Joanna & Sam LIVE with Don Lemon

Summary

The Daily Beast Podcast: Joanna & Sam LIVE with Don Lemon – Episode Summary

Release Date: April 3, 2025

In this electrifying episode of The Daily Beast Podcast, co-hosts Joanna Cole and Samantha Bee welcome former CNN anchor and media personality Don Lemon for a spirited live discussion. Recorded live at the Zero Bond Social Club in NoHo, New York City, this episode delves deep into the intersections of media, politics, and personal experiences within the highly polarized landscape of American journalism.

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1. Introduction and Setting the Scene (00:01:33 – 00:03:00)

Joanna Cole kicks off the episode by introducing the unique format of this live recording, highlighting its departure from the usual studio setting. The hosts reminisce about previous notable guests and set expectations for an engaging audience interaction.

Notable Quote:

Joanna Cole [01:59]: "Each week Sam and I dive into the biggest stories from the Daily Beast, often joined by illustrious reporters and incredible guests."

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2. Cory Booker's Marathon Speech and Media Influence (00:02:47 – 00:05:23)

The conversation shifts to Senator Cory Booker, who set a new record for the longest continuous speech on their podcast. The hosts humorously speculate on his stamina and the inspiration behind his extensive discourse.

Notable Quotes:

Samantha Bee [02:47]: "How many minutes away is he from beating the record? I think he's like 15 minutes away."

Don Lemon [03:00]: "He may have already."

This segment underscores the growing influence of media personalities in shaping political discourse, emphasizing the blend of entertainment and serious discussion prevalent in modern journalism.

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3. Amber Ruffin and the White House Correspondents Dinner Controversy (00:03:30 – 00:05:38)

A significant portion of the discussion centers on comedian Amber Ruffin being uninvited from the White House Correspondents Dinner. The hosts critique the decision, highlighting the lack of transparency and the apparent shift away from supporting candid media voices.

Notable Quotes:

Samantha Bee [04:15]: "It was very uninspiring. I was quite angry."

Joanna Cole [04:58]: "It was strangely unrobust of them to uninvite her."

The hosts argue that such actions undermine the tradition of the President being open to being critiqued by comedians, contrasting it with authoritarian regimes where media freedom is stifled.

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4. Don Lemon’s Transition to Independent Media and Content Strategy (00:16:07 – 00:46:20)

Don Lemon shares his journey post-CNN, detailing his move to independent platforms like Substack and YouTube. He discusses his strategy to meet audiences where they are, leveraging social media to expand his reach beyond traditional cable news.

Notable Quotes:

Don Lemon [44:40]: "My commitment is to meet the audience where it is and to find the audience wherever it is."

Don Lemon [46:05]: "I want to meet the audience where they are. It just happens to be on social media right now."

This segment provides insight into the evolving landscape of media consumption, where influencers like Lemon adapt to digital platforms to maintain and grow their audience base.

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5. Live Audience Questions and Interactive Discussions (00:38:12 – 00:59:48)

The live format allows audience members to pose questions directly to Don Lemon, leading to dynamic exchanges on various topics, including:

• Media Ethics and Personal Experiences: Don Lemon discusses his departure from CNN, addressing misconceptions and emphasizing his commitment to authenticity in journalism.

  Notable Quote:

  Don Lemon [47:35]: "Everything comes to an end, so it's like, to me, that's not a big deal. I didn't like the way it came to."

• Government Transparency and "Signal Gate": The hosts and Lemon delve into the "Signal Gate" scandal, critiquing the administration's mishandling of government communications and transparency.

• Future of Journalism and Media Accountability: Discussions revolve around the responsibilities of journalists in holding power accountable and the challenges posed by political pressures.

Notable Exchange:

Samantha Bee [56:30]: "How do you handle that?"

Don Lemon [56:40]: "I'm able to not have to give false equivalents, right, and say, well, you know, it's this. It's just wrong."

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6. Closing Remarks and Future Endeavors (00:59:51 – 01:02:27)

As the episode winds down, Joanna Cole and Samantha Bee express their appreciation for Don Lemon's candid participation. They hint at future collaborations and encourage listeners to engage with both The Daily Beast and Don Lemon's independent ventures.

Notable Quotes:

Joanna Cole [61:26]: "Thank you very much for coming, everybody, and make this going to be so much fun, we'll barely edit it."

