of intimidation from the Trump administration that targets journalists, dissent, and especially Black and LGBTQ+ voices. Lemon carries multiple targets: he is a journalist, an outspoken figure, Black, and openly gay, identities treated as suspect by a MAGA movement equating criticism with disloyalty and Black and queer visibility with provocation. CNN fired Lemon in April 2023 after a 17-year tenure following a criticized on-air remark and reports of unprofessional conduct, and Trump repeatedly demeaned him with racially tinged insults.
Read at Advocate.com
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