'It’s time to end the garbage': CNN's Lemon opens show with brutal attack on Trump lies over Russian involvement

CNN’s Don Lemon on Tuesday issued an impassioned plea to viewers, asking “everybody at home,” why anyone should believe Donald Trump Jr.’s latest defense of his clandestine meeting with a Russian emissary.

Reacting to Trump Jr.’s email leak, as well as his latest defense that he thought his meeting with a Russian lawyer to obtain incriminating information on Hillary Clinton was politics as usual, Lemon addressed his audience directly, explaining, “you have to admit the irony of it all.”

“Here we are talking about emails, not hers, but his—Donald Trump, not senior, but junior,” Lemon said. “Emails showing that people close to this president were ready and willing to work with the Russians to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump. How can I say that? Because here are the emails, they say as much. It’s titled, ‘Russia Clinton private and confidential.’”

“Not convinced?” Lemon asked, explaining the relationship between Trump Jr. and the man who set up the meeting, Rob Goldstone, Goldstone’s client, Russian pop star Emin Agalarov, and Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“It doesn't get any plainer than that,” Lemon said. “Or does it?” he asked, noting that the email sent from Goldstone to Trump Jr. details “very high-level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump."

Lemon then played a clip of Trump Jr.’s interview with Sean Hannity, where the president’s eldest son insisted he did not tell his father about the meeting—one attended by Trump Jr., former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“Let me ask everybody at home this,” Lemon continued. “Why should you, why should any of us, believe that? This interview is like, I think his fifth attempt to defend the indefensible.”

“Don Jr. is the latest person in the president's orbit to mislead you, the American people, about their contacts with Russia,” Lemon said listing off former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and “now the closest yet, his namesake, Donald Trump Jr.”

“No one knows exactly where this investigation is going to end up, what it's going to uncover,” Lemon continued. “The president and his supporters have said time and time again that this is fake news! It's a witch hunt! Please—it’s time to end that garbage.”

“Read the emails and ask yourself,” Lemon implored. “Who do you believe? The people who have misled you over and over and over? Or do you believe your own lying eyes?”

Watch the video below, via CNN: