'Impotent, weak, pathetic': NYT writer tells Trump to be president to all Americans not just white men in red hats

New York Times contributor and CNN commentator Wajahat Ali unleashed on President Donald Trump for being too weak to protect Americans against domestic terrorism.

During a panel discussion, CNN's Don Lemon read a report that the Department of Homeland Security battled with the president for at least one year trying to get funding to fight domestic terrorism.

Lemon asked Ali why Trump would refuse to protect America in this way.

"Why go after your base," Ali said, flatly. He recalled Homeland Security analyst Daryl Johnson, who warned in 2009 that there was a resurgence of right-wing extremism. Lemon harkened back to former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who published a report about it and was attacked by conservatives and forced to apologize.

"Republican lawmakers and the conservative movement wanted to crush it because they said it would make them look bad, right?" Ali recalled. "Fast forward. Everyone knows if these suspects were Muslims, what would happen right now? Republican congressmen, I swear to you, would be calling to bomb some countries. So, we'd have a Muslim ban, a Muslim registry. Look what happened after Charlottesville. Both sides are to blame. 'Very fine people.'"

He also recalled the New Zealand shooting where the terrorist actually cited Trump in his manifesto, calling him a symbol of white identity.

"That was in March. Donald Trump said, 'I don't think white nationalism is a really big problem,'" Ali cited. "And today we just found out Republican Sen Johnson openly said on Fox News a few months ago there was a bipartisan letter that he sent with a Democratic senator asking DHS and the DOJ what's happening with white supremacist terrorism. The DOJ did not respond to him, Don."

He said that it's clear that Trump's own FBI director finds it a severe threat, but Trump's government is protecting them.

"Why is he not taking this threat seriously? And can you imagine if it was a Muslim or an undocumented immigrant?" Ali asked. "Maybe then this impotent, weak, pathetic president, this insignificant narcissist, a vulgarian, would actually be the commander in chief and the president of all Americans, not just white men who wear red hats."

Watch his comments below: