WATCH: Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke Calls Black Lives Matter a ‘Hateful Ideology’ & Battles Don Lemon

Following the ambush of three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 18, Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke sat down with Don Lemon to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement.

Clarke, who will be speaking at tonight’s Republican National Convention, was asked by Lemon what “his message” is about Black Lives Matter. Clarke replied:

My message has been clear from day one two years ago. This anti-cop sentiment from this hateful ideology called Black Lives Matter has fueled this rage against the American police officer. I predicted this two years ago…This anti-police rhetoric sweeping the country has turned out some hateful things inside of people that are now playing themselves out on the American police officer. I want to know with all of the black on black violence in the United States of America, by the way, when the tragedies happened in Louisiana and Minnesota, do you know that 21 black people were murdered across the United States? Was there any reporting on it?

Lemon asks Clarke to “keep it down,” to which Clarke replies, “I’m looking at three dead cops this week and I’m looking at five dead last…you’re trying to tell me to keep it down?” When Lemon said he wants to keep things civil, Clarke told him, “Don, I wish you had that message of civility towards this hateful ideology, these purveyors of hate. That’s what they do. These people create vile and virtue in the name of hate.”

After a break, Lemon said he feels Clarke might be accusing him of supporting violence, and if that’s the case he wants to stop the conversation. Clarke replied, “Let me ask you this. Do we know, that generally the American law enforcement officers are racist, do we know this?” Lemon tried avoiding the question and says to “go on,” and then when Clarke asks him the same question again he says, “If you’re insinuating that people are accusing or saying that law enforcement across this country as a whole is racist, then your assumption is wrong.”

Clarke told Lemon, “This whole anti-police rhetoric is based on a lie. There is no data, and you know this, there is no data, there is no research, that proves any of that nonsense.” When asked what data and nonsense he’s talking about, Clarke said, “That law enforcement officers treat black males different than white males.”

You can watch the full video below:

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