Don Lemon Criticizes Former Boss and Unqualified White Men

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has taken aim at his ex-boss and, more broadly, “unqualified” white men in an extensive essay regarding his dismissal from “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

In the piece published on Substack, Lemon shared his views on Chris Licht, who transitioned to CNN from CBS and was ultimately let go. He described Licht as “one of the most spectacular failures of a white male I have witnessed in this industry.”

Lemon expressed his belief that Licht is “completely unqualified” and “clearly incompetent.” He further remarked, “Because that’s how that world protects certain people and cuts others off. And the ones it cuts off are almost always those who make those in power uncomfortable.”

Licht’s too-short 13-month tenure at CNN was marked by attempts to pivot the network’s generally liberal coverage to a more centrist stance, but this led to sagging ratings, low staff morale, and a poorly received new morning show.

This morning program featured Caitlan Collins, Poppy Harlow, and Lemon, who was dismissed after making sexist remarks about politician Nikki Haley, which created friction with his co-anchors.

In an article titled “Don’t Cry for Stephen Colbert. Cry for the First Amendment,” Lemon opted not to address his own missteps. Instead, he focused on racial dynamics in media, suggesting television is tailored to “very particular kinds of people: white men who fail spectacularly and still get promoted.”

He elaborated on this, saying, “A white man who makes a devastating decision is given a bigger role because of it. A white man who is obviously unqualified but is given more power anyway.”

Lemon argued that his termination was a result of his tough questioning of conservatives. “The network didn’t appreciate me holding up a mirror every night,” he stated.

“So they kicked me out, and I thought, ‘What happened to me is going to happen to other people. It’s going to trickle down. Or it’s going to trickle up, depending on how you look at it. Now it’s trickling down to late-night TV.’

He remarked on the financial losses of Colbert’s show, which reportedly loses between $40 million and $50 million a year according to CBS. However, he highlighted a connection between Colbert’s public comments critical of President Trump’s settlement with CBS’s parent company, Paramount, and the announcement of the show’s cancellation just two days later.

Lemon praised Colbert, calling him “amazing,” and mentioned that the host would find new opportunities following his farewell show. He concluded by emphasizing that the “real victims” in this situation are the principles of the First Amendment and journalism itself.