Sen. Mike Lee calls out Joy Reid's 'lazy attack' on critical race theory opponents

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, blasted MSNBC host Joy Reid Friday for her continued criticism of those opposed to the teaching of critical race theory (CRT).

Lee called Reid’s comments a "lazy attack" on parents who have raised legitimate concerns with teachers talking about "how bad America is" in classrooms. 

"There is no question people in our history, even through our governments, have done things that were bad," Lee told "America’s Newsroom." "We have always aspired to higher ideals in this country."

MSNBC'S JOY REID CONFLATES OPPOSING CRITICAL RACE THEORY TO SUPPORTING QANON: 'RADICALIZED PARENT ACTIVISTS'

The Utah senator made these comments after the left-wing host blamed the "hysteria over race-conscious education" on the Republican Party, which she claimed Wednesday was trying to gain more support from suburban White voters by "shamelessly and falsely misrepresenting" what CRT is.

"Generally speaking, the arc of history has shown us that America is unique in that it's devoted to identifying flaws and fixing them," Lee told co-host, Dana Perino. "But we're not going to make things better by focusing on this as an essential element that's somehow inextricably intertwined with who we are. That isn't true and that's destructive to any civilization."

Meanwhile, as the teaching of critical race theory in American schools has been meeting fierce resistance from parents all across the nation, the Department of Education approved plans for some states to use COVID relief money to promote controversial programs based on far-left curriculums. 

Lee argued the federal government should have a "very little role" in determining which curriculum is taught in schools and shouldn’t be "stepping in with critical race theory." 

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"We should be celebrating diversity. Critical race theory doesn't celebrate diversity. It weaponizes it," Lee told Perino. "That's bad for America and it doesn't help heal the wounds that need to be healed."

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.