CNN news anchor Don Lemon held no punches with popular South Carolina Pastor John Gray after he posed for a photo with President Donald Trump.
Gray has faced major backlash in the Black community after his conference with the president on Wednesday. The pastor claimed the meeting was only to discuss prison reform and commended Trump for meeting with him and other Black pastors. One of the church leaders’s, Pastor Darrell Scott, called the Chief of State the “most pro-Black president” ever.
The Greenville pastor defended his decision and added, “We cannot influence a table that we are not seated at.” Many of Gray’s congregation didn’t buy his response and neither did Lemon who tore into Gray during an interview on “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.”
“When I was invited I actually said I don’t want to take pictures,” Gray replied when asked if he was used as a prop. “This was important to me because it does affect people who look like me.”
Lemon fired back, “I’m not sure you’re understanding what I’m saying,” he said. “Could you have done a conference call, or could you have been in another place besides the White House? All these African-Americans sitting there… They are using you as a prop.”
The two continued to go back and forth on whether or not Gray did the right thing by meeting with Trump and whether the president had good intentions to meet with Black leaders.
Lemon ended the interview with Gray by pointing out how “people keep overlooking so much….There’s just so much.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEf51hJZRs4
