Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor who was awarded a $24.5 million settlement following his controversial exit from the network in 2023, has once again stirred the pot. This time, his profanity-filled criticism of President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters during a recent episode of his YouTube show has drawn significant attention and sparked renewed discussions about political discourse in the media.
Lemon’s comments were made amidst a growing controversy surrounding H-1B visas, a topic that has caused a rift among Trump’s supporters. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, recently named co-chairs of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, have publicly expressed their support for the skilled worker visa program. Their position has been met with strong opposition from Steve Bannon, a former strategist for Trump, who said, “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 a video that has since gone viral, Lemon lashed out at Trump’s 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 continued by asking, “How stupid and dumb are you?” and further stated, “You’re so (expletive) stupid, and you deserve it. You (expletive) deserve it because you’re so dumb. Yes, I am gloating over your stupidity.”
In response to the backlash that followed his comments, Lemon did not back down. He responded to his critics by saying “too (expletive) bad” and clarified that his remarks were targeted at “MAGA-brained people” who defended Trump’s actions. He went on to accuse Trump supporters of expecting more from him than they did from Trump, whom he referred to as their “cult leader.”
Lemon’s recent outburst follows a turbulent departure from CNN, where he was employed for 17 years before his termination in April 2023. His dismissal followed numerous controversies, including comments suggesting that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her prime at the age of 51. Allegations also surfaced about inappropriate behavior towards female colleagues, which included accusations of sending threatening messages and making demeaning remarks. In response to these allegations, CNN reassigned him from his prime-time slot to co-host “CNN This Morning,” a program that struggled with low ratings.
During his time at CNN, Lemon often found himself at odds with Trump and his supporters. He made comparisons between them and the Ku Klux Klan and defended Antifa. His confrontational approach and openly left-leaning views were frequently met with criticism from conservative viewers and media outlets.
Recently, Lemon expressed his disapproval of Time magazine naming Trump as the 2024 Person of the Year. “They could have done it to someone who stood for democracy,” he said, questioning the magazine’s decision to award someone he accused of “inspiring an insurrection” and attempting to “overturn a free and fair election.” The editor-in-chief of Time defended the decision, stating that it was a recognition of Trump’s influence, not an endorsement.
Trump, on the other hand, has expressed his support for the H-1B visa program and appointed Sriram Krishnan, a known proponent of increased immigration, as his senior adviser on artificial intelligence. This appointment led to a backlash on social media, particularly due to Krishnan’s history of advocating for an increase in green cards and immigration.
Fox News personalities have drawn parallels between Lemon’s remarks and Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorables” comment. They argued that such language could potentially drive more people toward supporting Trump. They also suggested that Lemon’s celebration of the perceived internal strife among MAGA supporters over immigration policy reflected negatively on the mainstream media’s treatment of conservative voters.
