Don Lemon Blows Up On John Kasich For Not Hating Trump's Coronavirus Address: "I Thought He Did Fine"

Don Lemon blew up on CNN analyst John Kasich for not condemning President Donald Trump's Oval Office address to the nation Wednesday night on the coronavirus. "What is it the clarification that you thought was so terrible? Tell me what you thought," Kasich said after several rounds of beating from Lemon. "I didn't say I thought it was terrible," the CNN host said. "I'm telling you that we are in the middle of a pandemic right now. We're in the middle of a pandemic. And every time this president comes out, he gives inaccurate information. So I don't understand why he would even come out and do it at all if he is going to confuse the American people even more. You don't understand that? You're a governor. I'm surprised that you don't understand that. If you're not going to help -- if you're not going to be accurate, why do it?" Transcript of their argument: <blockquote>DON LEMON: You said the president should stick the script. I don't know if he stuck to the script or not. But whatever script he read was wrong because they've had to clarify it several times. And I just got to say if the president came out to calm people's fears, he didn't do a good job of it because they've had to come back and clarify it several times. And this has been going on long enough for them to get it straight. We need straight, accurate information from this president and this administration. And I don't understand why you are tiptoeing around it. He came out. Gave an address that usually -- that happens very rarely. And he doesn't get it right? KASICH: I'm going to tell you -- first of all, he read it. Look, I don't want to get into that. He -- LEMON: Why not? That's why you're here. To talk about the president. KASICH: Can I finish now? LEMON: No, you can't John, because we are here to talk about the president's -- KASICH: I can't talk? LEMON: We're here -- I don't want you to go on and deflect and talk about something else because we're here to talk about the president's address and you said that someone else wrote it. He's the president. Even if someone else wrote it, it should be right. KASICH: I'm trying to say to you Don that we got to move down the right. Looking back doesn't get things fixed. LEMON: We're not looking back. The president's address was tonight. That is the newest information. KASICH: I think his address tonight, I think it was fine. I think it was fine. That's what I think. LEMON: You think the wrong -- you think inaccurate information that you have to clarify two or three times, you think that's fine? KASICH: It was fine. it was the right tone. I thought he did fine. that's what I thought. I thought he had the right tone. And he no longer played around with we're going to blame Democrats or we're -- forget this stuff. He -- I hope he's trying to move forward because he understands the seriousness of this situation. Now, the fact that they clarify, it isn't unusual in a speech for somebody to clarify something. Okay? But I don't think that the tone he showed tonight takes away from some clarification. I think he set a serious tone. That's what I wanted out of him for a long time. And I think we got it LEMON: John. KASICH: That's what I think. LEMON: I can be serious and sit here and tell you four plus four equals 85. I am serious. That doesn't mean that I'm right. The information he gave was not right. You have to come back and clarify several times, information that you gave. Listen. I tried to cut him a break at the top of the show. KASICH: Like, who's going to get back into the country? You mean -- what is it the clarification that you thought was so terrible? Tell me what you thought LEMON: I didn't say I thought it was terrible. I'm telling you that we are in the middle of a pandemic right now. We're in the middle of a pandemic. And every time this president comes out, he gives inaccurate information. So I don't understand why he would even come out and do it at all if he is going to confuse the American people even more. You don't understand that? You're a governor. I'm surprised that you don't understand that. If you're not going to help -- if you're not going to be accurate, why do it? KASICH: No, Don, I do -- no, I do understand it. Look, I'm just trying to tell you that I thought his tone tonight was good. So he had to clarify something. Okay. 98% of what he did was good. And what we wanted was a seriousness out of the president, to tell people that things are not good and they're probably going to get worse. And I'm not saying this is going to disappear or go away. This is very serious stuff. Now, if you got to clarify, are you still going to let products come into the country, okay, I wish it didn't have to do it. But it doesn't take away from what I thought was the seriousness of the matter. Because we all have to understand how serious it is. And I'm not deflecting or running away.</blockquote>