CNN is under fire after one of the network’s contributors referred to Kanye West as Donald Trump’s “token negro.” During a panel hosted by Don Lemon, Tara Setmeyer compared ‘Ye to 45 and made some disparaging comments about mental health.
“He’s an attention whore, like the president,” she said. “He’s all of a sudden now the model spokesperson. He’s the token negro of the Trump administration. This is ridiculous and no one should be taking Kanye West seriously. He clearly has issues. He’s already been hospitalized. Not to trivialize mental health issues, [but] obviously Kanye has taken a turn in a very strange way.”
Comedian destroys CNN for calling Kanye West a 'Token Negro' pic.twitter.com/Rpw2WqIwNj
— Sec of state (@SecOfState70) October 11, 2018
Another panelist, former Congressman Bakari Sellers, used the same language when describing Kanye.
“Kanye West is what happens when negroes don’t read,” he said. “And we have this now and now Donald Trump is going to use it and pervert and he’s going to have someone who can stand with him and take pictures.”
Former NFL star Herschel Walker has since called for Lemon to be fired.
Of course, Twitter lit up with reactions to the segment.
AD LOADING...
Check some of those out below.
THIS is @CNN?
"Kanye West is what happens when negroes don't read." (Laughter around)
"Listen, black folks are about to TRADE Kanye West in the racial draft … he's an attention whore … he's the token negro of the Trump administration."#DoBetterpic.twitter.com/jVWYY4dRje
— Conservative Review (@CR) October 10, 2018
Hodgetwins react @CNN, #KanyeWest was called a “token negro” and a “dumb negro”.
CNN is full blown RACIST.
#TRUMP2020#MAGApic.twitter.com/ckBJ8jGQzy— HodgeTwins (@hodgetwins) October 10, 2018
Shockingly racist remarks from some of the @CNN and @MSNBC anchors about #KanyeWest. “An example of a Negro who doesn’t read?” Calling him a “token Negro” and making fun of mental illness? NOT OK! #kanyetrump#DonLemonhttps://t.co/i0vdWyDmvz
— Alana Stewart (@AlanaKStewart) October 12, 2018
Calls for CNN host Don Lemon to be FIRED after he blasts Kanye's Oval Office meeting with Trump as a 'minstrel show', says the rapper's mother would be 'rolling in her grave' and laughed as CNN panel dubbed West the President's 'token negro' pic.twitter.com/nl8AuunjMt
— Darlington Micah (@DarlingtonMicah) October 12, 2018
For those keeping score at home, in the last 24 hours folks on CNN and MSNBC have called Kanye:
1) dumb
2) mentally ill
3) a house negro
4) a token
5) a minstrel
6) a white supremacisthttps://t.co/KMNZcS6aEV— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) October 12, 2018
"Token Negro" and "Dumb Negro" aren't even dog whistles… they're straight racist statements. @CNN
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) October 10, 2018
The left has said the nastiest things about Kanye West the last few days
Why?
Because he says black people don’t have to be Democrats
He dares challenge the status quo in defiance of the elites
CNN calls him a “token negro”
The true racists are liberals who want control
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 11, 2018