Elon Musk appears to have canceled Don Lemon’s show on X over some interview questions Musk didn’t like. Lemon says that Musk terminated their partnership just hours after a “tense” interview between him and the platform’s owner.
Lemon doesn’t say what exactly transpired during his interview, but he does say that Musk “is mad” at him. “Throughout our conversation, I kept reiterating to him that although it was tense at times, I thought it was good for people to see and hear our exchange, and that they would learn from our conversation,” Lemon says in a video posted to X.
Lemon adds that “there were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to, and my questions were respectful and wide ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election.”
Musk says he canceled the show because it was too much like CNN. He didn’t comment on the interview questions.
The Don Lemon Show was supposed to air on X three times per week, with topics ranging from politics and culture to sports and entertainment. It was part of the exclusive video partnerships X made with several hosts, including former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard and sports radio host Jim Rome. At the time, X championed the move as part of its mission to become “a free speech platform for all voices.”
X’s Business account also confirmed that the platform ended its deal with Lemon’s show. “Like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships,” the post reads, adding that The Don Lemon Show is still “welcome to publish its content” on X.
Lemon was fired from CNN last year after making sexist comments toward former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. He still plans on airing his interview with Musk, but it will no longer appear exclusively on X. The interview will instead appear on YouTube, podcast platforms, and X on March 18th.
“Elon publicly encouraged me to join X with a new show, saying I would have his ‘full support,’ and that his ‘digital town square is for all,’” Lemon says. “His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me.” X didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
