CNN's Don Lemon to Undergo 'Formal Training' Following Nikki Haley Remarks

Facts

• CNN host Don Lemon will undergo 'formal training' before returning to the network's This Morning breakfast show, after making controversial on-air remarks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley last week.¹
• Lemon made the remarks last Thursday alongside female co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins in response to comments from Haley in which she called for 'mental competency tests' for politicians over 75 years old — swipes at current and former US presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.²
• The CNN host said the 'whole talk about age' made him 'uncomfortable.' Lemon said: 'I think it’s the wrong road to go down. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. Sorry, when a woman is considered to be in her prime [is] in her 20s and 30s, and maybe 40s — that’s not according to me.'²
• Harlow interjected: 'Prime for what?' Lemon replied: 'It depends... if you Google when is a woman in her prime, it’ll say 20s, 30s and 40s.' That prompted Harlow to ask: 'Are you talking about prime for like child bearing?' Lemon responded: 'Don’t shoot the messenger! I’m just saying what the facts are! Google it!'²
• According to two CNN sources who spoke to the Daily Beast — and who first broke the story of Lemon's sidelining — he apologized to colleagues in a call on Friday. He also tweeted an apology in which he described his comments as 'inartful and irrelevant' and that he regretted making them.³
• In an email to employees on Monday, CNN chief executive Chris Licht said he has talked with Lemon and that he'll be returning to the show on Wednesday. 'I sat down with [Lemon] and had a frank and meaningful conversation,' Licht said. 'He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously.' He added: 'To that end, [Lemon] will return to CNN This Morning on Wednesday.'¹

Sources: ¹CNN, ²Guardian and ³The daily beast.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by New York Post. After losing his solo primetime show due to poor ratings, Lemon has been taking out his frustration on his female colleagues by repeatedly interrupting them, correcting them, and trying to hog the limelight. This latest episode is just the most recent example of his chauvinism and sexism which CNN had, before this higher profile incident, done nothing to stop.
• Narrative B, as provided by Guardian. While Lemon's comments are undoubtedly sexist, they are a huge gift to Haley and right-wing pundits, evident in the fact that Haley is already using the clip in ad campaigns. Right-wing media is just claiming to care about sexism while at the same time profiteering from it.