CNN host Don Lemon addressed what he called the "ugly history" of the term 'globalist' "and how far-right extremists use it to suggest racial and anti-Semitic ideas" on the Thursday edition of CNN Tonight.



Lemon argued because people like Steve Bannon and Alex Jones use the term that a dog whistle is automatically attached to it. He said it is popular with the 'alt-right' and anti-Semites.



"That word globalist keeps popping up, it sounds like a pretty mainstream term, a description of an economic and political ideology," Lemon said. "But it's more than that. It's also become a dog whistle to right-wing conspiracy theorist."











"The Anti-Defamation League tells The New York Times the far right uses globalism as shorthand for world view based on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. He points out that after the cold war, the far right develop an obsession with prominent Jews like philanthropist George Soros," the CNN host said. "The President's old frenemy Steve Bannon frequently targeted globalism at Breitbart news with headlines like by Paul Sanger and George Soros billionaire book ends globalist opposition to Trump agenda."



"But there is more, from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones who outrageously claims include calling the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax and 911 is an inside job. Quote, the globalist plan to divide America is intensifying. Quote, Bernie Sanders is another globalist scammers who let Hillary rob the nomination, but the victim class loves to get robbed. Go to Venezuela," he said.



"This quote, globalist elites are now evacuating western countries to recursive islands, bunkers and terrorists who escape the rising tide of nationalist pride sweeping the world," Lemon said. "So what does it mean when the President of the United States freely uses a term like globalist, a term that is also used in the darkest corners of the far right?"



Former Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) argued that globalism means giving up U.S. rights to an international body type of governing rather than a nation governing themselves. He said a globalist would put America's interest second compared to a nationalist putting it first.





DON LEMON, CNN: When we come back the President saying he likes the outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn even though he is a globalist. We are going to look at the ugly history of that term and how far right extremist use it to suggest racial and anti-Semitic ideas. When we come back.



[COMMERCIAL BREAK]



LEMON: Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn final cabinet meeting was today, not at all coincidentally the same day President Trump announced tariffs. 25 percent on steel imports, 10 percent on aluminum. The very policies that prompted Cohn to resign this week. But in the Trumpiest way possible the President tried to make it clear today there were no hard feelings.



(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)



DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is Gary Cohn's last meeting in the cabinet and of the cabinet. And he has been terrific. He may be a globalist, but I still like him. He is seriously a globalist. There is no question. But you know what, in his own way he is a nationalist, because he loves our country.



(END VIDEO CLIP)



LEMON: Ok, so globalist. Now where have we heard that before? Well the one thing for one thing in a statement Tuesday to the office of management and budget Director Mick Mulvaney quote, as a right-wing conservative and founding member of the freedom caucus I never expected the coworker I worked closest and best with at the White House would be a globalist. That word globalist keeps popping up, it sounds like a pretty mainstream term, a description of an economic and political ideology. But it's more than that. It's also become a dog whistle to right-wing conspiracy theorist. Mark (inaudible) of the anti-defamation league tells "The New York Times" the far right uses globalism as shorthand for world view based on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. He points out that after the cold war, the far right develop an obsession with prominent Jews like philanthropist George Soros.



The President's old frenemy Steve Bannon frequently targeted globalism at Breitbart news with headlines like by Paul Sanger and George Soros billionaire book ends globalist opposition to Trump agenda. But there is more, from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones who outrageously claims include calling the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax and 911 is an inside job. Quote, the globalist plan to divide America is intensifying. Quote, Bernie Sanders is another globalist scammers who let Hillary rob the nomination, but the victim class loves to get robbed. Go to Venezuela.



This quote, globalist elites are now evacuating western countries to recursive islands, bunkers and terrorists who escape the rising tide of nationalist pride sweeping the world. So what does it mean when the President of the United States freely uses a term like globalist, a term that is also used in the darkest corners of the far right? Here to discuss CNN political commentator Peter Beinart, contributing editor of the Atlantic and senior columnist for the "Forward." Also CNN political commentator Jack Kingston, a former congressman and a senior adviser to the Trump campaign. Good evening, gentleman.



JACK KINGSTON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Evening.



LEMON: What does it mean to you to call someone a globalist? Jack?



KINGSTON: None of the sinister things that the article has described. I think somebody who a globalist is somebody who is free trade at any cost and maybe favors more giving up sovereignty in exchange for oversight laws. I can tell you this, that when we voted on NAFTA, our GAD, and our most favored nation status for China. There was always this suspicion we were giving up our rights to globally elected international boards who decide how we can -- what our labor standards or environmental standards would be, and so generally speaking a globalist would be somebody who kind of sides on the international body side of governing as opposed to one government and your own country. And let me say this, Don, it's a very loose term. I don't think there is any specific you know two people probably would have a different connotation of it.



LEMON: So Peter let's talk about that, for many people the term globalist is an anti-Semitic undertone. I went to some of the history right there also popular with the alt-right with Breitbart and the Bannon wing. How does it made its way to the White House?



