CNN news anchor launches scathing attack on Donald Trump after 'Pocahontas' joke

Harriet Pavey28 November 2017

CNN news anchor Don Lemon opened his show with a scathing verbal attack on Donald Trump after the President apparently used a racial slur against Native Americans.

At a White House event honouring Native American veterans on Monday, Mr Trump said there was Native American “representative” in Congress: “Pocahontas”.

Mr Lemon said the comment was met with “stunned silence” because “everyone in that room knew it was a racist slur directed at Senator Elizabeth Warren."

The White House has denied that Mr Trump's use of the word is racist.

Mr Lemon's report on Monday night was followed by a montage of clips of Mr Trump referring to the Democrat politician as "Pocahontas". Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed that Sen. Warren is lying about her Native American heritage to progress her career.

Mr Trump continues to use the nickname despite Native Americans asking him to stop, Mr Lemon said. He highlighted a statement from the National Congress of American Indians, which said: “The name of Pocahontas should not be used as a slur and it is inappropriate for anyone to use her name in a disparaging manner.”

The CNN Tonight anchor then played a series of quick-fire clips showing all the times he believed Mr Trump has insulted minorities, including Mexicans, African Americans and Muslims.

"This aspect of Donald Trump isn’t new. It goes back for years,” Mr Lemon said. “In fact, I asked him about it two years ago, when he was still a candidate. This is what he told me.”

He then played a footage of a past interview with Mr Trump in which the President claims he is “the least racist person you have ever met”.

Trump has accused Sen. Warren of lying about her Native American heritage
AP

But Mr Lemon slammed Mr Trump’s words: “Just because you say you’re not racist, doesn’t make it so. Especially if you say do and defend racist behaviour over and over again.”

He concluded the segment by pointing out the Washington Post’s report that Mr Trump has made 1,628 false or misleading statements in 298 days, an average of 5.5 claims a day.

Mr Trump’s most repeated false claim, according to the Post, is “some variation of the statement that the Affordable Car Act is dying”. According to the newspaper, the Congressional Budget Office has said that Obamacare exchanges are expected to remain stable for the foreseeable future.

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