Months after firing former morning host Don Lemon from CNN, the news network has finally replaced the Black anchor with the network’s chief White House correspondent.
Phil Mattingly has been chosen to take over as a co-anchor for “CNN This Morning,” stepping in for both Lemon and Kaitlan Collins, according to an announcement on the show.
Mattingly was hired as CNN’s chief White House correspondent in 2022 to replace Collins after she joined the initial cast that launched “CNN This Morning.”
Mattingly will join Poppy Harlow, who has been hosting the show solo since Lemon and Collins were let go. Mattingly’s transition echoes Collins’ path and follows in her professional footsteps. She, too, was a White House correspondent until 2022 before joining the morning team.
Collins will now host a show in one of the network’s prime time programming spots, and some viewers not happy about how all the personnel changes have shaken out.
“Oh come on Poppy he’s nothing compared to Don Lemon : let’s get away from let’s pretend,” one Twitter user said.
Others took to Twitter to blast CNN for their lack of cultural awareness and hiring two white people for the morning slot.
“So CNN still has an issue with diversity. They had ever opportunity to do right with their morning line-up. Instead, they give the white guy the morning prime spot, the two black females the grave yard, and the black male an hour on Saturday. Just sad,” one person tweeted.
While Phil Mattingly will be sitting in Lemon’s chair, Lemon is reportedly eyeing a spot as the first male co-host of “The View.” His unexpected departure came months prior to Chris Licht being fired from the network as CEO due to doubts about his leadership that emerged from a lengthy Atlantic magazine profile of the veteran showrunner.
However, Lemon has reportedly been actively campaigning to obtain a seat on ABC’s “The View” as the show’s first full-time male co-host. He recently hosted a release party for one of the show’s co-hosts, Sunny Hostin, and her new book, “Summer on Sag Harbor.”
The broadcast journalist, who spent nearly two decades as a personality on CNN, is reportedly planning to write and release a tell-all book about CNN executives and top talents.
The 57-year-old has been vocal about why he believes he was fired. The first thing he said was that he was “stunned,” particularly by the way he was told.
“After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly,” he said. “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,” he continued, suggesting that “there are some larger issues at play.”
Recently, the journalist attended the NAACP’s “Freedom Fund” gala in Memphis, Tennessee. While there, he discussed future plans after leaving CNN.
“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,” he said.
“I think sometimes people rush to make decisions and they end up making the wrong decisions,” he added. “They rush into a relationship, and they end up marrying the wrong person. They rush into a job, and end up in the wrong house, wrong car. I’m not rushing into anything.”
“The View” isn’t the only place people want Lemon to wind up. But wherever he ends up, it’s evident that people will be tuning in to see him there.
