CNN’s Don Lemon, 56, claims Nikki Haley, 51, ‘isn’t in her prime’

[MASTERBAKER]

CNN’s Don Lemon, 56, claims Nikki Haley, 51, ‘isn’t in her prime’
By
Isabel Keane
February 16, 2023 1:42pm
Updated

al media Thursday after claiming GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley was not “in her prime” — and should not comment on the age of other politicians.
Lemon, 56, was responding to Haley, 51, calling for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75 in her presidential campaign kickoff speech Wednesday.
“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable,” Lemon began. “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.”
To the bewilderment of co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, Lemon then said: “A woman is considered to be in their prime in [their] 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
Lemon boldly claimed on live television Thursday that a woman is in her “prime” in her 20s, 30s and 40s.CNN
Harlow, 40, immediately called the former primetime host out: “What are you talking about, wait … Prime for what?”




00:0201:32
Lemon quickly tried to save himself by claiming he wasn’t stating his personal beliefs.
“That’s not according to me,” he said. “It’s like, prime. If you look it up. If you Google when is a woman in her prime, it’ll say 20s, 30s and 40s.”
He continued: “I’m just saying Nikki Haley should be careful about saying that politicians are not in their prime and they need to be in their prime when they serve. Because she wouldn’t be in her prime according to, you know, Google.”
Lemon insisted what he had said was not his actual beliefs, just what Google would say.CNN
Lemon then suggested that Haley should be careful with such proposals as they could potentially turn away older voters.
The exchange drew criticism from both sides of the aisle, with many condemning Lemon as both sexist and politically biased.
“This is one of the most sexist things a ‘news host’ has said in recent memory, but nothing will happen to Don Lemon, of course,” tweeted conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
Nikki Haley, 51, launched her presidential campaign last week and said politicians over the age of 75 should be required to take a mental competency test.AP
Stand-up comedian Pete Dominick called for Lemon, who regularly puzzles Twitter with seemingly sexist and out-of-touch commentary, to be sidelined.
“More classic and egregious sexism from #DonLemon. It was only a few weeks ago where he said @secupp had ‘mommy brain.’ Today he said #nikkihaley was ‘past her prime’ as a woman. Poppi [sic] tries to dig him out of his ditch and NOPE! Bench that dude IMMEDIATELY,” Dominick wrote.
In another tweet, Dominick lists other notable women in politics and the ages they were when they ran for office.

“Just thinking about the reporting process that went into this,” tweeted former journalist Lachlan Markay. “Don Lemon heard Haley talking about politicians being past their prime, so he googled ‘when are women in their prime’ and decided that was an authoritative metric of presidential fitness. Remarkable.”
Atlanta-based radio host Erick Erickson bashed Lemon, writing, “If someone on @foxandfriends said this, Don Lemon would be losing his s— this morning on CNN for the misogyny of it.”
Nikki Haley served as the ambassador to the UN under former President Donald Trump.AP

“If a Fox News host said this, Don Lemon would call for them to be fired,” agreed New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz.
Writer Kimberly Ross said she didn’t remember Lemon making similar commentary when Hillary Clinton ran for president at the age of 69.

Other Twitter users pointed out that Lemon shouldn’t be commenting on Haley not being in her “prime” because he is five years older than she.
“She’s 5 years younger than you. Lie down for a nap and think about what you’ve done,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another Twitter user quipped: “Nikki Haley is 51. Diva Don Lemon at 56 has the EQ of a bed bug.”
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Lemon tweeted an apology for his remarks Thursday afternoon, saying: “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it.
“A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally,” Lemon added. “I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.”
Lemon neither apologized to nor mentioned Haley in his mea culpa.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

HEY, Nikki Haley

 

[Tdot_firestarta]

SMH This dude man....lol

I thought he got kicked off of CNN?

 

[therealjondoe]

 

[Tdot_firestarta]

This fucking idiot man....nigga must've gotten Ron Burgundy'd...somebody probably just put that shit on a Teleprompter to fuck him, and he just read it without thinking.
Watch this shit help Nimrata in the election
People gonna be treating her as a victim....
Watch her use some shit like "I'm in my prime...google me!" as her campaign slogan

 

[tonydons2]

Is he lying?

 

[Amajorfucup]

Hes responding to HER questioning other peoples prime and age.

 

[lazarus]

It's fair. She want to talk shit about age, then she should accept the fact she's an old hen that most men find unattractive.

