A video clip of a panel discussion on CNN has gone viral after host Don Lemon and guests joked that supporters of President Donald Trump were illiterate “rubes” who can’t read a map.
The discussion, which occurred over the weekend, featuring the host, Don Lemon, and two Trump critics, op-ed writer Wajahat Ali and Republican Rick Wilson, has led to blowback from conservatives.
Speaking of Sec. of State Mike Pompeo, Wilson said that he “knows deep in his heart that Donald Trump couldn’t find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter U and a picture of an actual physical crane next to it” — an observation that Lemon found very funny.
Wilson then widened his mockery to include Trump’s “base” of supporters.
“He knows that this is, you know, an administration defined by ignorance of the world, and so that’s partly him playing to their base and playing to their audience, you know, credulous boomer rube demo that back Donald Trump, that wants to think that Donald Trump’s a smart one, and y’all — y’all elitists are dumb,” said Wilson, in a southern accent.
“You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling…” mocked Ali.
“Your math, your reading,” said Wilson.
“Yes, your reading, you know,” Ali added. “Your geography knowing other countries. Sipping your latte.”
“All those lines on the map,” said Wilson, Lemon literally crying laughing at this point.
“Only them elitists know where Ukraine is,” Ali said, before adding, “Sorry. I apologize.”
“Oh my god,” said Lemon, who laughed throughout the exchange, then ended it with, “Rick, that was a good one. I needed that.”
As the clip made its rounds on social media, it caught the attention of President Trump, who fired back: “Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television (with terrible ratings!).”
Regarding Pompeo, he reportedly asked NPR correspondent Mary Louise Kelly if she could locate Ukraine on a map after she continually badgered him about former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was fired by President Trump last year.