Don Lemon hints at his gripes with CNN in his first interview since his firing

Don Lemon has more to say about his unexpected firing from CNN.

In his first interview since departing from the news network in April, the former anchor spoke on Saturday with ABC24 Memphis about the current state of journalism and life after CNN.

When asked if he has any future projects lined up, Lemon played it cool and said he’s waiting for the right opportunities to arise.

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“I’m not gonna force anything. I’m not gonna let other people’s timeline influence me,” he said. “I know people say, ‘I miss you on television. What is your next move?’ I’m figuring that out. I don’t have to be in a rush. I think sometimes people rush to make decisions and they end up making the wrong decisions.”

On April 24, Lemon announced that he had been fired from CNN after 17 years at the cable news network. News of Lemon’s firing came the same day that former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson was ousted from the conservative network by Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch.

The move came as CNN began facing resistance from advertisers and potential guests for the morning news program “CNN This Morning,” which Lemon co-anchored.

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Lemon was briefly suspended in February after he made offensive comments about when a woman is past her “prime” while speaking about 51-year-old Republican former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is running for the party’s presidential nomination for the 2024 election.

“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN,” Lemon wrote in an April statement posted on Twitter. “I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had 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.”

CNN refuted Lemon’s account of how his exit went down, tweeting, “Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”

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Speaking on the state of journalism and perhaps hinting at the newly adopted strategies of CNN on Saturday, the former talk show host reprimanded organizations that give equal footing to disparate voices.

“I don’t believe in platforming liars and bigots, and insurrectionists and election deniers, and putting them on the same footing as people who are telling the truth — people who are fighting for what’s right, people who are abiding by the Constitution,” Lemon said. “I think that would be a dereliction of journalistic duty to do those sorts of things.”

Despite the messy exit and an uncertain future, Lemon wants everyone to know that he’s “fine.”

“And I’m not worried at all,” he clarified. “People are concerned about me and more worried about me than I am about myself. I’m fine — someone is looking out for me.”