 

[donwuan]

Hes responding to HER questioning other peoples prime and age.

Right, and they flip it and blame the brother.

 

[SPECTRE1]

Something about her that creeps me out, especially the way she handled Dylan Roof. I am just worried about some desperate Indian that becomes a racial opportunist for whites.

 

[keone]

Damn thought he was way younger
Pause just because

 

[SPECTRE1]

Something about her that creeps me out, especially the way she handled Dylan Roof. I am just worried about some desperate Indian that becomes a racial opportunist for whites.

Anytime you see a black, Indian, Asian, or immigrant politician that needs white votes, fucked up shit goes down. Anything is on the table such as looking the other way on white terrorism. Than there is racial opportunist at the corporate level that are sick people.

She has that look in her eyes, it is hard to describe. I have to watch these fools hard. It is horrendous on the left and is bad on the right.

 

[PJN]

Hes responding to HER questioning other peoples prime and age.

That just went over mofos head.

 

[doug777]

Is he lying?

That makes as much sense as the right claiming Biden at 80 is too old while shouting we want 76 year old Trump.

 

[doug777]

Hes responding to HER questioning other peoples prime and age.

Is he lying?

It's fair. She want to talk shit about age, then she should accept the fact she's an old hen that most men find unattractive.

Right, and they flip it and blame the brother.

That just went over mofos head.

It's ridiculous to criticize a 50 year old person for thinking an 80 year old person is too old for some tasks. So if she doesn't want an 80 year old Doctor, she's fair game to be criticized because she's not 20 anymore?

 

[lazarus]

It's ridiculous to criticize a 50 year old person for thinking an 80 year old person is too old for some tasks. So if she doesn't want an 80 year old Doctor, she's fair game to be criticized because she's not 20 anymore?

it's fair because she said he isn't in his prime. she's not in her prime either. if she can call out people for something that is important to her, others can criticize her for what's important to them

 

[God-Of-War-420]

He's mostly an idiot because the fact is that many problems would be solved by removing old dinosaurs from both political parties, 80% of our government would need help to log into their computers and Google something, and that's a problem. We need new blood, new ideas.

 

[knightmelodic]

I guarantee the dresses will get shorter and tighter and the decolletage will appear.

On her, not Don.

 

[lazarus]

He's mostly an idiot because the fact is that many problems would be solved by removing old dinosaurs from both political parties, 80% of our government would need help to log into their computers and Google something, and that's a problem. We need new blood, new ideas.

then dont vote for them, to say they dont get a chance like anyone else is unjust as some are still sharp. a better way is a competence test with independent doc

 

[Helico-pterFunk]

All I know is that Lemon keeps a bevy of prime A-1 bad bitches in his rotation. Perfect 10 ladies.


Am I bullshitting? Maybe - I very well may be.

 

[Race Harley]

Don must have thought they’d understand but they took that shit personal.

 

[bgbtylvr]

 

[SPECTRE1]

On the left or right, people like this are dangerous, they reaffirm bizarre beliefs of WS, providing racial cover.

I had plenty of jobs where baby boomers were camped out in their positions - past retirement age just working to work, that impacted my career progression ultimately leading to job terminations rather than them retiring. I think it was the high costs of college education that forces retirees to continue working, some were just greedy. It could also be tactical strategy to block minority ascendency into these positions.

The older generation play a critical role because they lived through that time period, rather than reading about it in a textbook. I had a couple of them come after me with their old tired games, again impacting my progression later in life, they need to be forcefully removed so that new ideas can take root.

Age discrimination laws should only apply if you have a financial need to work, if you are sitting on a couple of million, than it is employment at will.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Don Lemon absent from ‘CNN This Morning’ after sexist Nikki Haley rant enraged Poppy Harlow
By
Ariel Zilber
February 17, 2023 8:11am
Updated




Don Lemon was conspicuously absent from “CNN This Morning” on Friday just 24 hours after he put his foot in his mouth with a sexist comment about 51-year-old Nikki Haley being “not in her prime” — prompting co-host Poppy Harlow to walk off the set.
Friday morning’s awkward broadcast started with a short clip featuring Harlow — who is on location in Salt Lake City, where she is covering NBA All-Star weekend festivities — interviewing TNT’s star basketball commentators Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
The camera then panned to co-host Kaitlan Collins, who was seated next to Audie Cornish, the former National Public Radio journalist who was sitting in for the 56-year-old Lemon.
“Don has the day off,” Collins said at the top of the broadcast, failing to elaborate on Lemon’s absence — much less mentioning Thursday’s disastrous blowup — as she introduced Cornish.
“Poppy, as you can see, is in Utah for the NBA All-Star Game, so we’ll get to that and much more in a moment,” Collins tells viewers before she and Cornish tackled the top news stories of the morning.




