Don Lemon, the former CNN anchor turned independent media figure, is pointing the finger at his old employer for the Trump administration's decision to bar the network from White House events. In a sharply worded critique, Lemon argued that CNN's recent pivot toward featuring more conservative commentary effectively invited the crackdown.
“It's their own fault,” Lemon said, referring to the network that dismissed him in 2023. “They sort of ushered this in by bending the knee and putting on MAGA folks.” His remarks came days after the White House announced it would no longer grant press credentials to CNN and two other outlets, a move the administration justified by citing what it called “fake news” reporting.
Lemon suggested that CNN's editorial leadership, in an effort to appear politically balanced, had tried to curry favor with the president by amplifying voices from the Make America Great Again movement. But he warned that such appeasement would not shield the network from Trump's wrath.
“For Donald Trump, there is no loyalty. Just because you do something for him … that doesn't mean he's going to be nice to you,” Lemon said. “He's going to kick you out of the White House right along with everyone else who doesn't write favorable things about him no matter how much you kiss his a–.”
The White House press ban, announced last Friday, also targeted two other news organizations. The three outlets filed a federal lawsuit on Monday, arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment rights of journalists to cover the president. Administration officials have countered that the excluded media's reporting poses a threat to national security.
Lemon, who has built a new media venture and online show since his ouster from CNN, has been a vocal critic of both the president and conservative politics. His latest comments come as the legal battle over press access intensifies, with the case heading to court amid a busy diplomatic stretch for Trump at the United Nations General Assembly. The confrontation over press bans has already spilled into public view, including a heated exchange between Trump and CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the UN.
The former anchor also faces his own legal troubles: the Trump administration has charged him with federal civil rights and conspiracy crimes related to his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church. That indictment has added another layer to the ongoing feud between the president and the media.
Observers note that the press ban and the subsequent lawsuit could set a significant precedent for how the White House interacts with the press corps. Legal experts are watching closely, as the case touches on core democratic principles of a free press. Meanwhile, the administration's approval ratings have slipped to 29%, and Republicans are bracing for potential midterm losses, making the media battle a politically charged issue.
Lemon's critique of CNN's strategy reflects a broader debate among journalists and media executives about how to cover a president who routinely attacks the press. Some argue that giving airtime to pro-Trump voices normalizes falsehoods, while others contend that engaging with conservative viewpoints is necessary for credibility. For Lemon, the outcome is clear: the network's gamble failed, and the consequences are now being felt by the entire industry.
