The podcaster and radio host also excoriated what he saw as the media’s double standards and failure to convey the true danger of Trump’s rhetoric.

In a clip that has gone viral on social media, Charlamagne, a popular podcaster and co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club, is asked by host Anderson Cooper about Trump’s plan to appear on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast and whether Harris planned to do the same.

“I think that she should keep calling Donald Trump a fascist,” Charlamagne replied tersely.

He continued, “And I think that Americans need to keep looking at the rhetoric of Donald Trump because I don’t know why we’re even thinking about electing somebody who’s talking about putting people in camps. I don’t know why we’re talking, why we want to elect somebody who’s talking about mass deportation. I don’t know why we’re having this conversation about somebody who wants to terminate the constitution to overthrow the results of an election. Aren’t we supposed to be a patriotic country? Whenever somebody like Colin Kaepernick takes a knee in this country, everybody talks about, ‘Oh, that’s so unpatriotic.’ But a guy can say he wants to terminate the constitution to overthrow the results of an election and nobody cares?”

Addressing Cooper, Charlamagne said, “Now, you brought it back to Kamala and Joe Rogan, Anderson, who gives a damn?”

  • Blackbeard@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    Absolutely refreshing 9-minute conversation that put Cooper on his heels, capped off with this:

    “Some of what we’re talking about tonight, Anderson, is not actually an opinion at all. It is just the facts. And you are one of the most trusted voices on television, and it is important in those moments where you know those conversations devolve into nonsense, particularly on the other side of the aisle. There are conspiracy theories–they won’t even say her name right! That has to be checked in the moment because that is what fascism looks like, that is how we start sliding down a very slippery slope, and we cannot afford to be here. The election is 12 days away, and this should not be even what is on the ballot, but democracy is on the line. That is not a partisan issue, it is the truth. And I think that’s what’s important for cable news networks, in particular, to be saying, whether you’re on Fox, you’re on CNN, or you’re on MSNBC. For all of us, that is our responsibility and our patriotic duty.”

    God damn I hope we don’t look back on these moments as our last chance before the dominoes started falling…

    • Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      And you are one of the most trusted voices on television,

      He should have followed it up with “He’s already threatened to have broadcast licenses pulled from a news network that did nothing more than fact check him. What do you think he’d do to you and yours if you don’t report positively 24 hours a day?”

      • Blackbeard@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        100%. I can’t imagine the conversations these news networks have behind closed doors. Do they honestly think a fascist who was just granted absolute immunity and already called them “the enemy of the people” WON’T shut their offices down if they criticize him? Are they that fucking dense?

    • masterofn001@lemmy.ca
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      6 days ago

      Anderson, being gay, should be especially vocal.

      First they came for the “illegals”

      Etc.

      He is on whatever list of lists they have.

      He may not be first in line, but he will be.

      Fascism wants only a certain kind.

      Anderson is not that kind.

    • assembly@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      This is exactly the way Trump needs to be covered and while I don’t listen to Poscasts, it really makes me want to start.

    • gradyp@awful.systems
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      6 days ago

      it’s fucking absurd where we are 12 days from the election. the fix is in, and those who claim to love this country, clearly hate it. I don’t care what happens in the election, this nation is cooked.