Don Lemon Addresses Discomfort and DEI Criticism During Real Time Appearance

During an episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, CNN’s former anchor Don Lemon discussed the recent rise in antisemitic protests at universities. While all guests denounced these demonstrations, Lemon argued that they should teach students how to deal with discomfort as a valuable lesson for college-goers. However, he added that his statement did not minimize what was happening elsewhere. Lemon also highlighted being a black and gay man frequently makes him uncomfortable due to the limited representation in various settings where others look down upon his skin colour or sexual orientation. Maher asked about this when he found it peculiar given only three people were present at their location, prompting laughter from the audience. Caitlyn Jenner lauded Bill Maher for rebuffing Lemon’s claim since she deemed him a “privileged, wealthy” and entitled celebrity who needed to get over himself. The discussion then shifted towards DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), which has received criticism in recent months as it allegedly turns into a religion where individuals that disobey face excommunication. This comment was made by Lemon after stating there were both good and bad aspects of the ideology; his latest program “The Don Lemon Show” with X’s owner Elon Musk ended abruptly due to an interview he conducted with Musk, which led him to cancel their partnership as it resembled CNN on social media without any novelty. Nonetheless, Lemon would still earn revenue from ad placements while publishing his program via X’s platform.