Don Lemon slams Trump after seemingly simplistic assessment of Notre Dame fire

By Blue Telusma

·April 16, 2019

Smoke and flames rise from Notre-Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019 in Paris, France. A fire broke out on Monday afternoon and quickly spread across the building, collapsing the spire. The cause is yet unknown but officials said it was possibly linked to ongoing renovation work. (Photo by Veronique de Viguerie/Getty Images)

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Don Lemon has made it clear that he’s not a fan of Donald Trump, so it should come as no surprise that he minced no words this week while discussing the president’s response to the fire at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

Investigators are searching for the cause of the blaze, which destroyed most of its roof, but left its two iconic bell towers intact. No fatalities were reported, but a firefighter was seriously injured.

On Monday the “CNN Tonight” host covered the international story of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris catching on fire. At the time of the broadcast there had been no deaths reported and yet President Trump tweeted his solution to the incident.

So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 15, 2019

But Lemon candidly explained where Trump went wrong in his assessment.

CNN's @DonLemon says President Trump's suggestions about putting out the Notre Dame fire shows that he can't resist "playing the expert" on all things: "You would think the President [who] made his name as a builder would know better" https://t.co/baGiGscNeS pic.twitter.com/uuuYKjTWYN

— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) April 16, 2019

The French civil defense agency explained exactly why they used the strategy toward fighting the fire at the historic cathedral, noting that not only were they trying to save the building’s structure, but that neighboring buildings were in danger as well.

Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control. All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.

— Sécurité Civile (@SecCivileFrance) April 15, 2019

#NotreDame @PompiersParis Hélicoptère ou avion, le poids de l'eau et l'intensité du largage à basse altitude pourraient en effet fragiliser la structure de Notre-Dame et entraîner des dommages collatéraux sur les immeubles aux alentours.

— Sécurité Civile (@SecCivileFrance) April 15, 2019

Translated from French:

Helicopter or airplane, the weight of the water and the intensity of the drop at low altitude could indeed weaken the structure of Notre-Dame and result in collateral damage to the buildings in the vicinity.