GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said on Tuesday that he caused Don Lemon’s meltdown that ended with a pink slip for the host.
“There are several reports out today that, that was the last straw for CNN management,” SiruisXM host Megyn Kelly said to Ramaswamy during her show. “So what do you make of the fact that you may have had a role in CNN’s ultimate decision to get rid of him?”
“I think I did, and I think that that’s a net positive,” Ramaswamy responded. “Look, I actually wanna be really clear about this. It all comes down to what the mission of your organization is. If CNN’s mission is to advance a woke progressive orthodoxy, Don Lemon is a perfectly fine host to have on air, to cut off guests, to tell people they can’t speak based on the color of their skin because that does represent a worldview that exists in the country.”
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Lemon has faced a series of controversies about his behavior, including one instance where he allegedly berated his co-host Kaitlan Collins off camera after accusing her of interrupting him.
In another instance, Lemon sparked outrage after dubbing presidential candidate Nikki Haley, 52, ‘past her prime,’ arguing that women are only in their prime ‘in their 20s and 30s, maybe 40s’.
The veteran anchor, believed to be earning roughly $4 million a year at the network, has since sparked fears he would sue CNN after blasting his sacking on social media, where he pointed to ‘larger issues at play.’
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CNN executives reportedly cited Lemon’s clash with Ramaswamy as the final straw leading to the decision to fire the host Monday.
CNN President Chris Licht has sought to rein in left-wing partisanship on CNN and is evaluating whether some of the on-air talents can adapt to the network’s new strategy, according to a June report by Axios.
“If CNN’s purpose is to air multiple different perspectives on air, then I think that you can’t have TV hosts who tell guests, whoever they are, that they can’t speak or express an idea about post-Civil War Reconstruction history in America without thinking about what their skin color or race is first,” Ramaswamy said.
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