Don Lemon is one of the most controversial and talked about African American journalists and TV news anchors of our time. He currently anchors “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon,” a weekday prime-time show. He also serves as a correspondent across CNN/U.S. programming. He is known for asking tough questions and for holding politicians and public officials accountable in his “No Talking Points” segment on his TV show.
On Sunday, March 6, Lemon served as co-moderator of the Democratic presidential debate with Anderson Cooper as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders squared off in a heated debate at the University of Michigan, Flint campus. Cooper lived up to his reputation for asking the tough questions. One in particular ruffled the feathers of Clinton when he asked in so many words “why should Black people trust you?”
He was referring to Clinton’s policy decisions on crime if elected president, specifically her support for 1994 legislation known as the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act that critics argue led to mass incarceration of African American men. The bill was a controversial one that was promoted and signed by her husband, then-President Bill Clinton. When Clinton tried to skirt the answer, Lemon cut her off and came back with “The question … Secretary Clinton, is why should Black people trust you this time to get it right? That’s the question,” Lemon calmly retorted.
Clinton quickly countered with “Well, Sen. Sanders voted for it as well. Are you going to ask him the same question?” To which, Sanders interrupted by saying “Probably will.”
Rolling out spoke to Lemon behind the scenes directly following the debate. Check out the interview below where he share his thoughts on how the debate went. Let us know what you think by sounding off in the comment section.
How do you think the candidates did tonight?
I think they did well. We got a lot out of the debate. They were very honest and you would think at this point that we know so much about them, right?
Who was the clear winner of the Democratic presidential debate?
Oh, the American people, because they got a substantive debate. There were no antics. There was no grandstanding, at least in my estimation. I think the American people won and I think they both did well tonight.
If Trump were to become the Republican nominee, who do you think would give him a better election fight; Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders?
It’s interesting. I don’t know the answer, and I will tell you why. Because Trump is an outsider, like Bernie Sanders is an outsider. So, to have two outsiders together could be great. But Trump is a name like Hillary Clinton is a name. And so having two names, I don’t know. So, I can’t really say. I mean it’s — whoever it is — whether it’s Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, or Donald Trump; if it happens to be Donald Trump and either of those two it’s going to be amazing, it’s going to be amazing to watch, to witness.
