Ousted CNN host Don Lemon is regaining support after a resurfaced interview shows him taking Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy to task over his revisionist history about how Black people gained civil rights in America. Lemon was terminated after 20 years with the network in April.
The dedicated journalist claimed the severance of ties to the news juggernaut was abrupt. “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. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play,” he tweeted.
During his tenure, Lemon received heaps of praise for being CNN’s primetime ratings draw and one of the most prominent Black male on-air journalists in the industry. He was also, at times, on the receiving end of criticism for his remarks about the Black community.
Case in point, in 2013 when he dished out five issues that the community needed to address: pulling up their pants, finishing school, stop littering, stop using the N-word, and to stop having children out of wedlock.
Now it seems the tides may have turned in his favor. The clip that began trending on X/Twitter this week shows an April interview in which Ramaswamy appeared on “CNN This Morning,” where he was adamant that the National Rifle Association was helpful in the process of Black people securing rights.
“Black people secured their freedoms after the Civil War; it is a historical fact, Don, just study it,” he said before noting the NRA played a “big role.”
Lemon hit back at the reimagining of history. “You are discounting a whole host of things that happened after the Civil War when it comes to African Americans, including the whole reason that the civil rights movement happened is because Black people did not secure their freedoms after the Civil War,” he said.
The heated exchange is speculated to have played a role in Lemon being fired.
One person quipped, “Vivek is a liar. The NRA pushed stronger gun control. When? When Black men exercised their right to bear arms. They proved their racism again when they blamed Philando Castile for being murdered while lawfully carrying a gun in his car,” after watching the resurfaced clip.
“And Don was right about everything!” wrote another supporter. A third individual commented, “Don Lemon should not have been fired for this. For being honest. This is what we need in media, not the clear favor shown to right wing talking points we’re seeing today.”
In a recent interview after Phil Mattingly was revealed as his replacement on “CNN This Morning,” Lemon joked that two hosts were needed to replace him, but the firing of the network’s CEO Chris Licht was a gift of vindication.
