Thread by @rolandsmartin

If any reporters do a story on the downfall of @LouDobbs and how a once respected business voice turned into a conspiracy nutcase, you can trace it all back to him getting his syndicated radio show. I told folks at @CNN that was gonna be a bad mix. I saw it in his eyes. 1/

I used to always visit @loudobbs in his office. A lot of people were shocked that he and I would hit it off so well on TV. Even @MediaJonKlein was surprised at our chemistry. In fact, some of Lou's hated that I had was-in privileges to see him (one of his senior producers 2/

Left a note up on their computer desktop and made a snide remark about this, as well as me wearing one of my African outfits - I remember exactly what I had on. I dropped her her desk after meeting with Lou and I saw it on her screen). But @LouDobbs and I talked a LOT 3/

We would sit in his office and discuss a lot of issues, even as the makeup artist was putting on all of that orange makeup her wore (was this why he and Trump got along so well?). A lot of folks really liked Lou's "independent" voice. @CNN even ran promos focused on this 4/

Hell, my wife @Jhoodmartin - NOT a regular cable news fan - loved watching Lou. Two other Black female friends would call me and say they loved watching me on his show. I was shocked. So when did it all change? When @LouDobbs got his radio show. 5/

It was around this time when news came out that Rush Limbaugh was making $100M a year. That blew everyone away, including Lou. So I started seeing the tone on Lou's show shift, especially on immigration. As a frequent guest, I saw the shift. But an elevator ride did it for me 6/

I got on the elevator ride and @loudobbs had just come back from doing his radio show. And he says, "Wow! This radio thing is amazing. Why didn't you tell me about this before?!" Now I had hosted my own radio show on @WVON1690 in Chicago. But it was the look in his eyes. 7/

I said to myself, "Oh shit." I remember going to his EP and even @MediaJonKlein and saying, "Be careful not to let Lou's radio show content seep into his TV show." Look, I know the right wing radio game. You want more stations and listeners, you've got to be crazier and nutty 8/

I saw Lou's eyes and that $100M Rush was making. Also, @LouDobbs was getting off on the instant gratification of talk radio. The callers bombard you and affirm your position. Lou was eating it all up. I saw it. i felt it. I knew it was not going to end well. 9/

Now keep in mind: @CNN was desperate to hold off on opinion. Jim Walton, worldwide CEO, and @MediaJonKlein, president of CNN/U.S. was maintaining this middle of the road position. They didn't want opinion hosts. I got caught up in this because that's what I did. 10/

When I filled in for Campbell Brown for two months on her show, "No Bias, No Bull!" it was a disaster. Why? Because I had a straight jacket, duct tape and a muzzle on me. I'll never forget the show: we were discussing ending the Cuban embargo and I specifically asked the 11/

Staff to book a guest for and one against. Well, they booked two conservatives against. I said on air, "Look, we know this thing isn't working." I got an email from @MediaJonKlein admonishing me to give no opinions. I was like, "WTF? Why am I even here?!" I became popular 12/

On @CNN because of my opinion. They changed the format three times in four weeks on me. We went from a single host to a panel (way before The Five & Outnumbered) but it failed. Why? It never made sense. The day after @MediaJonKlein sent me that email, the @nytimes dropped 13/

A story on @CNN where Jim Walton was quoted as saying CNN would play it down the middle. I said, "ahhh, that explains the @MediaJonKlein email." After the 2-month run was over - it was miserable because I could not do me - I was ready to go home. In September. Walton and I 14/

Met in his office in ATL. He said: "Roland, I owe you an apology. We did you no favors. We positioned you as one thing for two years, and then on this show tried to present you as something else to the viewer. That was wrong. I want you to know that the ratings of that show 15/

Will not be held against you internally going forward." I was thankful that Jim told me that. But I knew it did hurt me, internally and in the media business. Other networks say that and said, "he's not host material." I still feel that to this day. But I respect Jim to this 16/

Day for telling me that. He was always an upstanding guy for choosing to meet with me and be frank. So why am I saying all of this? @CNN was NOT trying to be an opinion network. And @LouDobbs increasingly wanted to do right wing TV on @CNN. Even our on-air debates took a turn 17/

We used to debate and @LouDobbs would lead a vigorous, healthy and fun debate. But the election of @BarackObama changed ALL of that. Lou became more biting, outrageous and unfair, especially on the birther BS. But what really confirmed it for me? His @LULAC battle. 18/

During one of his anti-immigration shows, Lou used some information that came from a white nationalist group. Latino groups were increasingly angry at @loudobbs over his rhetoric. It got to the point where a @LULAC VP came on the show. I can't recall her name, but whew! 19/