Don Lemon [61:27]: "Yeah."

The hosts conclude by acknowledging the support of Zero Bond and inviting listeners to subscribe and share the podcast, ensuring the continuation of these vital conversations.

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Key Takeaways:

• Media Evolution: Don Lemon's shift to independent platforms exemplifies the broader trend of journalists seeking greater autonomy and direct engagement with audiences outside traditional networks.

• Journalistic Integrity: The episode underscores the importance of authenticity and transparency in media, especially in times of political turmoil and misinformation.

• Accountability in Media and Politics: Through discussions on Cory Booker, Amber Ruffin, and government transparency, the podcast highlights the critical role of media in holding power to account and fostering informed public discourse.

• Audience Engagement: The live format fosters a more interactive and spontaneous exchange of ideas, reflecting the podcast's commitment to dynamic and inclusive conversations.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

1. Joanna Cole [01:59]:

   "Each week Sam and I dive into the biggest stories from the Daily Beast, often joined by illustrious reporters and incredible guests."

2. Samantha Bee [02:47]:

   "How many minutes away is he from beating the record? I think he's like 15 minutes away."

3. Don Lemon [44:40]:

   "My commitment is to meet the audience where it is and to find the audience wherever it is."

4. Don Lemon [47:35]:

   "Everything comes to an end, so it's like, to me, that's not a big deal. I didn't like the way it came to."

5. Don Lemon [56:40]:

   "I'm able to not have to give false equivalents, right, and say, well, you know, it's this. It's just wrong."

6. Joanna Cole [61:26]:

   "Thank you very much for coming, everybody, and make this going to be so much fun, we'll barely edit it."

---

This episode of The Daily Beast Podcast offers a compelling glimpse into the current state of media and politics, enriched by Don Lemon's firsthand experiences and perspectives. Whether you're a long-time listener or new to the podcast, this discussion provides valuable insights into the challenges and transformations facing modern journalism.

Transcript

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[Joanna Cole]

Welcome to the Daily Beast Podcast. I'm Joanna Cole, Chief Content Officer of the Daily Beast.

[Samantha Bee]

And I am Samantha be the Chief Content Officer of our new Liberation Day festivities. What do you have planned, Joanna? We're going to be liberated from $10 eggs and catapulted into a world of $18 eggs. I'm so excited for it.

[Joanna Cole]

I'm going to be eating 25.

[Samantha Bee]

I think that's wise decision.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, this week we're doing things a little differently. We are coming to you from the incredible Zero Bond Social Club in the heart of SoHo in New York City. Actually, that's not quite right. We're actually in NoHo, where we are recording our first ever live podcast in front of a real audience. And for those who don't yet know, who aren't regular listeners, each week Sam and I download on the biggest stories that come out of the Daily Beast. Yes, and we're often joined by some of our illustrious reporters as well as our Beasts of the Week where we go in depth with incredible guests like this Pod Save America guys. We've Had John Oliver, Mika Brzezinski, Jim Gaffigan, Isaac Mizrahi, Michael Wolf, James Carville, Adam Grant.

[Samantha Bee]

We've had Senator Cory Booker, who. Who is still talking. He's still talking. How many minutes away is he from beating the record? I think he's like 15 minutes away.

[Don Lemon]

He may have already.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, he may have already. He's 15 minutes away. He's been speaking for 24 hours straight. Oh, God, I love Cory Booker so much.

[Joanna Cole]

I think we inspired him when he came on the podcast. He talked a lot then.

[Samantha Bee]

That's it.

[Joanna Cole]

And I think he was like, I like this talking thing. I'm just gonna keep going. Yeah.

[Samantha Bee]

It was us for sure.

[Joanna Cole]

I think so.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, he has such a big heart. My goodness.

[Joanna Cole]

I mentioned that last week. We interviewed Amber Ruffin.

[Samantha Bee]

We did.

[Joanna Cole]

About her plans to perform at the White House Correspondent, and what happened.

[Samantha Bee]

She was summarily uninvited to the event. And I don't think. I think Jenna regret. Rhiann. She does not feel badly about it. She's talked about it on Seth Meyers, and she made comments on our podcast, and people took issue with them, even though I think they were very valid comments. And the White House Correspondents association took a very weak position and uninvited her and then pretended like that had been in the works for a long time. And it really has been very uninspiring. Actually, that's quite uninspiring. I was quite angry.

