Don Lemon, the former co-anchor of CNN This Morning, reflected on his departure from CNN in April during a conversation with Kara Swisher on her podcast, Pivot. Lemon revealed that he felt like CNN was heading in a different direction and that he no longer fit their mold. He was let go after making comments about Nikki Haley no longer being in her prime.
Lemon expressed his belief that CNN did not want him to be a part of their new strategy and that it has become apparent based on recent developments within the network. He admitted that he has not watched CNN since his departure but shared that he did not align with their desire to be centrist, as he believed that news should be objective and not influenced by a particular direction or agenda.
When asked about Chris Licht, the former CNN head who was let go shortly after Lemon’s departure, Lemon felt vindicated knowing that Licht was no longer running things. He referred to The Atlantic’s story, which forced Licht to apologize to staff on an editorial call, and stated that reading the subsequent stories would provide insight into what happened. Lemon believed that if Jeff Zucker, the current head of CNN, had been in charge when he made the comments about Nikki Haley, the situation would have been handled differently. He believed that Zucker would have understood that anchors often say things they may wish to phrase differently and would have supported Lemon in addressing the issue on air.
Lemon appreciated Zucker’s support and understanding, emphasizing the importance of allowing anchors to be themselves and acknowledging their mistakes without it becoming a big issue. He expressed regret that he was never given the opportunity to address the situation on air.
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Despite his departure from CNN, Lemon focused on living in the present and looking forward to the future. He highlighted the nearly 17 great years he had at CNN and praised Jeff Zucker as the ideal person to run the network. Although he didn’t believe Zucker would return or buy CNN, he described him as the one who could potentially save the network if it needed saving.
In conclusion, Don Lemon opened up about his departure from CNN, expressing his belief that he didn’t fit into their new direction and strategy. He credited Chris Licht’s subsequent departure as evidence of what was happening before he was let go and felt vindicated by it. Lemon also appreciated Jeff Zucker’s support and understanding of anchors’ occasional mistakes. Despite his departure, he had a positive view of his time at CNN and praised Zucker for his ability to run the network effectively if necessary.
