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CNN host Don Lemon, who is known for his rage over former President Trump on his primetime show, claims in a new interview that he had grown tired of the way his network handled politics.
Lemon has spent the past eight years in the primetime CNN slot spewing anti-Trump rant, but is now taking on a new role as the primary host of CNN This Morning, a three-hour program set to debut Nov. 1. for the midterm elections.
In his first interview since the move was announced, Lemon expressed frustration at his previous performance.
“Has it been frustrating in recent years to deal with politics like it was in prime time? Yes,’ he told Semaphor. ‘Was I tired of it? In a way it has gotten old.’
The move is one of the most prominent decisions of new CNN boss Chris Licht as he seeks to steer clear of “opinion-based partisan news” and anchors criticizing conservatives and the GOP.
Don Lemon has spent the past eight years in the primetime slot spewing anti-Trump rant, but is now moving into a new role as the primary host of CNN This Morning
The move is one of the most prominent decisions of new CNN boss Chris Licht as he tries to steer clear of “opinion-based partisan news” and anchors slamming the GOP shut.
The new CNN show, starring Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, will replace the network’s “New Day” show hosted by John Berman and Brianna Keilar, which will run from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Lemon spent 16 of his 40 years of journalism at CNN and was a co-moderator for the 2020 Democratic presidential debate.
A major critic of former President Trump and Republicans, he previously called Trump “the biggest snowflake of all” after the 2021 White House raid on Jan. 6.
He was also outspoken about voter fraud after the 2020 presidential election, claiming that Trump and Republicans were feeding GOP supporters “bullsh**t.”
In Wednesday’s interview, Lemon explained that even after Trump was no longer president — and he was ready to move on — the former president still dominated primetime shows.
“It was frustrating to say the least, not that I wasn’t determined to do it prime time. But after Donald Trump was no longer president, and we had a war in Ukraine – that changed our approach to what we did in prime time, which didn’t start every night with a monologue about Donald Trump and how bad he was and how terrible things were in the country,” he said.
“So I was ready to move on and I think the audience is ready to move on too,” Lemon continued. “And even if he comes back, I think there’s a different approach in primetime and in the mornings. The morning gives me more leeway to teach and elevate the conversation.”
Now Lemon said it’s time to “shake things up” as he shares the spotlight with two of his “best friends” Collins and Harlow.
CNN announced a new morning show featuring Don Lemon alongside Poppy Harlow (right) and Kaitlan Collins (left). The show debuts on November 1 – a week before the midterm elections
John Berman and Brianna Keilar’s morning show “New Day” will be canceled once the revamped show airs. The couple will move on to other roles in the company
“I’m just going to be myself,” he said. “It seems to have worked in the company for the past few decades. I’m really not worried about the ratings: I want to make it the best morning show possible and appeal to multiple demographics and people interested in things other than raw, tribal politics.”
Lemon also promised that a “younger, cuter” Don Lemon – unlike what people are used to – will appear on CNN every morning.
“The perfect answer is tuning in,” he said. “I wear what I wear in my normal day-to-day life and not necessarily newsman at night Don Lemon. It will fit the show. It will also be a lot younger and a lot more fun than what people are used to seeing on TV news.’
“You might get some new fashion tips,” he added.
Don Lemon (above) raved about his show: ‘He (Trump) is the biggest snowflake of them all – the biggest’
A strong critic of former President Trump and Republicans, he previously called Trump “the biggest snowflake of all” after the 2021 White House raid on January 6.
CNN has been purging itself of its reputation for being a vigilant media source since Licht promised to make the network more trustworthy to the people by putting a stop to the Republican slander.
The new move has led to the termination of popular CNN hosts, including John Harwood and Brian Stelter, from their shows.
Light previously warned CNN staffers that there were changes coming to the network that they “wouldn’t understand” or “like.”
It’s unclear when the new morning show will be released in October, or if the anchors will adhere to Light’s new policies, but the new CEO doesn’t seem shy about ending major journalists.