Don Lemon dropped the first episode of “The Don Lemon Show” on Monday, an hour-plus interview with Elon Musk devolves into a struggle over race, trans and free-speech issues in the closing minutes – and prompted the X owner to terminate a contract with the former CNN anchor.
Lemon posted the video across platforms – yes, it was on X, too – and taped an introduction in which he challenges the billionaire to watch and explain “why this isn’t what you claim you want on X.”
“Welcome to the Don Lemon show everyone. We’re still here,” the former CNN anchor quipped.
“In a minute I’m going to bring you my conversation with Elon Musk the one that everyone is talking about,” Lemon continued.
Lemon then noted that “contrary to what you might have heard we weren’t canceled by X.” Just last week Lemon posted that “Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform.”
On Monday, Lemon noted, “Yes, after months of begging me wooing me to offer some exclusive content on his platform Elon Musk decided to scrap the deal but our plan is and always has been to release this show everywhere.”
The former CNN anchor made sure to clarify that his conversation with Musk included “no restrictions, no ground rules, nothing off limits or out of bounds.”
The conversation begins cordially and sails through a number of topics, including Musk speaking candidly about his prescription use of ketamine. But as it nears the closing minutes, the interview grinds to a far more contentious conclusion; Musk becomes increasingly grouchy, chilly and impatient as Lemon asks about his views on race, gender identity and the line between content moderation and censorship on X.
Lemon says in his introduction that he’s not sure “what went wrong,” and that he hopes viewers learn something both about Musk and about himself, “two people who come from completely different vantage points on almost every single issue.”
The former CNN anchor then challenged Musk to watch the interview in full and “tell the world why this isn’t what you claim you want on X.”