CNN anchor Don Lemon is caught on hot mic dissing Jon Stewart

Controversial CNN anchor Don Lemon suffered another foul Monday when he was caught scorning Jon Stewart during a hot microphone moment.

On his morning show, Lemon referenced a clip in which Jon Stewart interviewed US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, in which Stewart confronted the official about what he called extreme wastage in the Defense Department’s $850 million budget.

Hicks disagreed with Stewart’s description of the problem, to which he replied, “I can’t figure out how $850 billion to a department means the rank and file should still be on food stamps.” To me that’s fucking corruption.’

As the video faded, Lemon can be heard on his mic saying, “He gets a lot of leeway with the comedy thing though.” It appeared that Lemon had been talking about Stewart with his co-anchors during the time the clip was playing.

After a few seconds of silence, Lemon came back to say that Stewart is so much more than a comedian, a point he then repeated several times.

In addition to being a comedian, Stewart has become a staunch advocate for American military and first responders over the years.

He has lobbied Washington lawmakers many times on issues such as benefits for 9/11 first responders and health care coverage for military personnel exposed to burn pits.

When Lemon realized what had happened, he tried to take control of the situation, saying, “We were just talking about Jon Stewart being so much more than a comedian. He’s a thought leader.’

Lemon’s co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins added that Stewart, who currently hosts The Problem on Apple TV+, “needs no introduction” because of his prolific advocacy for veterans’ rights.

“Yeah, I meant comedian and television host, he’s so much more than that,” Lemon said, ambiguously. “I don’t even know if you should qualify Jon Stewart like that. But good interview there.’

Lemon has been the subject and source of much tension at CNN lately, having made several on-air remarks in recent months that have sparked outrage behind the scenes, in addition to reportedly bad behavior off-air.

Recently, the former prime-time talent was accused by women at the network of misogynistic behavior and being “disrespectful” to several members of staff.

The allegations this time date back to 2008 — years before he was accused of being sexist towards GOP candidate Nikki Haley when he was “not in her prime.”

Sources told Variety that on-air, Lemon, 57, was rude to Nancy Grace and Soledad O’Brien at an editorial meeting attended by about 30 staffers.

Jon Stewart has earned a reputation, in addition to being a comedian, for advocating on behalf of service members and first responders

A senior executive told Variety at the time, “As soon as you could make a line, Don would bend it.”

He has also clashed several times with former White House correspondent and current live-on-air co-host Kaitlan Collins.

The pair have talked about each other on numerous occasions and it was eventually reported that their clash resulted in a bust-up in which Lemon yelled at Collins on December 8. She reportedly ran off the set in tears.

Afterward, he was reportedly told by boss Chris Licht to take a day off to “cool down,” but instead blew up at the staff after a company newsletter ran a story about his altercation with Collins.

Since the December incident, Lemon has been sent to Memphis and other assignments, while Collins worked remotely from Washington DC several times in January.

He was also forced to undergo “formal training” after making sexist remarks about Nikki Haley, 51, who was running for president in 2024 and had reached her prime.

After that comment, Lemon missed the show for three days straight, as insiders said he was aware he was on his “final warning.”

Licht, who criticized Lemon’s comments, sent a memo to staff after the incident saying that Lemon agreed to participate in the training.

Lemon is in hot water at CNN: Sources recently told Variety that Lemon was rude to Nancy Grace on-air, and Soledad O’Brien at an editorial meeting attended by about 30 staffers

Lemon’s actions towards women come to light, especially after he reportedly yelled at Kaitlan Collins on December 8 for disturbing him.

According to a memo sent to staffers, Licht said, “I sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation.

“He has agreed to participate in formal training, but also to continue to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously.

“It’s important to me that CNN balances responsibility with fostering a culture where people can acknowledge their mistakes, learn from them, and grow from them.”

Lemon returned to the show, but failed to acknowledge the backlash he faced live on air – instead, he apologized online shortly before the show aired.

Licht previously said during an editorial call that the comments were “disturbing, unacceptable and unfair to his co-hosts, and ultimately a huge distraction to the great work this organization is doing.”