Last week’s startling news that CNN finally had enough of radical leftist Don Lemon spewing his anger should have been expected. Even with the network’s bottom-of-the-barrel ratings standards, the host was notably unpopular.
Network insiders reported that some potential guests did not want to share airtime with the abrasive mouthpiece.
Many place the ultimate blame for Lemon’s firing on last Wednesday’s contentious interview with Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. For a network that claimed to be searching for the middle ground of journalism, Lemon’s outburst was too much.
Lemon retreated to playing the race card as Ramaswamy commented on issues including the Civil War and the Second Amendment’s role in achieving Black equality.
The host recited his mantra that only Black people may voice their beliefs on certain issues. “When you are in Black skin and then you live in this country. Then you can disagree with me, but we’re not.”
Even more striking, Lemon addressed Ramaswamy by saying he found it insulting that the candidate was expressing his thoughts “whatever ethnicity you are.” Ramaswamy is Indian American.
Bill O’Reilly on with Chris Cuomo discussing the firings of Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon: “That’s the nature of television news — the most wicked industry in the United States of America.” pic.twitter.com/CerDsClfo0
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) April 25, 2023
It is noteworthy that Lemon at that point stopped to remove his earpiece, even saying that he could not continue with people talking into his ear.
From the fallout that followed, it is likely that his shocked producers were warning him to change the direction of the exchange.
Though accusations of misogyny date back at least 15 years and were highlighted in a recent Variety article, it was Lemon’s February statements on women that most recently got him in trouble. They came while he was discussing Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
She is 51, and the anchor explained his belief that women are out of their “prime” when they are past their 40s. Needless to say, his female co-anchors were not thrilled.
Earlier in April, Fox News Digital published statements by multiple insiders speculating on why Lemon was still employed by CNN. One told the outlet that “he rates poorly, he is a source of constant embarrassment, and his new morning show is an unqualified disaster.”
A source within the network noted, “there are plenty of people just as talented and popular with viewers that are not such a heavy lift.” Yet another chimed in that it is “no secret” that Lemon has done “moronic things.”
Crisis management guru Eric Schiffer told Fox News Digital that Lemon was on “borrowed time” at CNN unless he gets his personal impulse control issues in check. That time apparently ran out.
