Why is Don Lemon not on ‘CNN This Morning’ today? Who is replacing him?
After making a sexist remark live on air, Don Lemon was taken off ‘CNN This Morning.’ Who is on the shortlist to take his place?
Don Lemon has been missing from CNN This Morning after making sexist remarks when discussing the presidential run of former South Carolina Governor Nicky Hailey. When making her announcement, Hailey spoke about a need for younger leaders to seek high office and bashed Trump for his age.
Lemon suggested a new line of attack because, to him, Hailey “isn’t in her prime” either. He then argued that “a woman is considered in her prime in her twenties and thirties and maybe forties.”
When the Lemon began to receive pushback from his co-host Poppy Harlow, he doubled down.
When Harlow asked what “prime” he was referring to, he made a bizarre statement that “if you look it up, if you Google ‘when is a woman in her prime?’ it will say twenties, thirties, and forties.”
After the incident, the CNN host took to Twitter to apologize, saying the comments were “inartful and irrelevant, as colleges and loved ones have pointed out.”
Many replies to the Tweet were not satisfied with Lemon’s apology.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Maryanne Williamson said, “way more than inartful and irrelevant.”
Similarly, Shannon Watts, a gun safety advocate and founder of Moms Demand Action, said the comments were “sexist and ageist.”
A former producer for CNN, Tracy Lee Curtis, gave props to Harlow for pushing back against Lemon, adding that “it’s hard to imagine a path forward for Don Lemon on CNN This morning with two women he clearly doesn’t respect.”
It might be too late for Lemon
Don Lemon joined the cast of CNN This Morning in October after having hosted his own show in primetime for years.
This incident comes after previous reports of tensions between Lemon, and co-host Caitlin Collins became public earlier this month. Those close to Collins say that after being screamed at off-screen by Lemon in December, she “wants to be on set with Don as little as possible.”
So, regardless of how much Lemon regrets his comments, it is possible they could signal the end of his tenure on the morning program. After the incident on Thursday’s show, Lemon was taken off the air Friday. Many thought he would return on Monday, but Variety has reported that Sara Sidner will sit in his seat.
However, the final decision of Lemon’s future remains unknown, and the network may be giving fans time to cool off before removing him from the morning lineup.