*Don Lemon broke his “rule of not responding to Twitter trolls” when he fired back at Newt Gingrich after the former congressman blasted him as “hostile to America” for daring to ask Gladys Knight about her decision to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl.
Lemon interviewed the music legend following her performance and questioned if she was “worried about her career” for singing the anthem “given the controversy” surrounding NFL protests. Watch the conversation via the clip above.
“Don Lemon is so hostile to America he questioned how Gladys Knight could sing the National Anthem,” Gingrich wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “This fits the CNN pattern of belittling America and its institutions. Most Americans were honored by Gladys Knight—veterans especially so.”
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1- Newt, I’m breaking my rule of not responding to Twitter trolls just for you. You’re welcome. Just so you know Ms. Knight, who I greatly admire & have interviewed before, was well aware of the anthem controversy & chose to speak with me about it. https://t.co/xWE9Vnqts7
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) February 8, 2019
Lemon issued a response on Friday.
“Newt, I’m breaking my rule of not responding to Twitter trolls just for you. You’re welcome. Just so you know Ms. Knight, who I greatly admire & have interviewed before, was well aware of the anthem controversy & chose to speak with me about it,” Lemon wrote on Twitter.
“Not asking her about it would have been a dereliction of journalistic integrity,” he continued. “We can respect someone, ask tough questions & hold them to account. It’s the American way. Republicans, lately, should try it. By the way, don’t play me, play lotto. Your odds are better.”
2 Not asking her about it would have been a dereliction of journalistic integrity. We can respect someone, ask tough questions & hold them to account. It’s the American way. Republicans, lately, should try it. By the way, don’t play me, play lotto. Your odds are better. https://t.co/beU3kj6yMY
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) February 8, 2019