The former Fox News host Megyn Kelly is firing back at CNN’s Don Lemon after he said that the 51 year-old Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her “prime” because “a woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
"Don Lemon's re-education camp is a farce. It's a lie and we know it. And for them to continue tolerating it makes them part of the problem."@MegynKelly on CNN refusing to fire Don Lemon. pic.twitter.com/MMxPtk1g5j
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) February 21, 2023
Kelly Sounds Off
Daily Mail reported that Kelly took to her SiriusXM podcast to blast CNN CEO Chris Licht for not firing Lemon for his comments.
“Do women matter?” she asked. “Does our offense matter to CNN or does someone have to grab a boob for us to count Chris Licht? That’s my question to you.”
Kelly went on to lament the fact that Lemon was given what she described as a slap on the wrist for offending “half the country.”
“It shouldn’t have to be that you were raped by a man, or 21 women come forward alleging that they’ve been sexually harassed by a man, or they’ve been inappropriately touched by a man for their offense to matter,” Kelly said.
“We’ve seen person after person get fired because they caused offense, mere offense, when it comes to race, when it comes to sexual orientation, when it comes to gender identity,” she added. “Does women’s offense matter?… Because this guy [Don Lemon] managed to piss off half the country. It’s not left or right.”
Not stopping there, Kelly proceeded to double down.
“It’s male or female,” she stated. “And by the way, a lot of men are with us. You don’t have to be a #MeToo supporter to be irritated and offended by what Don Lemon said. This one’s not breaking down along partisan lines. This is not a left and right. This is about decency.”
Check out Kelly’s full comments on this in the video below.
Related: Patricia Heaton Fires Back After Don Lemon Says Women Over 50 Aren’t In Their ‘Prime’
Female CNN Staffers Allegedly Threatening To Quit
This came after a source claimed that female staffers at CNN are threatening to quit if Lemon is kept on at the network.
“People are hurt by his actions and are not going to let this go,” the unidentified source said. “It is like every woman over 50 in America has taken this as a personal insult. The female staffers at CNN definitely have. He needs to make his vacation a permanent one.”
Another insider alleged that “the women of CNN are angry. He’s made it impossible to do their jobs. He’s an embarrassment to the network and needs to go.”
“Don has been skating on thin ice for so long and many wanted him fired in December when he freaked out on Kaitlan Collins for no reason,” this source stated. “She was in tears and it was so inappropriate. Regardless of his political affiliation, his comments that Nikki Haley being past her prime were disgusting.”
https://twitter.com/officer_Lew/status/1627824733227040769
Related: Whoopi Goldberg Backs Up Don Lemon In Attacking Nikki Haley’s Age – ‘You’re 51’
Lemon’s Comments
During “CNN This Morning” last Thursday, Lemon, 56, claimed that Haley, 51, is not in her “prime” and declared that women are in their prime in their 20s, 30s and “maybe 40s.”
Don Lemon says Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime as a politician because she’s not in her 20’s, 30’s or 40’s. Holy shit. She’s only 51! Biden’s 80! This may be the dumbest thing ever said on CNN. And I love that he cited Google as his source: pic.twitter.com/l1CzTYlkjX
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 16, 2023
Lemon apologized the next day on an editorial call while on vacation in Florida.
“I’m sorry I don’t mean to hurt anyone. I did not mean to offend anyone,” he said. “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. The people I am closest to in this organization are women.”
Lemon has yet to apologize to Haley directly, and he returned to CNN on Wednesday morning. In the end, many will agree with Kelly that it’s time for Lemon to be shown the door, so it remains to be seen how much longer CNN will keep him around.