Saturday during a “special” edition of CNN’s “Tonight,” anchor Don Lemon, along with network contributor Wajahat Ali and political strategist Rick Wilson, criticized Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his reported disagreement with an NPR radio host.
During that segment, Wilson questioned Trump supporters’ geographic knowledge, which led to a screed about anti-elitist sentiments among those supporters.
Partial transcript as follows:
LEMON: OK. So let’s see. Let’s look at the — OK. In the statement, Rick, the last line Pompeo’s statement says, it is worth noting that Bangladesh is not Ukraine. First of all, Kelly has a master’s degree in European studies from Cambridge University.
WILSON: Right.
LEMON: Also, he doesn’t really say that she couldn’t identify Ukraine on a map. He insinuates — it’s just a petty attempt to put her down, right? Is that what this is?
WILSON: Of course. Of course. It’s — he’s just trying to demean her, and obviously it’s false. And look, he also knows deep in his heart that Donald Trump couldn’t find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter U and a picture of an actual physical crane next to it. He knows that this is, you know, an administration defined by ignorance of the world, and so that’s partly him playing to their base and playing to their audience, you know, credulous boomer rube demo that back Donald Trump, that wants to think that Donald Trump’s a smart one, and y’all — y’all elitists are dumb.
ALI: You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling even though —
WILSON: Your math, your reading.
ALI: Yes, your reading, you know. Your geography knowing other countries. Sipping your latte.
WILSON: All those lines on the map.
ALI: Only them elitists know where Ukraine is. Sorry. I apologize.
LEMON: Oh my god.
ALI: But you know what — it was Rick’s fault. I blame Rick.
LEMON: Oh my God.
ALI: But in all honesty —
WILSON: Blame Rick, why not.
ALI: — you know what NPR should do. LEMON: Sorry, hold on. Wait, wait. Give me a second. Hold on. Hold on. That was good. Sorry. Rick, that was a good one. I needed that. OK, so listen let’s go back to business here.
ALI: But can I tell you what NPR should do? NPR should take a black sharpie, circle it all around that whole subcontinent around Bangladesh and Ukraine and just be like, there, there is Ukraine right on the middle. Just in honor of Donald Trump.
LEMON: A U with a crane on it. That is hilarious.
WILSON: Yes.
(h/t Daily Caller)
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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