PETER BEINART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: This is a very old stereotype about Jews.



The Jews are not loyal to the country in which they live, but they are loyal to some global conspiracy, like a global capitalist conspiracy. Jewish conspiracy are communist conspiracy. And that is why you disproportionally find the people who are called globalist like George Soros are Jew. It is sort of like the term thug, right? The term thug is always seems often to be applied to African- Americans. That is not to say every person who uses the term globalist is anti-Semitic. I'm not saying that. But the question is, are we going to give Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt? This is a guy who said, I want only one guy with yarmulke counting my money. A guy who said to the Republican Jewish coalition, you won't support me, because I don't want your money, but your great deal makers. A guy in the final ad closing out of the campaign ran this ad showing three Jews, only Hillary Clinton and three Jews, Soros, Blankfein, the head of Goldman Sachs and Janet Yellen at the Federal Reserve, and talk about the global power structure and the global lead which is destroying the American economy. I don't think he get the benefit of the doubt anymore. We got too many incidents.



LEMON: Jack, I mean there are some on the far right who promote this idea that Jews control banking, that Jews control the media and economy. Do you see how some people do use the word globalism as code for the anti-Semitic stereotypes?



KINGSTON: Well I don't agree with that. Let me say this. For example if you look back at this kind of one world government suspicion, things like the Club of Rome that was founded by David Rockefeller that had people in it for like the King of Spain, the Queen of Spain, Henry Kissinger, you know, they have people from the right, they had people from the left. And there is the great suspicion these people are going to run our nation. I will point out Michelle Bachman even introduced a resolution once that said the President of the United States could not enter into a treaty that would allow us to forgo the dollar in exchange for some international legal tender.



BEINART: Jack this is looney tunes. This is.



KINGSTON: You know what --



(CROSSTALK)



BEINART: This doesn't exist as a threat to the United States.



KINGSTON: Peter, you know what, I'm just saying that it's out there. And it's a black helicopter -- it's a black helicopter.



BEINART: No you shouldn't participate in it.



LEMON: That is my question by continuing to use the word is the President main streaming a far right term.



BEINART: Yes, Gary Cohn.



KINGSTON: No. I think we can get too excited and too anti-Trump on this. If you look at those steel workers, those aluminum workers who were in the White House today at that announcement, those are the people who want to have America look out for America. That is why America first is so important to the voters back home. Because they get it. There is.



LEMON: What does is have to do with the term globalism or globalist?



KINGSTON: Because the idea, let me say, having been in congress and vote the on a lot of trade agreements and other kind of U.N. related foreign operation type issues, that people feel like we get beat at the bargaining table and need to look out for America more.



LEMON: What does that have to do with the term globalist?



KINGSTON: A globalist would put America interest second whereas a nationalist.



BEINART: Are you really suggesting Gary Cohn disagreed with Trump's position on tariffs, we could have the debate. Are you suggesting that Gary Cohn doesn't put America's interests first?



KINGSTON: Peter I can't feign excitement over this that you seem to be able to do.



BEINART: We have a different life experience. I get more excited about things, because I actually happen to be whom from the people that have actually been on the down side of this kind of anti-Semitic theories.



KINGSTON: You're absolutely wrong. I know -- you're absolutely wrong on that. You know I know that it is kind of catchy to say, we're being labeled, but I'm telling you David Rockefeller and the Club of Rome, the trilateral council on foreign relations all these international boards.



BEINART: You're spewing.



KINGSTON: This are the international board that when people think about globalism they think about these groups putting America in second.



LEMON: Just because someone is ignorant of the term doesn't make it right. Just because -- maybe you should explain to people who think it's ok to say that. That is not the term that you use or there are other terms that you can use for that.



KINGSTON: I don't -- I think that you are putting on a little more into this term than there really is. I say that.



LEMON: I'm just asking as someone who has been called the N word, some people like to use it, I don't like the term and if I'm offended by it you should be cognizes of the fact that I am offended by, whatever way you used it don't use that word around me and it's offensive to some people.



KINGSTON: Let me say this. Having been raised in an integrated society and having gone to schools where I had people of all religion my daughter's god father for example Peter is Jewish, he has been my best friend. I was at his bar mitzvah. He was in my wedding. I spoke in his synagogue.



LEMON: Do you use the term globalist around him?



KINGSTON: I would not and I can tell you, Jonathan Matthew Harvey of South Carolina would not vetted him out because neither he nor I ever put that term in context of being anti-Semitic.



Let me say this, you know what, I'm listening to you, Peter. And I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I think that -- I see your point of view. But you should be able to say that understand that it's a different.



BEINART: If it were somebody else I would --



(CROSSTALK)



LEMON: Let's give Peter the last word.



KINGSTON: I just want to know what.



BEINART: I am not someone who thinks that you should throw around the time and I submit lightly. I think lots of people who could use the term globalist, but the question -- the problem is why does Trump keep doing this? Why does he keep referring to Jews in the context of people who are only concerned about money and are part of shadowy power structures? Stop using this term of word.