The Plot Thickens: Inside Don Lemonhead's Heated Showdown With Elon Musk

This marked his first appearance since his departure from the network last year. The focus of the interview was his criticism of Elon Musk following the cancellation of a partnership between X platform and his new show, Don Lemon Tonight.

Lemon expressed his dissatisfaction with Musk's stance on free speech, describing it as "just talking points." When asked by the host, Erin Burnett, what might have provoked Musk during their recent interview, Lemon responded, "Quite frankly, I don't know."

March 15, 2024

He elaborated that the interview covered a broad range of topics, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as content moderation on X. He admitted that the atmosphere was "tense at moments." Lemon stated, "I never raised my voice. I told him, ‘I think this is important for people to hear.' At the end, I could tell he was upset. He was uncomfortable."

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Lemon further questioned Musk's commitment to freedom of speech, suggesting that the Tesla CEO's comments on the subject could be "just talking points," and that he believed it "doesn't mean as much" to Musk as people think it does.

One of the contentious moments during the interview, according to Lemon, was when he questioned Musk about his alleged endorsement of the "great replacement theory." This theory argues that non-white immigrants are being admitted into the country at higher rates to eventually outnumber the white population in electoral terms.

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Burnett quoted a post from Musk suggesting Democrats would "grant citizenship to all illegals" and transform the US into a "permanent one-party deep socialist state." Lemon responded, "He doesn't understand that that sort of rhetoric, the 'great replacement theory' and a 'migrant invasion,' that's what radicalized shooters use in their manifestos; those exact words ... I wanted to know if he felt any responsibility as someone who has one of the largest social media information platforms in the world."

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When Burnett asked if he felt obligated to respond to questions about hate on X and the aforementioned theory, Musk stated that he was under no obligation to entertain reporters' questions. He added, "I'm criticized constantly, I could care less."

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In response, X Business issued a statement, "X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to provide an open environment for diverse voices and perspectives." However, it clarified that "like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships."

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The statement further noted that after careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show, but added that "The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities."