X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, has inked a “content partnership” with ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, who will “share his unique and honest voice in 30 minute episodes, three times a week, covering politics, culture, sports and entertainment,” the company said on Tuesday.
In his own post on X, Lemon wrote, “I’ve heard you… and today I am back bigger, bolder, freer! My new media company’s first project is The Don Lemon Show. It will be available to everyone, easily, whenever and wherever you want it, streaming on the platforms where the conversations are happening.”
The show will be streamed first on X, Lemon said, added, “I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors.”
ADVERTISEMENT
He described the once-beloved platform as “the biggest space for free speech in the world,” parroting owner Elon Musk’s dubious but oft-repeated claim about his increasingly sewer-like “global town square.”
The announcement follows exclusive reporting from The Daily Beast’s Confider newsletter revealing that Lemon was looking to return to broadcasting (of sorts) via the Musk-owned platform.
Sports radio host Jim Rome and former politician-turned-conservative commentator Tulsi Gabbard also signed deals to host shows on X, according to Reuters. Ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson, whose former show was once described as possibly “the most racist show in the history of cable news,” now hosts a talk show streamed on X. Carlson’s guests have included conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate, and Donald Trump superfan Kid Rock.
Lemon was fired last April following a series of seemingly misogynstic and ageist missteps such as saying, on air, that female pro soccer players should accept lower pay than their male counterparts because men are “more interesting to watch.” He later dismissed—again on the air—51-year-old former South Carolina governor and current Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as not “in her prime,” arguing that a woman’s best years are “in her 20s, 30s, and maybe her 40s.”
“Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are,” Lemon told co-host Poppy Harlow. “Google it.”
He later apologized and agreed to attend sensitivity training. Still then-CNN boss Chris Licht let Lemon go, terminating him from afar.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” Lemon said in a tweet announcing the surprise move. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
