CNN This Morning co-host Don Lemon came under heavy fire and criticism on social media after he made a statement about GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Thursday’s show, saying that the Republican was not in her “prime” and should stop talking about other politicians’ ages.
Fifty-six-year-old Lemon responded to Haley, 51, who suggested that politicians over 75 years need competency tests. She made the remarks during her presidential campaign kickoff on Wednesday, February 15.
During Thursday’s show, Lemon said that the talk about age made him uncomfortable and that it was wrong to go down that road. He said that Nikki said older politicians were not in their prime, but she wasn’t in her prime either.
That statement seemed to confuse and shock his other co-hosts, and their bewilderment got worse when Lemon said that women were considered in their prime at the ages of 20 to 40.
Co-host Poppy Harlow, 40, called out Lemon, asking him what he was talking about and asking him to elaborate on what exactly women were prime for at those ages.
Lemon, realizing that he had said something completely out of bounds, tried to backtrack and save himself by saying that it was not him who said that women were in their prime at those ages but Google.
Putting the blame squarely on Google’s shoulders, Lemon said that if one searches for when a woman is in her prime, the results say that it is between her 20s and 40s.
Lemon continued to say that Haley should back off saying that politicians need to be in their prime ages for them to serve because, according to Google, she would not be in her prime either.
Lemon’s remarks drew a lot of heat and criticism, with many saying that the co-host was sexist and politically biased.
Politicians, comedians, and commentators from both sides seemed to agree that what Lemon said was problematic, with some saying that he should lose his job.
Lemon later tweeted an apology for what he said but did not mention Haley.
CNN gave him a “day off” or perhaps a “cool off” on Monday for President’s Day.