'There has to be consequences': Leftists call for Trump supporters to be punished, 'deprogrammed'
On Wednesday's episode of "The Rubin Report," host Dave Rubin said he believes everything he's been warning against, fighting against, and even wrote a book against, is unfortunately happening now.
Dave discussed Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson and New York Times Magazine's Nikole Hannah-Jones, who agreed that there is a need for "millions of Americans, almost all white, almost all Republicans" to be "deprogrammed" and punished before the country should "move on to reconciliation."
"There are millions of Americans, almost all white, almost all Republicans, who somehow need to be deprogrammed. It's as if they are members of a cult, the Trumpist cult, and have to be deprogrammed," Robinson said on MSNBC Tuesday. "Do you have any idea how we start that process?" he asked Hannah-Jones
"There has to be consequences. And then once you get those consequences … people have to take a second look at their actions, and they have to be afraid to do the types of violence that we saw last week," Hannah-Jones suggested. "What has long been the case in this country, is that we have wanted to quickly move on to reconciliation. We've always been afraid that if you actually punish those kind of white nationalist elements in our society, it will only make things worse. But, in fact, what history shows is not reacting, not forcing accountability, only emboldens those people and those movements."
Dave also talked about a controversial op-ed in Forbes, in which the magazine's chief content officer, Randall Lane, warned companies not to hire Trump officials, including White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and former Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
"Let it be known to the business world: Hire any of Trump's fellow fabulists above, and Forbes will assume that everything your company or firm talks about is a lie," wrote Lane. "We're going to scrutinize, double-check, investigate with the same skepticism we'd approach a Trump tweet. Want to ensure the world's biggest business media brand approaches you as a potential funnel of disinformation? Then hire away."
Dave said he believes conservatives can, unfortunately, expect much more of this kind of behavior in the coming years. Watch the video below to hear why:
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CNN’s Don Lemon says 'cultist' Trump supporters need to be ‘deprogrammed’ before voting
CNN anchor Don Lemon recently said that supporters of President Donald Trump are like "cultists" who need to be "deprogrammed" before voting in the upcoming election.
Lemon made the comments Friday while speaking with fellow CNN anchor Chris Cuomo on the network.
During the conversation, Lemon shared his unvarnished thoughts on the tens of millions of Americans who support the president.
"If I had a real friend, who was involved in a cult, which I feel it is cultish behavior, I must try to help them," Lemon said, comparing those who support the president to blind followers of a cult. "And you can only go so far until you say, until you reach bottom, I cannot deal with it. It's like an addiction. Until you reach bottom and you want help, I can't deal with it."
"Here's how I feel about this," he continued. "I don't care about whether you're right or left. I've been right — I was a young Republican — and left. I am an independent now. And I am an independent thinker, and I believe in reality. I believe in facts. I believe one plus one equals two. And so, when I'm talking to people who, [are not] smart but, who think they are smart ... then, I have to — I got to let you go."
Lemon then suggested that a type of intervention is necessary before Trump supporters are allowed to vote.
"[Trump] lies to people and they believe it," he said. "And so, what is that? Cultish behavior. And I think a lot of people need to be deprogrammed, right now, before they cast their next ballots."
These are just the latest in a string of outlandish remarks made by Lemon recently, including his assertion that Jesus Christ "admittedly was not perfect" and that racism could be solved if former President Barack Obama was "front and center" on Mount Rushmore.
Earlier this year, Lemon laughed until he cried while on air when two guests, anti-Trump Republican Rick Wilson and New York Times columnist Wajahat Ali, used redneck accents to portray Trump supporters as stupid hicks.
Wilson described the Trump base as "the credulous boomer rube demo that backs Donald Trump, that wants to think that 'Donald Trump's the smart one, and y'all — y'all elitists are dumb.'"
"You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling... your reading ... knowing other countries ... sipping your latte," Ali chimed in shortly after.
The jokes tickled Lemon so much that he snorted and had to wipe away tears.