Former CNN anchor Don Lemon pushed back on claims that rhetoric from Democrats should be compared to statements made by President Donald Trump following the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, saying the comparison “drives me f–king crazy!”

During an episode of “The Don Lemon Show” on Monday, Lemon addressed growing discussion among politicians and media figures about whether political rhetoric across the spectrum has contributed to tensions, particularly after the third attempt on Trump’s life over the weekend, as reported by The New York Post.

“Words have consequences. Rhetoric really matters and I believe that genuinely across the board, and that’s not a one-sided principle, it applies to everyone,” Lemon said.

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He continued by rejecting the idea that criticisms of Trump by Democrats are equivalent to Trump’s own statements.

“But I cannot say with a straight face, and nobody can say that with a straight face…that Democrats saying Trump is terrible for this country is the same thing as Donald Trump standing in front of a crowd on Jan. 6 and telling them to march to the Capitol and fight like hell.”

“I cannot say those things are equivalent because they are not. I am so sick of false equivalents. It drives me f–king crazy!” Lemon said. “Because that is bulls–t!”

DERANGED: Don Lemon GOES on an UNHINGED RANT just two days after another ass*ssination attempt on President Trump — claiming he doesn’t want to hear any “false equivalence” between Trump’s rhetoric and what Democrats say.

“I am so sick of false equivalence. It drives me f*cking… pic.twitter.com/O1PQeIhUlS — RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) April 27, 2026

Lemon’s comments referenced remarks made by Trump during his Jan. 6, 2021 speech, in which the president said, “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

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He also said later, “And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

Trump is currently suing the BBC for $10 billion, alleging that a 2024 documentary improperly edited those statements together, according to reports.

Lemon went on to criticize Trump’s broader role in political discourse.

“There are so many examples of Donald Trump saying horrible things and doing horrible things,” Lemon said. “The person who has done the most to poison the political climate in this country is the one man sitting in the Oval Office, and I will say that very clearly and emphatically, directly.”

The discussion followed the shooting at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where authorities say Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California teacher and engineer, attempted to target Trump administration officials.

Allen faces multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate the president, and could face life in prison. Investigators said he authored a manifesto outlining his intent to target officials “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.”

“I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” Allen wrote, referring to the president.

Lemon addressed the suspect’s actions during the episode, stating, “I want to be very clear here…What Cole Allen did was wrong. You do not pick up weapons and walk toward a room full of people,” adding, “I don’t care how angry you are.”

He also said he does not support harm toward the president.

“And, I don’t want Donald Trump dead, okay? I do not want Donald Trump dead, let me say that. Not because I have any warmth towards him. I really don’t. I don’t. I think he’s a repulsive human being.”

Lemon further argued that some of the suspect’s grievances reflect broader sentiments but said the language used did not originate from Democrats.

“But the specific language in that letter, the words he used, that language comes from a specific ecosystem, and that ecosystem was not built by Democrats,” he said.

Allen was taken into custody after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement during the incident, which left one Secret Service officer injured but protected by a bulletproof vest, according to statements cited in reports.

Lemon, who was dismissed from CNN in 2023 after 17 years, concluded by arguing that political outcomes should be determined through elections.

He said he would rather see the president “beaten by the voters” than harmed, and suggested that such an outcome would avoid elevating Trump to a symbolic status.

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