Elon Musk ends deal Don Lemon, calling him a CNN puppet

Shortly after uttering these phrases, Elon Musk terminated the contract together with his latest social media star earlier than the very first episode of The Don Lemon Present even aired. The social media firm subsequently reported that ties with the previous CNN host—cast solely weeks earlier—had been reduce “after careful consideration”. 

Simply previous to Musk making clear he was merely humoring Lemon due to a enterprise curiosity, the journalist had requested a query that rankled the proprietor. He wished to know if X has an issue with hate speech and whether or not Musk himself is partly at fault for nourishing claims that white Individuals are being intentionally replaced by immigrants obedient to the institution, often called the Nice Alternative Concept.

X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to supply an open atmosphere for various voices and views. The Don Lemon Present is welcome to publish its content material on X, with out censorship, as we imagine in offering a platform for creators to scale their work…

— Enterprise (@XBusiness) March 13, 2024

“Freedom of speech, I guess, does not mean the same to him as it does to me,” Lemon later advised CNN. “Maybe we’re learning that a public square should not be privately owned.”

Lemon was the second famous TV anchor, following Tucker Carlson, to hunt his fortune on X after getting the sack from his community. Musk had even reached out to him personally in Could of final yr, asking if he would contemplate doing his present on X. 

Musk’s indebted platform wants creators

Like every platform, X wants content material and Musk has been busy courting big creative names like MrBeast to each bring their audience to his site and appease his firm’s bankers apprehensive about nearly $13 billion in loans made to make Musk’s buy of what was then Twitter doable.

In early January, In the identical week that Musk gained controversial politician Tulsi Gabbard and sports activities commentator Jim Rome over to X, its official company communications account trumpeted a new deal with Lemon. A collection of 30-minute video episodes had been slated to run completely first on X.

“We’re delighted to announce a new content partnership with Don Lemon,” it stated, praising the host for bringing his ‘award-winning’ model of TV journalism to X’s video-first platform. 

On paper no less than, the deal made sense: as soon as the present started airing—slated for subsequent week—Musk might place the ex-CNN journalist as a strong counterpart to former Fox Information host Tucker Carlson, with every in a position to attain a unique political demographic and maximize engagement.

Musk claims ex-CNN boss Jeff Zucker is pulling Lemon’s strings

The issue Musk now faces is that its termination is clearly linked to his displeasure over the interview set to air on Monday, a undeniable fact that he doesn’t dispute. As an alternative the tycoon—whose firm had beforehand praised Lemon as a “unique and honest voice”—argued he was in actual fact a stooge for a former president of CNN all alongside.

“It was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity,” Musk claimed, including “Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform.”

Zucker stepped down from CNN in February 2022 over a consensual however undisclosed affair with a subordinate.

Talking on CNN later, Lemon acknowledged the interview was tense because it delved into Musk’s use of ketamine and his strident political opinions, however assured the entrepreneur it was wholesome for his customers to see a constructive debate between two folks of various world views.

“There were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to. My questions were respectful and wide ranging,” Lemon stated in a statement issued on Wednesday. “Clearly he felt differently.”

Reward and criticism for Musk after ending deal

Kara Swisher, the co-founder of tech information web site Recode who has known Musk for almost three decades, referred to as the official assertion by X notifying customers of the termination “mendacious codswallop” and blasted X CEO Linda Yaccarino for being a puppet herself.

“It’s again clear who is actually in charge: a thin-skinned rich dude who operates via petty whims and exhausting grievances, and who calls every fair question a hit piece,” she wrote.

You canceled my contract after our interview. I don’t assume you imagine in free speech. https://t.co/rD6BJIzStZ

— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 13, 2024

Musk additionally had loads of supporters, although. Gad Saad, who shares the tycoon’s politics and recurrently interacts with him, was one in all many who leapt to Musk’s support. The writer, professor and evolutionary biologist reprimanded Lemon for being granted an viewers with “one of the most extraordinary people alive” solely to foolishly squander it with the incorrect line of questioning.

“You were given an opportunity to have an open and frank dialogue with Elon Musk” he wrote, defending one of many world’s wealthiest and most influential males. “You blew it with your vacuous progressive ideological rapture.”

Musk was fast to agree. “Exactly” he replied, earlier than doubling down on his principle the previous CNN host was solely finishing up another person’s bidding. 

Utilizing a fruit emoji rather than his identify, Musk claimed Lemon “was just reading from cue cards. He has no clue.”