SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Don Lemon has apparently refused to accept responsibility for his firing from CNN, stating that his dismissal was only the result of him speaking the truth. The 57-year-old news personality was sacked from his longstanding anchor position on the 24/7 news network in April, amid a slew of controversies, including his notorious interview, where he criticized presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Lemon’s abrupt termination came as Chris Licht, the network's newly-installed CEO, make some highly criticized changes, including getting rid of the network's infamous woke perspective. Now, in his first sit-down since the unceremonious firing, the TV personality took aim at his former employer, calling their proposal to have more conservative voices a "dereliction of journalistic duties." "I have a responsibility, not only as a journalist but also as an American, to tell this truth and to abide by the promises of the Constitution, because the Constitution says 'a more perfect union. Not a perfect union,'" Lemon told ABC24 Memphis.
‘I don't believe in platforming liars and bigots’
Lemon then insisted that he was "standing up for what is right" to fulfill his duties as a journalist. "In order to fulfill the promise of the Constitution, we have to stand up for what is right. 'We have to stand up for the truth," he asserted. When questioned about his now infamous interview with Ramaswamy, Lemon replied, "I don't believe in platforming liars and bigots and, you know, insurrectionists and election deniers and put them on the same footing as people who are telling the truth for what's right, people who are abiding by the Constitution. I think that would be a dereliction of journalistic duties to do those sorts of things."
"That is what has gotten me to this point, and that is what is going to carry me forward. To know that I am doing the right thing, that I am standing up and abiding by the Constitution — which my profession demands that I do because we are listed in the First Amendment of the Constitution," he continued. Lemon said to the Memphis station that he was not in a haste to decide on his professional future following his unexpected departure from CNN. “I’m not gonna force anything,” Lemon said, noting “I’m not gonna let other people’s timelines influence me. “I know people say, ‘I miss you on television. What is your next move?’ I’m figuring that out. I don’t have to be in a rush. I think sometimes people rush to make decisions and they end up making the wrong decisions.”
What really led to Don Lemon’s termination?
While Lemon claims that he was fired for standing with "truth," his history of being a thorn in the side of his co-hosts paints a different picture. As per reports, the CNN anchor was embroiled in controversies in the months leading up to his dismissal. He previously sparked outrage after claiming that women who were older than 40 years old were 'past their prime’. He made the comments during ‘CNN This Morning’ while discussing presidential candidate Nikki Haley's proposal that politicians aged 75 and up should face mental competency tests. “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry,” he said at that time, stating “When a woman is considered to be in her prime — in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”
The claim was met with evident skepticism by his co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, but Lemon stuck to his guns and insisted that viewers who "Google it" will confirm his point of view. After the piece, both co-anchors allegedly stormed off the set, and viewers and employees alike called for Lemon to be fired for what they saw to be yet another instance of his disturbing sexist behavior. As per a source, who spoke to Daily Mail, females told management to pick between them and Lemon, saying "If Don doesn't go, others have threatened to quit." ''People are hurt by his actions and are not going to let this go. It is like every woman over 50 in America has taken this as a personal insult. The female staffers at CNN definitely have. He needs to make his vacation a permanent one,'' the source said. Lemon was fired soon after the incident despite issuing an apology.