00:0201:15“CNN This Morning” co-host Don Lemon was conspicuously absent from the set on Friday.CNN

Lemon’s rant on Thursday has ratcheted up the pressure on CNN boss Chris Licht to fire the former primetime star, The Post has learned.
Lemon on Thursday posted a tweet that read: “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it.”
Co-host Kaitlan Collins was seated next to Audie Cornish, who filled in for Lemon.CNN
“A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day,” Lemon tweeted.








Don Lemon Sets Off Co-Hosts Over Nikki Haley’s Competency Tests For Aged Politicians: She’s ‘Not In Her Prime’ Either










0 seconds of 1 minute, 5 secondsVolume 82%






Harlow furiously walked off the set after Lemon’s comments about Haley. The incident took place just weeks after Collins was left visibly upset when Lemon chewed her out in front of other staffers.
Lemon had “the day off” just 24 hours after he went on a sexist rant that enraged co-host Poppy Harlow.CNNLemon angered Harlow when he said that Nikki Haley, 51, was “not in her prime.”CNNHarlow was on location in Salt Lake City, where she is covering NBA All-Star Weekend festivities.CNN

A well-placed source told The Post that tensions among Lemon, Collins and Harlow have been “smoldering for months.”
Lemon’s latest blowup could be the final straw that compels Licht to cut ties with the now-disgraced anchor.
“Chris isn’t happy and he has spoken to Don a couple times today,” a network source told The Post on Thursday.
“Don knows it can’t happen again.”
Lemon’s blowup reportedly has CNN boss Chris Licht thinking of dumping the anchor.serinc
Licht met with staffers during an informal meeting Thursday. One staffer asked Licht about Lemon’s behavior.
“People say stupid things and that if it’s a trend, then there’s recourse,” a source with knowledge of the situation said, paraphrasing Licht’s comments.
CNN did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lemon didn’t respond to a request for comment.
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Harlow did not comment. But a source close to the veteran anchor quipped: “As a woman in her prime, Poppy Harlow does use the bathroom, including on Thursday mornings.”
Additional reporting by Alexandra Steigrad

 

[MASTERBAKER]

OPINION
EDITORIAL

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Here’s why CNN should fire blowhard Don Lemon
By
Post Editorial Board
February 16, 2023 3:30pm
Updated

When will CNN fire sexist blowhard Don Lemon?
Lemon, who was kicked off primetime because of low ratings and put on an ensemble morning show, shocked his two female co-hosts when he claimed Nikki Haley shouldn’t criticize older politicians because, at 51, she is past her “prime.”
“A woman is in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s,” Lemon said Thursday morning, offering no proof of this except “Google it.”
Poppy Harlow was baffled. “Are you talking about prime for, like, childbearing? Or are you talking about prime for being president?” she asked.
“Don’t shoot the messenger,” Lemon responded. “I’m just saying what the facts are. … She would not be in her prime according to Google or whatever it is.”




00:0001:15
Obviously a 56-year-old Don Lemon is not in his prime, though we’re not sure exactly when that was. For years, he’s peddled half-baked facts with a sprinkling of misogyny.
This is the same host who said male athletes are “more interesting to watch” and, as The Post reported, screamed at co-host Kaitlan Collins for interrupting him.

56-year-old Don Lemon is not in his prime.Getty Images for CNN
Lemon, bafflingly, seems to be a protected figure at CNN despite his unethical actions. Text messages reveal he was counseling race-attack fabricator Jussie Smollett and tipping him off to a police investigation.
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Ratings out this week reveal that “CNN This Morning” is the network’s lowest-rated morning show in nearly a decade, sinking 18.6% in viewership among adults 25-54. We’d bet that kicking Lemon to the curb and leaving it to Collins and Harlow would deliver an instant ratings boost.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Don Lemon offers bizarre apology, gets rebuke from CNN CEO over sexist remarks
By
Alexandra Steigrad
February 17, 2023 11:12am
Updated