This Latina came with both barrels loaded. Y'all, she was armed and ready for @LouDobbs. She started eating his ass up. She even brought placards with the graphic showing on-air credit for the white nationalist group. @loudobbs was SEETHING. He kept the segment going. Now I 20/

Was not on @CNN that day, but I was at the Essex House hotel because I was on air that week. I watched this in my hotel room with my mouth wide open. This @LULAC VP was handing @loudobbs his ASS! One of those Black women who told me before that she admired Lou calls me. 21/

She's a well-known book author. "Roland, are you seeing this? What is wrong with him. This is awful. They need to end this." Me: "I know. She's killing him." I told her @LouDobbs is going to be enraged, and I said I was headed to the studio. I wanted to be waiting in the 5th 22/

Floor green room when @LouDobbs got off the set. There was a Latino columnist who often appeared on the show who was also there. We waited for the show to end and @LouDobbs came out of the door FURIOUS! His race was red, even through the orange makeup. He was HOT! 23/

We are standing in the hallway between the green room and the 5th floor makeup room. @loudobbs is yelling, "I'm going after them tomorrow! I'm going to tear them apart!" I say, "No you're not." Lou, loudly: "Why?!" Me: "Because she had the goods on you. So stop." 24/

He throws me an angry look and says, "Well I guess I have to listen to you since I asked your opinion." Then me and the Latino columnist try to explain to @LouDobbs how he screwed up. This was a major deal, folks. Later, we had some big show night and I was sitting at a 4th 25/

Floor desk getting ready for the show. And behind me is Rick Davis, head of standards and practices; his boss Jim Walton; and his boss, Phil Kent, head of Turner Media. They are discussing the segment. The blame was assessed on @loudobbs staff for allowing the source 26/

To be this white nationalist group. I chuckled. It was @LouDobbs staff. It was Lou. They didn't fail him. HE failed them. Lou was radicalized through right wing talk radio. He took that craziness from his radio show and brought it into @CNN's Columbus Circle headquarters 27/

It was sad to watch. And yes, equally sadder to watch this Texas-born, Harvard educated man who I built a very good relationship with not only do this, but it led to the end of his @CNN show. npr.org/templates/stor… Lou was a smart man on business, but when he went to 28/

@FoxNews @FoxBusiness, he was even more radicalized. And then came Donald Trump. Two massive egos joined forces and it turned into one of the most embarrassing and shameful things I've even seen. I last saw @Loudobbs at the RNC convention in 2016. He was on the air; I stood 29/

On the floor beneath their booth. I called out to him and he turned and smiled. But we never talked. After @NABJ had an advocacy meeting with @FoxNews a couple of years later, I told then @FoxBusiness president Brian Jones, a brother, about me and Lou from our @CNN days. 30/

Brian was surprised to hear of our relationship. He said, "I'm going to talk to Lou to get you on. I think that would be great for him to debate you, and make for good TV." I later met a Black producer on his show who said she was trying to get me on. We met later and she 31/

Said that she went to @LouDobbs and he said no because he didn't want an argument on his show. He later blocked me on Twitter. The truth is Lou didn't want any truth on his show. He only desired guests who affirmed his point of view, like most on @FoxNews @FoxBusiness. 32/

The only @FoxNews @FoxBusiness host who has ever booked me is @cvpayne. He's not afraid if we disagree. He likes when I push him and vice versa. @KennedyNation? @SeanHannity? @IngrahamAngle? @TuckerCarlson? The others? Not a chance. And my agent hit up their head of talent 33/

And CEO Suzanne Scott. They know I'm here. But @FoxNews @FoxBusiness deliberately doesn't want strong voices that counter their narrative. When we are so damn scared to have opposing viewpoints, the audience loses. We help feed disinformation and lies, and folks believe us 34/

I always hoped I would run into @LouDobbs somewhere. Seriously. All I want to ask him is this: "What the fuck happened to you, dude? When did you lose your damn mind?" Lou used to be a widely respected business journalist. Was he pompous, loud, abrasive? Yep. But he lost it. 35/

Along this path @LouDobbs lost his way. He stopped being about the truth. He stopped being about demanding accountability. He stopped focusing on the people. Instead, he turned into a right wing nutcase and then a Trump cultist. Folks, he has the highest-rated show on 36/

@FoxBusiness and got FIRED. Bottom line: the massive lies of @LouDobbs may well cost @FoxNews MILLIONS. That was too much for @FoxNews CEO Suzanne Scott and top boss Rupert Murdoch. It was untenable to keep him on the air even one more day. 37/

How major is this? They didn't even let @LouDobbs say goodbye. He is that toxic and a liability. And what did Lou lose beyond his job? The respect of the public. The respect of journalists. My respect. He destroyed his repuation. He destroyed it ALL. Why? All For Trump. WOW. 38/