Don Lemon is not mincing words. The independent journalist took to his podcast on Thursday, May 22, 2026, with a fiery message for the White House press corps: stop letting President Trump steamroll you, and start standing up for your colleagues.
Lemon’s on-air rallying cry came as the late-night world prepared to bid farewell to Stephen Colbert, whose final episode of “The Late Show” capped an 11-year run on CBS. Using Colbert as his north star, Lemon turned a tribute into a challenge for working reporters who cover the Trump administration day in and day out.
A Pointed Message to the Press Corps
On “The Don Lemon Show,” the former CNN anchor noted that all of the late-night shows were going dark to honor Colbert before the final broadcast. Then he pivoted to Washington.
“Do not let Karoline Leavitt call on the next person when you’re not finishing your question. Stand up for your colleagues,” Lemon said, referring to the White House press secretary. “Stand up for yourself. Have some dignity and a backbone.”
He urged White House reporters to “stand up for respect” when facing insults during questioning, and to “stand up for the First Amendment.” Lemon’s frustration was tied to specific moments he believes the press has let slide — episodes in which reporters were mocked, belittled or dismissed without pushback from their peers.
“The next time someone calls one of your coworkers a piggy, the next time he calls them a loser, the next time he insults them, the next time he tells a Black woman that she knows dirt better than him, say something!” Lemon said.
The ‘Piggy’ Moment That Sparked Outrage
Lemon was referring to an exchange aboard Air Force One in November 2025, when Trump told Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey “Quiet, piggy” after she asked about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also pointed to a pattern of pointed remarks the president has directed at women of color who have pressed him during news availabilities.
That same month, the White House rolled out a media bias tracker spotlighting news reporting it framed as “offenses” against the administration. The tracker follows coverage from the Washington Post, MS NOW, CBS News, CNN, The New York Times, Politico and the Wall Street Journal.
Praise for Colbert’s Send-Off
Lemon praised Colbert for “telling the truth on purpose” during his 11 years steering “The Late Show,” adding that the host “is not done” and “is not afraid.” He encouraged listeners to “wake up tomorrow and be that same thing in your own life.”
President Trump, for his part, celebrated Colbert’s CBS exit with a flurry of Truth Social posts on Thursday and Friday, May 22-23, including an AI-generated video depicting the president tossing Colbert into a dumpster.
“Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the ‘Beginning of the End’ for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts,” Trump wrote in one post. “Others, of even less talent, to soon follow. May they all Rest in Peace!”
Colbert and his late-night peers have lampooned Trump steadily across both of his administrations, often drawing return fire from the president himself.
Tensions Between Trump and the Press
Lemon’s remarks landed against a backdrop of escalating presidential attacks on news organizations. Trump’s criticism intensified during the nearly three-month U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran, and last month he blasted The New York Times and “stupid CNN” over their coverage of “Operation Epic Fury.” He went so far as to call the Times’ reporting “actually seditious, in my opinion.”
Lemon’s former CNN colleague Jake Tapper pushed back on that characterization during a segment on “The Lead,” calling such language reckless and warning that it could put reporters in harm’s way.
Lemon’s Own Run-In With the DOJ
The call for backbone comes months after Lemon found himself in the federal government’s crosshairs. In January 2026, the Department of Justice publicly warned Lemon that his coverage of an anti-ICE protest inside Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, could carry legal consequences. The demonstration was tied to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis woman killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross earlier that month.
On Sunday, January 18, Lemon posted recordings appearing to rebut claims he participated in or directed the protest. In the footage, he can be heard questioning activist Nekima Levy Armstrong before the group entered the sanctuary, and telling viewers, “We’re not part of the activists, but we’re here just reporting.”
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon argued on X that “a house of worship is not a public forum for your protest” and told Lemon, “You are on notice.” She amplified posts from conservative commentator Todd Starnes and told podcaster Benny Johnson that “journalism is not a shield” from federal liability.
For Lemon, the through line is clear: whether it’s a podcast monologue or a confrontation with the Justice Department, the message to fellow reporters is the same. Stand up — and keep standing.