'As autocrats have done for centuries': CNN's Don Lemon slams Trump's 'forced patriotism'

CNN anchor Don Lemon had harsh words for President Donald Trump's "war on the NFL" as he disinvited the world champion Philadelphia Eagles from a White House ceremony.

"President Trump threw himself a party today, threw himself a party after nobody else would come," Lemon noted. "In a classic example of taking his ball and going home, the president escalated his fight with the NFL by scrapping a planned White House visit with the Superbowl champion Eagles after he learned a small number of players and coaches would actually attend."

"This was absolutely a political stunt, a political stunt by the president," he continued.

"Who is being disrespectful here? Who is stomping all over the values of Americans?" Lemon asked. "The values, the freedoms that Americans have fought and died for."

"You know who is doing that?" he wondered.

"It’s the person who’s lying to you about the Eagles’ players. The person whose lied to you well over 3,000 time in the past 501 days. The person who is demanding forced patriotism just as autocrats have done for centuries. That’s none other than Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States," he revealed.

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