Don Lemon Sets CNN Return After “Formal Training” Following Sexist Nikki Haley Comments

By Maddy Casale @madhoops
Published Feb. 21, 2023, 1:30 p.m. ET

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In the wake on his sexist comments scandal, CNN host Don Lemon is set to return to CNN This Morning on Wednesday (Feb. 22) to publicly take accountability for his words and begin to make amends.

Last Thursday, the CNN anchor stirred up controversy over his talk of women in their “prime” during a discussion with co-hosts Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow on CNN This Morning. As the three hosts covered Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley‘s proposal that candidates running for president should have to take competency tests if they over the age of 75, Lemon interjected to say, “this talk about age makes me uncomfortable.”

Lemon then followed up by adding, “Nikki Haley is not in her prime, sorry. When a woman is considered to be in her prime is her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”

When Harlow pushed back to ask, “prime for what?” Lemon responded, “It depends. It’s just like prime, if you look it up. If you Google, ‘when is a woman in her prime, it will say, ’20s, 30s and 40s.'”

Harlow then asked for further clarification, saying, “I think we need to qualify. Are you talking about prime for childbearing or are you talking about prime for being president?”

Lemon shot back, “Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are,” not really answering Harlow’s question, but further opening the door for backlash from all sides.

Later that day, Lemon apologized for his comments about women in a tweet, but still was pulled from air the next day. In addition to being benched from anchor duties since Thursday, Lemon has also been asked to participate in “formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn,” per a Monday night memo from CNN Worldwide Chairman and CEO Chris Licht.

Licht also wrote that “It is important to me that CNN balances accountability with fostering a culture in which people can own, learn and grow from their mistakes. To that end, Don will return to CNN This Morning on Wednesday.”

Lemon will likely have his work cut out for him as he fields critiques from both the political left and right, including from Haley herself. The 51-year-old governor of South Carolina took to Twitter to respond the same day Lemon issued his comments, writing, “Liberals can’t stand the idea of having competency tests for older politicians to make sure they can do the job. BTW it’s always the liberals who are the most sexist.”

CNN This Morning airs weekdays 6-9 a.m. ET on CNN.