CNN host Don Lemon had an awkward exchange about climate change with a hurricane expert, as Hurricane Ian intensified Tuesday night on its path toward Florida. Saying it’s proof of Lemon’s liberal agenda, conservatives are mocking the host relentlessly.
WATCH the video:
Lemon asks the expert “what effect climate change has on this phenomenon,” in the video. Acting director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Hurricane Center, Jamie Rhome, tried to redirect Lemon’s focus.
Before returning to talk of the hurricane, this is what Rhome said: “We can come back and talk about climate change at a later time. I want to focus on the here and now,” reported Newsweek.
But Lemon did not give up so easily, so he tried to press the same question once more, adding: “What effect does climate change have on this phenomenon that is happening now? Because it seems these storms are intensifying.”
After that, Rhome said that climate change might be worsening storms in the grand scheme of things, but warned against linking it “to any one event.”
It seemed then that Lemon got a little irritated.
“Listen, I grew up there, and these storms are intensifying. Something is causing them to intensify,” he said.
Shortly after, conservatives on Twitter began buzzing about Lemon, despite experts broadly agreeing that climate change is leading to far worse weather events.
Hurricanes may move more slowly and dump increased amounts of rain, as climate change accelerates, in addition to creeping ever-farther north. Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common, experts widely agree.
The video on Twitter soon began circulating by some on the right, reveling in what they believed was an embarrassing moment for Lemon.
Benny Johnson, a host on the conservative network Newsmax tweeted: “Don Lemon is just regularly getting shut down on his own show now and I’m here for it.”
A joke about the moment was also made on Twitter by conservative political pundit Ben Shapiro, who wrote: “NOAA acting director: I’d caution against blaming any single event on climate change. Don Lemon: WHOA MAN I USED TO LIVE IN FLORIDA.”
Another recent Lemon interview was brought up by a columnist for the Washington Examiner, T. Becket Adams: “I love don lemon’s new show where he says something stupid, and his guests find polite ways to tell him he’s an idiot. First the reparations interview, now this.”
Adams was referencing the other awkward interview that also occurred recently when Lemon attempted to discuss whether the royal family should pay reparations.
Photo: Twitter video screencap
This story syndicated with licensed permission from Frank who writes for a funny news blog. Follow Frank on Facebook.