Elon Musk upheld his decision to have Don Lemon’s new show on X canceled on the platform, saying the fired CNN host “lacked authenticity.”
Lemon claimed the billionaire X owner had reneged on the deal to give “The Don Lemon Show” a platform, griping that Musk was angry over the interview he had with him on the show’s premiere episode.
“The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship,” the X Business account shared Wednesday after the interview, adding “we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships, and after careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show.”
When asked why by a user on X, Musk responded.
“His approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media’, which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying,” Musk wrote on Wednesday. “And, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity. All this said, Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform along with everyone else.”
His approach was basically just “CNN, but on social media”, which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying.
And, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity.
All this said, Lemon/Zucker are…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 13, 2024
The interview will air on X, YouTube and podcast platforms on March 18. A clip of the interview was shared on CNN in which Lemon had asked Musk about his presidential choice for 2024, “Are you leaning towards anyone?”
“No,” Musk replied, then laughed, “I’m leaning away from Biden.”
Lemon pressed the tech billionaire about his recent meet-up with former President Donald Trump in Florida as Musk explained that he was having “breakfast at a friend’s place” and that “Donald Trump came by.”
Don Lemon Questions Elon Musk About Meeting Trump: ‘Did He Ask You for Money?’
MUSK: “I was at a breakfast at a friend’s place and Donald Trump came by. That’s it.”
LEMON: “Are you going to loan him money to help pay his legal bills?”
MUSK: “I’m not paying his legal bills in… pic.twitter.com/IiJTfegguV
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) March 14, 2024
In his first appearance on CNN since leaving the network last year, Lemon told “OutFront” host Erin Burnett that Musk’s remarks about free speech were evidently “just talking points,” describing the interview with the Tesla and Spece X CEO as “tense at moments.”
Don Lemon: “He supposedly says this is a public square for all. Maybe we‘re learning that a public square should not be privately owned by someone who doesn’t think there should be any moderation on the platform”
So a “public square” should censor more?
Does he hear himself? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/IMLaSxAuLI
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) March 14, 2024
“Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform. He informed me of his decision hours after an interview I conducted with him on Friday,” Lemon announced in a statement.
“Elon publicly encouraged me to join X with a new show, saying I would have his ‘full support,’ and that his ‘digital town square is for all.’ He and his team pursued the deal in numerous conversations and made significant commitments about the support X would provide for the show. I made the decision to work with them in a unique partnership that I believed would ultimately assure that my work would be available to most people, in the largest possible venue. I took Elon and his management’s team’s word that they, for the first time, were interested in working directly with new and diverse voices,” Lemon wrote.
News from me…#TheDonLemonShow pic.twitter.com/PzlKuvkZtj
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 13, 2024
“There were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to, and my questions were respectful and wide-ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election. We had a good conversation. Clearly he felt differently,” he added. “His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me.”
Elon Musk canceled #TheDonLemonShow👀
Watch on YouTube and listen everywhere on Monday March 18. pic.twitter.com/AAhnvcY0ny
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 13, 2024
Lemon also fired back at the statement from X, writing. “Clean up on aisle X.”
Clean up on aisle X. https://t.co/ZZH83XrbO3
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 13, 2024
The former CNN diva did not get much sympathy on social media.
Don Lemon spent the day complaining about Free Speech because he doesn’t have a show on 𝕏, but is allowed to freely post here and monetize.
Let’s check out how @DonLemon reacted when a sitting President of the United States was permanently banned from this platform: pic.twitter.com/PMocJQEnkW
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) March 14, 2024
