It’s been a rough few weeks for CNN’s Don Lemon, and now one of his former flubs about the British monarchy has come back to haunt him.
Early in the News Cycle surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth, the primetime-for-now anchor was speaking withe numerous experts on the British Royal Family, hoping to conjure up some sort of angle that would keep viewers tuned in.
But, in his quest for attention, Lemon took things a little too far…and he caught an earful for it.
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich stunned CNN anchor Don Lemon into silence with her argument that African slave owners owe “reparations” rather than the British Empire, in a viral clip from CNN’s coverage of the death of the queen.
Conservatives on Twitter found the clip hilarious, as it depicted Lemon getting swift pushback for trying to promote the narrative that the British crown owes reparations for slavery.
The moment was stunning.
The clip, which gained viral attention on Tuesday though it originally aired on CNN’s “Don Lemon Tonight” around a week ago, began with the host telling Fordwich that “you have those who are asking for reparations for colonialism, and they’re wondering, you know, ‘$100 billion, $24 billion here and there, $500 million there.’”
CNN anchor Don Lemon received a massive rebuttal from British royals commentator Hilary Fordwich to his claim that many are seeking reparations from the British crown for slavery.
“Some people want to be paid back and members of the public are wondering, ‘Why are we suffering when you are, you have all this vast wealth?’ Those are legitimate concerns,” Lemon stated.
Fordwich agreed that the desire for reparations is alive and well, though those who want it can look to African slavers.
“Well I think you’re right about reparations in terms of – if people want it though, what they need to do is, you always need to go back to the beginning of the supply chain. Where was the beginning of the supply chain?” she asked.
“That was in Africa,” she continued. “Across the entire world, when slavery was taking place, which was the first nation in the world that abolished slavery?” It was “the British,” Fordwich declared, adding, “In Great Britain they abolished slavery. 2,000 naval men died on the high seas trying to stop slavery. Why? Because the African kings were rounding up their own people. They had them [in] cages, waiting in the beaches.”
And then, putting a bow in the conversation…
She concluded, “I think you’re totally right. If reparations need to be paid, we need to go right back to the beginning of that supply chain and say, ‘Who was rounding up their own people and having them handcuffed in cages. Absolutely, that’s where they should start.”
It was announced just days ago that Don Lemon was receiving a significant demotion at the network, and will be moved from his primetime show to co-host a morning program at the troubled network.
Video of Lemon’s mishap can be seen below:
CNN’s @DonLemon tells royal commentator Hilary Fordwich the royal family should pay reparations — immediately regrets it pic.twitter.com/LotCfBoAym
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 20, 2022
