Former CNN anchor Don Lemon sat down for his first long interview since he was fired by the cable news giant, and says there are just some things he isn’t willing to do on TV.
While speaking with ABC24 Memphis before a Gala for the city’s NAACP branch, Lemon shared that his high-profile on-air clash with prospective 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — that was reportedly his final straw with now former CNN CEO Chris Licht — was about showcasing the truth.
“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 doing those sorts of things. That is what has gotten me to this point, and that is what is going to carry me forward.”
When asked about what his future looks like in television news, said he wasn’t “going to force anything”.
“I’m not gonna let others people’s timeline influence me,” Lemon 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.”
He added that he’s “not worried, at all”, claiming that others are more worried about his future than he is.
