Former CNN anchor Don Lemon went back to CNN, the network where he worked for 17 years, to play some teaser clips from his sit-down with tech titan Elon Musk shortly after learning that his distribution deal with Twitter/X was canceled.
"I took Elon Musk, I took X, I took their management at their word because they pursued me so hard that they were going to put me on their platform and give me as much assistance and support as they promised," he said during an appearance on CNN's "Out Front" with Erin Burnett. "And they did not do that."
The clearest reason Lemon believes that his deal, inked in anticipation of his March 18 debut of "the Don Lemon Show," was squashed, came after their tense interview.
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The clips Lemon presented showed Musk espousing an off-putting tone on a variety of topics including hate speech exploding on the platform, his skeptical views about Black airline pilots, and his claims that he has a clear record on drugs.
In one exchange, Lemon asks Musk about the hate speech on the platform he bought for $44 billion.
"Do you believe that X and you have some responsibility to moderate hate speech on the platform that you wouldn't have to answer these questions from reporters about the great replacement theory as it released. I don't have to answer this great replacement theory as it relates to Jewish people. Do you think that?"
And Musk daggered back: "I don't have to answer questions from reporters? Don, the only reason I'm doing this interview is because you're on the X platform and you asked for it. Otherwise, I would not do this interview."
At one point Lemon probed Musk about his penchant for ketamine.
"The reason I talk about my ketamine prescription on the X platform was because I thought 'Maybe this something that can help other people,'" he said. "That's why I mention it."
As far as Trump's presidency and their meeting together, Musk was curt.
"[Trump] did most of the talking," he said.
When pressed if he was offering to bankroll Trump's legal bills, Musk said, "I'm not paying his legal bills in any way shape or form."
As far as who Musk will back in the 2024 presidential race: Musk answered he hadn't decided with a simple, "No."
Musk responded in a post on his platform that “instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity. All this said, Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform along with everyone else.”
Lemon appears to think that Musk has too much sway.
"Maybe we're learning that the public square should not be privately owned by someone who doesn't think that there should be any moderation on that platform," he said.
