Don Lemon, the former anchor at CNN, who was awarded a $24.5 million settlement after his 2023 exit from the broadcaster, has stirred up fresh debates with his recent comments on supporters of President-elect Donald Trump on his YouTube show. These remarks have been widely criticized, sparking renewed discussions concerning political commentary in the media.
H-1B visas have been the subject of a growing debate dividing Trump’s supporters. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the recently appointed co-chairs of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, have publicly backed the visa program for skilled workers. This has drawn criticism from Steve Bannon, former Trump strategist, who stated, “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, Lemon addressed Trump 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 then continued, “How stupid and dumb are you? 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.”
Despite facing criticism, Lemon did not retract his statements. He told critics “too (expletive) bad” and clarified that he was referring specifically to “MAGA-brained people” who defend Trump’s actions. He criticized Trump supporters for having higher expectations of him than they do of Trump.
Lemon’s contentious remarks follow his turbulent departure from CNN, where he worked for 17 years before his termination in April 2023. His dismissal followed several controversies, including comments suggesting that then-Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her prime at age 51. Allegations of Lemon exhibiting misogynistic behavior towards female colleagues, including sending threatening texts and making derogatory comments, also surfaced. Following these incidents, CNN moved him from his prime-time slot to co-host “CNN This Morning,” which struggled with low ratings.
During his time at CNN, Lemon frequently clashed with Trump and his supporters, drawing parallels between them and the Ku Klux Klan and supporting Antifa. His confrontational style and openly left-wing views often drew criticism from conservative viewers and media commentators.
Lemon recently criticized Time magazine’s selection of Trump as the 2024 Person of the Year. “They could have done it to someone who stood for democracy,” he said, questioning how the magazine could select someone he claimed “inspired an insurrection” and “tried to overturn a free and fair election.” The editor-in-chief of Time defended the selection, explaining that it was a recognition of Trump’s influence, not an endorsement.
On the topic of H-1B visas, Trump has expressed his support for the program and appointed Sriram Krishnan, a known advocate for increased immigration, as his senior adviser on artificial intelligence. This move sparked a backlash against Indians on social media, particularly given Krishnan’s past advocacy for a general increase in green cards and immigration.
Comparisons have been drawn between Lemon’s remarks and Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables” comment by Fox News commentators, who suggest that such language could push more people towards supporting Trump. They imply that Lemon’s celebration of the MAGA “civil war” over immigration policy reflects negatively on the mainstream media’s treatment of conservative voters.