“CNN This Morning” co-host Don Lemon gave a bizarre, rambling apology to co-workers — and earned a scathing rebuke from his boss — over his on-air, sexist Thursday diatribe about 51-year-old Nikki Haley being “not in her prime” that had enraged staffers and caused his co-host Poppy Harlow to walk off the set.
“The people I am closest to in this organization are women,” Lemon insisted, according to a transcript of his apology obtained by The Post. “The people I seek counsel to first in this organization are women. The person I am closest to is my mother, a woman.”
Lemon — who was conspicuously absent from Friday’s broadcast, with his co-hosts claiming he had taken a “day off” — delivered the awkward mea culpa during a 9 a.m. Friday call with editorial staffers that was led by CNN CEO Chris Licht.
The network boss blasted Lemon’s Thursday comments, confirming he had been inundated with complaints from CNN staffers and that he also was personally “disappointed.”
“I want to say I’ve heard from a lot people in the organization both directly and indirectly about how those comments have affected you, and I want you to hear directly from me that I hear you,” Licht said.




00:0201:15Don Lemon called into CNN’s editorial meeting Friday to apologize for his sexist remarks.CNN
“Don and I have spoken at length. He knows I’m disappointed,” Licht added. “His remarks were upsetting, unacceptable and unfair to his co-hosts and ultimately a huge distraction to the great work of this organization.”
Lemon had said on Thursday’s show that “a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s,” prompting co-anchor Poppy Harlow to shoot back, “Are you talking about prime for childbearing or prime for president?”
As reported by The Post, an exasperated Harlow later stormed off the set.
Lemon groveled to CNN staffers who were enraged by his comments on Thursday.Getty Images for CNN
“I want you to know what I said on yesterday’s show about Nikki Haley’s comments about ageism, that it came out wrong. What I said came out wrong,” Lemon said on Friday’s internal call, before trying to explain “the point I was trying to make.”
“I was trying to make the point that no one’s age — not a man’s or a woman’s — should define their ambition or potential for success at anything and I was saying those comments to Nikki Haley, not my co-hosts,” he said.
CEO boss Chris Licht has had several talks with Lemon since Thursday’s incident.Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery
Lemon spoke at length about the importance of women in his life, including his late sister, and colleagues like Dana Bash, Erin Burnett and his two co-hosts, who he said “run circles around me on a daily basis.”
After a long-winded explanation, Lemon said: “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to hurt anyone. I did not mean to offend anyone.”
“What I said came out wrong and I wish I hadn’t said it. I believe women of any age can do anything they set their minds to.”
As reported by The Post, the apology comes a day after Lemon’s rant has ratcheted up the pressure on Licht to fire the former primetime star.
Lemon on Thursday posted a tweet that read: “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it.”
“A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day,” Lemon tweeted.
Lemon tweeted an apology on Thursday, but it set off critics, who slammed the anchor.Twitter/Don Lemon
The incident took place just weeks after Collins was left visibly upset when Lemon reamed her out in front of other staffers.
A well-placed source told The Post that tensions among Lemon, Collins and Harlow have been “smoldering for months.” Lemon’s latest blowup could be the final straw that compels Licht to cut ties with the now-disgraced anchor.
“Chris isn’t happy and he has spoken to Don a couple times today,” a network source told The Post on Thursday. “Don knows it can’t happen again.”
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Licht spoke with staffers during an informal meeting Thursday. One staffer asked Licht about Lemon’s behavior.
“People say stupid things and that if it’s a trend, then there’s recourse,” a source with knowledge of the situation said, paraphrasing Licht’s comments.
Neither CNN nor the three anchors responded for comment.

 

[Flawless]

Can't wait to hit the beach this summer and see all the hot 50 year olds in their prime.


Said no one ever.

 

[blackman80]

I don't see nothing wrong what Don Lemon had said!!...Shit, Nikki Haley old ass is out of her prime!!..


If CNN let Don Lemon go, He will get another job real quick!!....Shit, NewsNation will hire him with the quickness!!...


Also to me, I don't think Don want to be at CNN no more!!.

 

[ronmch20]

Lemon was right, the pocked marked face duplicitous bitch is way past her prime. The CNN's new CEO is trying to turn the station into Fox News lite and Lemon's penchant for outspokeness has put a target on his back As for Haley she should realize when racist cacs discover her real name is Nimarata Nikki Randhawa Haley and her parents are dotheads from India her Presidential run is doomed.

