Don Lemon Fails To Apologize For Controversial Nikki Haley Remarks During Return To 'CNN This Morning'
Feb. 22 2023, Published 9:10 a.m. ET
Don Lemon returned to CNN This Morning this week but failed to apologize for the controversial remarks that led to him being temporarily off the air, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In the latest development to come nearly one week after Lemon caused a firestorm at CNN after claiming newly announced GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, 51, is no longer “in her prime,” the 56-year-old embattled news anchor returned to the network’s morning show on Wednesday as if nothing had happened.
Rather than apologize for his controversial comments regarding Haley’s age on-air, Lemon instead chose to issue an apology on Twitter roughly 30 minutes before returning to CNN This Morning alongside co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins.
"I appreciate the opportunity to be back on [CNN This Morning] today,” Lemon tweeted Wednesday morning. “To my network, my colleagues and our incredible audience — I’m sorry.”
“I’ve heard you, I’m learning from you, and I’m committed to doing better,” he continued, although Lemon failed to address his comments about Haley. “See you soon."
After returning to CNN’s struggling new morning program, Lemon jumped into a report about President Joe Biden’s surprise trip to Ukraine and subsequent speech in Warsaw, Poland – again making no mention of his “sexist” comments regarding Haley and women being “past their prime.”
"What a day. Good morning everyone, Don and I are here in New York,” Harlow said shortly into the broadcast. “And Kaitlin is live again in Warsaw, Poland."
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Lemon first came under fire on Thursday while discussing Haley’s call for political candidates over the age of 75 to receive mental capacity tests upon running for public office.
“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable,” Lemon commented, angering his two female co-hosts. “I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians are suddenly not in their prime.”
“Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime,” he continued. “Sorry, when a woman is in her prime is in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
Shortly after his comments were made on live television, Lemon was temporarily taken off the air and forced to have a private meeting with CNN CEO Chris Licht to discuss the matter.
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Lemon reportedly agreed to participate in “formal training” connected to the matter and Licht allowed Lemon to return to the anchor desk starting Wednesday.
"I sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation,” Licht wrote in a company-wide memo issued Monday night. “He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously.”
