Don Lemon's show canceled by Elon Musk on X, a year after CNN firing
"The Don Lemon Show" has been canceled by Elon Musk — but the former CNN host says the show must go on.
In a social media statement, Lemon said he was fired from X after an interview filmed last week with the Musk, who owns the platform, and added that the show's first episode will be released Monday.
"Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform. He informed me of his decision hours after an interview I conducted with him on Friday," Lemon said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
X responded with a statement of its own on the platform's business account @XBusiness, as the company called itself a "platform that champions free speech."
"'The Don Lemon Show' is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities," the company wrote. "However, like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships, and after careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show."
USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Lemon, Musk and X for comment.
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"Elon publicly encouraged me to join X with a new show, saying I would have his 'full support,' and that his 'digital town square is for all.' He and his team pursued the deal in numerous conversations and made significant commitments about the support X would provide for the show," Lemon said.
Lemon said he made the decision to work with X in a "unique partnership" for viewers in the "largest possible venue." The "CNN This Morning" alum said there were no restrictions for his interview with Musk.
"My questions were respectful and wide ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election. We had a good conversation. Clearly, he felt differently. His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me," Lemon said.
Lemon said his talk with Musk will be available on YouTube and streaming platforms, as well as on X, despite the cancellation.
The 58-year-old added that it's the "first of many" episodes of his upcoming show, writing that "while Elon goes back on his word, I will be doubling down on my commitment to free speech and I cannot wait to get started."
Don Lemon recalls 'tense' interview with Elon Musk
During an interview on "Erin Burnett OutFront" Wednesday, Lemon reflected on his conversation with Musk. The journalist said he "felt really good" about his interview with Musk, although he acknowledged it was "tense at moments."
Excerpts of Lemon's interview with Musk were played on the CNN program, including one clip that sees Lemon press Musk about the responsibility X has in moderating "hate speech" on the online platform.
"I don’t have to answer this question," Musk said to Lemon in the clip. "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."
When asked why he wanted to team up with X for his show, Lemon said he was attracted to the social media site as a "distribution partner," citing the platform's multimillion user base. "That’s the largest, you know, opportunity for people to be able to see what I do," he said. "And I truly believe in free speech. I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight for your right to say it."
In light of his interview with Musk, Lemon further criticized the tech magnate's free-speech advocacy and portrayal of X as a "public square for all."
"Maybe we’re learning that a public square should not be privately owned by someone who doesn’t think that there should be any moderation on that platform," Lemon said. "So, it was interesting because at the end, I could tell that he was upset and he was uncomfortable. It was tense."
'Don Lemon Show' cancellation comes a year after Lemon's CNN firing
The Musk move comes after the embattled host's firing from the network's "CNN This Morning" nearly a year ago in April. Lemon co-anchored "Morning" with now-"The Source" host Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow for around six months.
Last February, he apologized for offensive statements he made about former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was a then-Republican presidential candidate, saying that Haley "is not in her prime." At the time, she was 51.
"She says people, politicians are not in their prime," he said, referring to the former U.N. ambassador's comments on in her presidential campaign announcement. "Nikki Haley is not in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s."
Lemon also came under fire for a heated on-air interview with former Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy.
Contributing: Morgan Hines and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY