CNN's Don Lemon clashes with John Kasich over unvaccinated Americans: They're 'conservative Republican Whites'

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CNN anchor Don Lemon had a heated clash with former Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich over the remaining Americans who have yet to get vaccinated amid concerns of the contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.

During a panel discussion on Thursday night, Lemon began by asking Kasich if he thought vaccine mandates "are the answer." Kasich responded by saying there's a "limit" to what the Biden administration could do and pointed out that "young people," "people who live in a rural community" and "the minority community," calling for a "grassroots solution" with trusted people and leaders within the demographic groups to urge them to get vaccinated.

Lemon pushed back, calling Kasich's solution from a "completely utopian world."

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"The majority of the people who are not getting vaccinated are conservative Whites," Lemon said. "13 or 14 percent of minorities are not getting vaccinated, 37 percent of the people who are unvaccinated, people who don't want to get vaccinated, are conservative Republican Whites."

"Don… look, 40 percent of health care workers are not vaccinated. 40 percent!" Kasich exclaimed. "They're not Republicans, okay?"

"How do you know that, John?" Lemon shot back. 

"Well, how do you know that people that in a rural community- what, you do polling?" Kasich retorted. 

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Kasich, now a CNN political analyst, argued that the question over vaccine mandates is not a "simple yes or no" answer, insisting that it could be "appropriate" in some places. Though he later acknowledged that "at some point," a "mandated vaccine" will become the norm, effectively agreeing with the CNN anchor.

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"There's sometimes when you have to be emphatic with people. You have to give them the thing that is going to make something better quickly. And by coddling people is not the best or the most direct approach," Lemon said.

"I think that if you don’t get vaccinated, you should not be allowed to go into a business. I think if you don’t get vaccinated, you should- I think that you should have to show that you’re vaccinated in order to go places because you are inhibiting other people’s freedom. You’re putting other people’s lives in jeopardy. People who are following the rules! People who are looking out for their fellow man, you are putting them in jeopardy! If you don’t want to do it, then you must face the repercussions of not doing what is- what? Best for the most people in the society. The good of the fellow man."