Don Lemon takes issue with Fox News for immediately politicizing Colin Powell’s death

On Monday’s Don Lemon Tonight, the host wanted to reflect on the life and career of General Colin Powell, who passed away earlier in the day. But first he took issue with multiple Fox News anchors who began raising questions about vaccines “literally minutes” after the news broke of Powell’s passing.

“Shame on them,” Lemon said. “I just found it to be disgusting. I cannot believe it happened. Every day I'm more surprised when that happens.”

Lemon also pointed out that his peers at Fox News were not very quick to mention that Powell had many underlying factors that contributed to his death, including the fact that he was 84-years-old and suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Plus he suffered from a blood cancer known as multiple myeloma — precisely the kind of “immunocompromised” condition that experts have said from the start could lead to lower vaccine efficacy.

Lemon went on to discuss the impact and importance of Powell’s contributions to the country over the years, and shared a few personal anecdotes from the time he spent with Powell and things they discussed. Which is probably why, while discussing Fox News’ coverage of Powell's passing, his frustration left him reaching for phrases like, “Don’t know any better” and “Don’t have the chops,” when describing those anchors.

“Seriously?” he wondered after one clip. “A man just died and this guy can't wait to make it into a fight about vaccine mandates? It is disgraceful.”

Video Transcript

- News of Colin Powell's death breaking about 8:00 this morning. And within minutes, over at the Fox propaganda network, they were saying this.

- There will also be conversations about the fact that he was fully vaccinated according to his family and he died from complications from COVID. I'm Don Lemon Tonight Monday. The host wanted to reflect on the life and career of General Colin Powell, who died earlier in the day.

But first, he took issue with Fox News, whose anchors began raising questions about vaccines as lemon said literally within minutes of the news breaking.

- This was ripe for being twisted. But there is no shame in their game.

- We're talking about the Fox propaganda network. I just found it to be disgusting. I cannot believe it happened, you know. Every day I'm even more surprised when that happens.

- Lemon pointed out that along with having COVID, the 84-year-old General Powell had Parkinson's disease and multiple myeloma cancer which attacks cells that make antibodies. Something Fox News did not make very clear.

He also highlighted the twice deleted tweet from Fox's John Roberts, who also used Powell's passing to question the vaccine's efficacy earlier in the day.

- Seriously, the man had just died. And this guy, I can't wait to make it into a fight about vaccine mandates. It is disgraceful.