Don Lemon, the former CNN anchor who left the network amidst controversy in 2023 and settled for $24.5 million, has stirred fresh debate following an explicit tirade aimed at supporters of President-elect Donald Trump. His comments, made on his YouTube show, have attracted widespread criticism and ignited discussions around political discourse in the media.
The controversy unfolded during a growing debate over the H-1B visa program, a topic that has split Trump’s base. Tech moguls Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, recently named co-chairs of the new Department of Government Efficiency, have publicly voiced their support for the visa program for skilled workers. Their stance was met with severe criticism from Steve Bannon, former Trump strategist, who declared, “Let me just restate something, as a fact. The H1B visa program is a total and complete scam from its top to the bottom.”
In his video, Lemon addressed Trump supporters, saying, “You’ve been co-opted because you’re in a (expletive) cult, and you don’t even realize it because you have stupid MAGA brain and you don’t get it.” He proceeded to question their intelligence and emphasized his point with additional derogatory remarks.
Despite the backlash, Lemon stood by his comments. He told critics that his comments were specifically aimed at “MAGA-brained people” who justify Trump’s behavior. He maintained that Trump supporters held him to a “higher expectation” than Trump himself.
Lemon’s exit from CNN in April 2023 followed a 17-year career at the network, marked by several controversies. These included remarks implying that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her prime at 51, and allegations of misogynistic behavior towards female colleagues. Following these controversies, he was moved from his prime-time slot to co-host “CNN This Morning,” which saw low viewer ratings.
During his time at CNN, Lemon was known for his confrontational style and openly left-leaning views, often clashing with Trump and his supporters. He compared them to Ku Klux Klan members and defended Antifa, which drew criticism from conservative viewers and media outlets.
Lemon recently expressed his disagreement with Time magazine’s selection of Trump as the 2024 Person of the Year. He questioned how the magazine could honor someone he accused of “inspiring an insurrection” and attempting to “overturn a free and fair election.” Time’s editor-in-chief defended the choice, clarifying it was recognition of Trump’s influence, not an endorsement.
Trump, on the other hand, has aligned himself with Musk and Ramaswamy on the H-1B visa issue. He expressed his support for the program and appointed Sriram Krishnan, a known pro-immigration advocate, as his senior adviser on artificial intelligence. This decision sparked a backlash on social media, especially considering Krishnan’s past advocacy for an increase in green cards and immigration.
Fox News personalities have drawn parallels between Lemon’s comments and Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorables” statement, suggesting that such language might push more people toward supporting Trump. They claimed that Lemon’s delight in the apparent MAGA “civil war” over immigration policy reflects negatively on how mainstream media perceives conservative voters.
