Don Lemon defended CNN CEO Chris Licht on Wednesday from “unfair” criticisms for making changes at the network, including shaking up the primetime lineup and making major personnel decisions.
“I really like Chris,” the CNN host told Semafor. “When I read stories about what’s happening at CNN and about Chris and what he’s doing, I think it’s unfair. I think people should give him a chance. Everyone has a new vision when they come in as a new boss. Let’s see what his vision is and how it plays out.”
Lemon’s comments come a month after the news that the host would shift his primetime gig, “Tonight with Don Lemon,” to host a new morning show titled “CNN This Morning” alongside Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. Licht also made waves when he canceled Brian Stelter’s “Reliable Sources” and through his stated attempts to tone down any displays of partisanship by on-air talent.
The show, which will air weekdays from 6-9 a.m. ET, aims to meet Licht’s goal to reimagine the morning lineup and become “a disrupter of the broadcast morning shows in this space” as he announced in May.
For Lemon, who claims the change was not a demotion, the shift to mornings might be a welcome change as dealing with politics in primetime has “gotten old.”
“Look, has it been frustrating over the last couple of years having to deal with politics in the way it’s been dealt with in primetime? Yes,” Lemon said. “Was I tired of it? In some ways, yeah it’s gotten old. But I also think we were transitioning to a different time.”
The veteran journalist also admitted his coverage of former President Donald Trump was a “factor” in being “tired” of primetime. “I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that was a factor,” he said, adding that he “never really butted heads” with Trump. “He didn’t have the courage to come on and take hard questions from CNN and me and my show.”
After Trump was no longer in office and the primetime hour did not have to begin with a monologue about “how bad he was and how terrible things were in the country,” the hosts took a different approach to primetime as they shifted their focus to the crisis in Ukraine and other news stories, according to Lemon.
“So I was ready to move on and I think the audience is ready to move on as well,” he said. “And even if [Trump] comes back, I think there’s a different approach that can be taken in primetime and in the mornings. The morning gives me more latitude to educate and elevate the conversation.”
As for how Lemon will approach hosting his new morning show, which will make its debut Nov. 1, he says he’s “just going to be [himself],” as the strategy has seemed to work in the past several decades.
“I’m really not concerned about the ratings: I’m concerned about making it the best morning show possible and appealing to multiple demographics and people who are interested in other things than raw, tribal politics,” he said.
