CNN asks whether Abraham Lincoln believed Black lives mattered

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First secret plot to kill Abraham Lincoln retold in Fox Nation special

In his new book and Fox Nation special, Brad Meltzer explores the original conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.

CNN raised some eyebrows with a headline wondering whether President Abraham Lincoln cared about Black lives, labeling the issue "complicated."

CNN’s John Blake penned an analysis titled, "Did Black lives matter to Abraham Lincoln? It's complicated," which coincided with a six-part document the liberal network is airing about Lincoln.

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"Describing the answer to this question as ‘complicated’ is a clear sign that the question itself is loaded with ideological assumptions. Many Americans who sympathize with the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ do not share those assumptions," National Review’s Dan McLaughlin responded to the feature.

The analysis began with a bizarre introduction that evoked fictional portrayals of the sixteenth president.

"Abraham Lincoln was clinically depressed. Some say he was gay. He guest-starred on a "Star Trek" episode and became a vampire slayer. Which of these four depictions of Lincoln are true? All of them, if you believe how Lincoln has been portrayed by some historians and in pop culture," Blake wrote, calling him the "Great Emancipator" before diving into whether or not he was racist.

"But there is one image of Lincoln, examined in a new CNN documentary series, ‘Lincoln: Divided We Stand,’ that every serious student of his legacy must eventually address," Blake added. "Was Lincoln a racist?"

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The CNN piece then quoted a historian who declared Lincoln was not racist, but "shared some of the prejudices of his time" and "didn't think about race very much" despite ending slavery.

"But in some circles, ‘Honest Abe’ is increasingly becoming Racist Abe," Blake wrote. "Questions over Lincoln's racial views have intensified over the years as historians, activists, and politicians question how Lincoln regarded Black people and Native Americans."

CNN went on to point out "protesters in Portland recently vandalized a statue of Lincoln" and that officials in liberal San Francisco changed the name of a school named after Lincoln. The piece noted that Lincoln told racist jokes, liked minstrel shows and once "floated an offer to the Confederates that would allow them to keep slaves until 1900 if they surrendered" to the Union.

"If some of Lincoln's public utterances about Blacks were retweeted today, he would have been canceled on social media and likely run out of office," Blake wrote.

CNN then made a case for why some don’t think Lincoln wasn't a racist after all, but it was too late for some critics.

Political satirist Tim Young blasted CNN for pushing "clickbait conspiracy theories" in a desperate attempt to stay relevant in the post-Trump era.

"CNN, whose ratings have been tanking since President Trump has left office, apparently believes that it needs a new boogeyman in order for people to tune in, so why not take a stab at calling Lincoln a racist if it makes the operation money," Young told Fox News.

"CNN is officially jumping the shark with this new take that Lincoln was a racist -- which is the final nail in the coffin for them being able to call themselves a news organization -- now they're just clickbait conspiracy theories," Young continued. "Anything for a buck, including calling the President who ended slavery racist. Way to prove why no one should ever believe a thing that's ever on your network."

Media Research Center vice president Dan Gainor feels that CNN somehow forgot Lincoln was the President of the United States and his "No. 1 job was ensuring they stayed united" during a critical time in history.

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"CNN isn’t satisfied trying to destroy the Party of Lincoln, now the network and its leftist buddies want to destroy Lincoln himself," Gainor told Fox News. "This isn’t just historical revisionism. This is a complete rewrite of history by radicals who want to embrace the anti-American lunacy of The New York Times 1619 Project."

Gainor blasted revisionist history about Lincoln as "despicable" and feels liberals are simply "furious that he wasn’t as woke as some Marxist Harvard professor in 2021."

"He was a great man and those who try to tear him down will never do anything near as great," Gainor said.