Cuomo: Calls for 'Peaceful' Protests are 'Dog Whistle' for 'Be Quiet and Go Away'

CNN host Chris Cuomo spent his closing argument Wednesday night dismissing the calls for peaceful protests and an end to the rioting and looting plaguing America's cities. According to Cuomo, "people don't have to protest in only the ways that Trump and his followers like. What they call 'peaceful' means 'passive,' 'be quiet, go home.'"  Cuomo proceeded to ponder whether "Trump wants these people to be passive, to just go home, so things can stay as they are." The CNN host slammed "those who are doing violence to our quest for a perfect union" as "those who ignore what's happening on our streets and making the symptoms more important than the illness that brought people to the streets in the first place." Cuomo's closing argument extended into a back-and-forth with CNN Tonight host Don Lemon. The New York Governor's brother praised former President Obama: "he's educated, he's a leader, and he pushed for progress." Cuomo contrasted Obama with Trump, who Cuomo claims uses "the word 'peaceful' as...a dog whistle to 'passive,' 'shhh, come on black people, be quiet. We like you quiet.'" The final part of Cuomo and Lemon's exchange made it sound like absolutely nothing has changed in America since 1968; with Cuomo implying that the American people are "not used to seeing a brown face and a white face...talking about things honestly and from a place of love even though we don't see things the same way and don't have the same experience."