CNN's Lemon: 'How Do Black Voters in 2020 Weigh These Low Employment Numbers Against the President's Racist Behavior?'

Ryan Foley | September 7, 2019
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Black unemployment reached a record low of 5.5 percent in the month of August. While CNN Tonight host Don Lemon and his panel acknowledged the statistic, they did their best to downplay it and rejected the notion that President Trump deserved any credit for the strong economy. Lemon argued that President Obama deserved the credit for the low black unemployment numbers because after reaching 16.8 percent in March 2010, the black unemployment rate dropped to 7.9 percent by the end of his term; a difference of 8.9 percent. Lemon pointed out that the highest black unemployment rate during President Trump's term in office was 8 percent while the lowest is 5.5 percent; a difference of only 2.5 percent.  Based on difference alone, it would be impossible for President Trump to meet President Obama's number because 8-8.9 percent is a negative number. Lemon stressed that "it is good news, it is a good trend but it didn't start under this President and the numbers actually declined much stronger under the former President." Lemon proceeded to ask "how do black voters in 2020 weigh these low employment numbers against the President's racist behavior?" Lemon cited "Charlottesville" and "slamming Baltimore" as examples of President Trump's "racist behavior." Lemon implied that blacks who support President Trump because of the economy are misguided: "Does that mean the only part of your brain or the only part of our being that matters is money? Rather than how someone treats you and what someone says about you?"

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