 

[Entrepronegro]

Lemon was right, the pocked marked face duplicitous bitch is way past her prime. The CNN's new CEO is trying to turn the station into Fox News lite and Lemon's penchant for outspokeness has put a target on his back As for Haley she should realize when racist cacs discover her real name is Nimarata Nikki Randhawa Haley and her parents are dotheads from India her Presidential run is doomed.

Don needs to be fired I can’t stand that sissy.

 

[ronmch20]

Don needs to be fired I can’t stand that sissy.

You of all people calling somebody else a sissy. I guess it's true "it takes one to know one". Get ready for the clowning coming your way.

 

[Entrepronegro]

You of all people calling somebody else a sissy. I guess it's true "it takes one to know one". Get ready for the clowning coming your way.

Fuck you and your support for your fellow LGBTQ+ community sissy member Don.

 

[ronmch20]

Fuck you and your support for your fellow LGBTQ+ community sissy member Don.

Aw c'mon, you know you'd love a date night with Don. You're a fag, own it.

 

[Entrepronegro]

Aw c'mon, you know you'd love a date night with Don. You're a fag, own it.

You wish I was gay so you could hit on me but sorry dude I only deal with women.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

MIRANDA DEVINE
OPINION

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Bitter Don Lemon isn’t sorry for sexist remarks and clearly doesn’t like women
By
Miranda Devine
February 19, 2023 10:56pm
Updated

The problem with Don Lemon is that nobody has ever told him he’s not as good as he thinks he is.
He’s handsome and works in an industry that can inflate even the most constrained egos. Clearly, the CNN anchor has no constraints. He has allowed his ego to grow bigger than a Chinese weather balloon.
We are watching in real time the inevitable process of cutting Lemon down to size.
It’s not CNN doing that.
He’s doing it to himself by exposing his toxic chauvinism to female colleagues.




00:0202:01
Ever since he lost his solo primetime show due to low ratings, Lemon has been having an internal tantrum that regularly erupts on camera. He doesn’t want to share the limelight with anyone, let alone a couple of broads.
Things got sour after Don Lemon made a comment about Nikki Haley’s age.Getty Images/ Dominik Bindl
So he has been mean-girling his female co-hosts, boorishly interrupting, mansplaining, hogging the limelight, denigrating them, demoralizing them, correcting them, talking over them, and even, reportedly, berating them off air in front of the crew.
Lemon’s latest bout of misogyny came Thursday when he declared that a woman Nikki Haley’s age is too old to run for president. At 51, he said, the former UN ambassador is not “in her prime.”
Haley’s pitch is that it’s time for a younger generation to take charge. True enough, considering the president is 80. But Lemon, who is five years older than Haley, spotted what he regards as a weakness in her argument.
“Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry,” he said. “A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
Lemon believes Nikki Haley isn’t suited to run for president, since she is no longer in her prime.CNN
At the time, he was looking straight at co-host Poppy Harlow, age 40.
“What are you talking about? Wait, prime for what?” she challenged him.

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Lemon kept digging. “It’s just like, prime. If you look it up. If you Google ‘when is a woman in her prime?,’ it’ll say 20s, 30s, and 40s.”
Harlow did a sarcastic double fist pump: “Ah! 40s! I got another decade.”
Their co-host, Kaitlan Collins, 30, stared at Lemon in disbelief.
Lemon: “I’m not saying I agree with that.”
Harlow, head cocked to one side: “I think we need to qualify it. Are you talking about prime for like childbearing?”
Lemon, sensing her ire: “Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just saying what the facts are. Google it. Everybody at home, when is a woman in her prime? 20s, 30s, and 40s. I’m just saying Nikki Haley should be careful … because she wouldn’t be in her prime, according to, you know …”
Harlow, smiling: “Google?”
Poppy Harlow allegedly left the CNN set after the tense conversation with Lemon.CNN
Collins looked aghast at the rant, which clearly was aimed at Harlow.
“Google it,” said Lemon.
Weird that he was Googling such a question.
But what he meant was: “Don’t interrupt me, woman! Watch and learn. I had my own primetime show, don’t you know? I won three Emmys. Eat your heart out, Poppy! I was voted class president in my senior year! I was in Out Magazine’s Power 50 ‘most influential LGBTQ people’ of 2017! Why am I here? It’s not fair. Waaah.”
Lemon apologized to Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley for his comment.Getty Images/Michael M. Santiago‘Not moving on’
The fact is, Lemon does not like women. He does not care to share a camera with them.
In December, he reportedly reduced Collins to tears because she had “interrupted” him on air.
Two weeks ago, he delayed a commercial break to sneer at Collins’ interview with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who had criticized Big Tech censorship of The Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story.
Back in the studio, Lemon was unimpressed.
“That’s the time that we’re in, where facts are sort of flexible,” he sighed.
“That’s why we’ve got Kaitlan Collins on the Hill, fact-checking in real time,” said Harlow brightly.
Lemon plowed on as if she hadn’t spoken.
The co-hosts challenged Lemon’s remarks, wanting him to explain what he considered “prime” age.CNN
“Citing uncredible [sic] sources like citing the New York Post as a credible source,” said the purveyor of fake news, who gave Jussie Smollett secret tips to keep his racial hoax going.
Google it, said the pretend journalist who cites Google as an authority.
Harlow tried to get the show back on track: “Kaitlan, that was a great interview. All right. Moving on.”
Lemon wasn’t having a woman tell him to move on.
“Not moving on,” he snapped. “Hold on, please, with the music,” he told the producer trying to switch to a commercial.
Turns out CNN boss Chris Licht is annoyed by the disharmony on a show that is a ratings dog.
So he hauled sour Lemon into CNN’s editorial call Friday. Well, not exactly.
Kaitlan Collins was in shock at the conversation between her two co-hosts.Getty Images for CNN
Lemon phoned in from Miami, where he was sunning himself at a $2,000-a-night resort.
He was supposed to apologize, but couldn’t help delivering a homily on how he isn’t a misogynist, even though he plays one on TV.
“The people I am closest to in this organization are women … The person I am closest to is my mother, a woman … I’m going to continue to be who I am.”
Lemon isn’t sorry. He’s annoyed that he has to explain himself.
“The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant … and I regret it,” he tweeted.
SEE ALSO

Don Lemon ‘taking holiday,’ won’t anchor ‘CNN This Morning’ Monday
Inartful means “awkwardly expressed but not necessarily untrue.”
So Lemon meant what he said, and he was poking at a co-host he regards as past her “prime.”
Getting up there
Truth be told, Lemon is no spring chicken. Primetime is behind him, 60 is knocking on his door, and he’s about to find that you end up with not the pretty face you were born with, but the one that reflects who you are.
That’s the thing about aging. It reveals how a life was spent. The face settles into patterns of petulance or self-mastery, selfishness or generosity.
Needless to say, the negative emotions don’t come out nicely.
Lemon should learn not to be so self-engrossed so he can save face, in more ways than one.
Joe’s handling of Ohio is ‘toxic’
For two weeks, the Biden administration refused to okay FEMA assistance for what clearly was a disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, after its toxic train derailment with wider implications for the water table and the food supply. But shortly after Donald Trump announced Saturday that he’s heading to East Palestine, FEMA did an about-face.
Amazing the change since the Biden administration refused Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s belated request for federal disaster assistance, with an official saying, “FEMA is on the front lines when there is a hurricane or tornado. This situation is different.”
The Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, affecting the entire community.AP/Gene J. Puskar
The difference is Trump always put Americans first and still makes an impact.
But the pressing question is who authorized the “controlled burn” of toxic chemicals on the derailed train that appears to have exacerbated the problem and created a toxic mushroom cloud akin to a World War I chemical weapon?
Hazardous materials specialist Sil Caggiano told Tucker Carlson last week he was “dumbfounded” by the decision to blow up the train, “dumping all the chemicals into a trench and lighting them on fire … When you lit this stuff on fire, you were creating phosgenes, you were creating hydrogen chlorides. You created this plume and up in this plume were the incomplete combustion products of everything that was there … stuff was precipitating down into people’s property … Now we’ve found vinyl chlorides in the water.

“There’s got to be some plan going forward,” he said.
687
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No plan from Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. When he finally managed to turn his attention from the skin color of construction workers, he addressed the disaster, but only to dismiss it because, hey, trains derail all the time, so what’s the big fuss.
“While this horrible situation has gotten a particularly high amount of attention, there are roughly 1,000 cases a year of a train derailing,” Buttigieg said.
Reader Alfredo has an assignment for Secretary Pete: “Why don’t you bring derailments of trains in the United States down to zero! You get what you accept.”






MIRANDA DEVINE
OPINION