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah. It was strangely unrobust of them to uninvite her, having told everybody how excited they were to have her.

[Samantha Bee]

Yes, unrobust is a great way to describe it. And, you know, I'm not 100% sure what the association does as an association, but I know that they do fund lots of journalism scholarships every year. And I have to say that if I was a student of journalism right now, I would look at their actions and think, what the fuck are you doing? Like, what a position to take in this time. We need a serious association that is unafraid to stand for something, to take risks, and here we are. I don't know. I don't know. What do you want this event to be? Why does this event exist? Is this event an anachronism? I believe it is.

[Joanna Cole]

I don't believe it's an anachronism. And I think one of the important things and one of the things that differentiates America from other countries is that actually it's one of the rare occasions. It's the only day in the year where the President sits in a room and is prepared to be roasted by a comedian. Okay, well, that's the difference. Not this one. Not this one. But that's the difference between a democracy and autocracy. Right, Right. What was the first thing Putin did?

[Samantha Bee]

Well, he shut down. They literally stormed a recording studio and shut down a puppet show, a satirical puppet show that made fun of him. You know, one of the first things they all do is shut down the comedians. So here we are once again, the.

[Joanna Cole]

Last bastion of freedom.

[Samantha Bee]

That's right.

[Joanna Cole]

Social club in no hope. Don Lemon is already hectic from the audience.

[Don Lemon]

He broke the record he just heard at 7:18. It's 7:24.

[Samantha Bee]

Inspired by you, Joanna Cole. Cory Booker did it.

[Joanna Cole]

Go Cory. Go Cory. So I just need to know what you've been doing since I last saw you. Just come back from Paris. You'd eaten a wheel of Brie every day, and you climbed the mountain of baguettes.

[Samantha Bee]

You kiss the morning. You kiss the morning with a wheel of Camembert. That's how you greet the day. I'm back from Paris. But you were doing something so much more interesting. You were at a big, like, high powered huddle somewhere at an undisclosed location. You, like, you choppered to the top of the mountain with all of these very huge people. Tell me what you were doing without saying too much. We don't want you to be taken. We don't want you to be disappeared off the streets as is happening seemingly.

[Joanna Cole]

It really is happening, isn't it? Are there any people with tattoos here? Because if there are, you may get arrested while we're sitting here. I'm just saying, especially facial tattoos. I'm glad you had yours lasered off. I was with various members of the cabinet and some senior people in the tech world, and I will say that I came away thinking that this is about radical change. There is no incrementalism here. And that the White House is. Is filled with people and the executive buildings are filled with people who are giddy with power. Giddy with power.

[Samantha Bee]

I need to personally backtrack because I don't even know why this event would exist. So can you just describe like is how much can you say about it and why a huddle like this would occur outside of D.C. or outside of any kind of, like, major city? Like, what was it for? Is it a think tank? Like a get together?

[Joanna Cole]

It's a kind of think tank, and powerful people like to hang out with other powerful people. And, like, celebs like to hang out with celebs because they think that regular people don't count anymore. And it was a very interesting insight into the excitement of the business community, which is overlooked in the. In the arrival of Donald Trump, and extreme frustration, which I certainly share a little bit of how the Biden administration was not friendly to business and never met an amendment to a law they didn't want to insert. And this feeling that business is massively constrained by huge overregulation in America and the difficulty of getting anything done.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, tell me what a think tank is for when everything is really just directed by the whims of one person. Like what. In a way, what is. What is able to be accomplished by just having smart or successful people all together in, like, a seed bank in an underground lair? I assume it was in some type of layer.

[Joanna Cole]

I think it's really aimed at the deep bureaucracy. And Elon Musk addressed the group, and he was very clear that, you know, they're trying to figure out the. They're trying to figure out the deficit.

[Samantha Bee]

I got a bubble in my stomach.

[Joanna Cole]

And they are believers. These are believers in the Trump methodology and very frustrated under the previous government.

[Samantha Bee]

Odd. Did they try to pull you into a curtained room and brand you or anything like that? Was there any.

[Joanna Cole]

There was no Handmaid's Tale behavior, but it was an insight into just the excitement with which a whole new group of people are going into Washington to make radical change.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, radical change is certainly happening. Did you. I mean, I'm just trying to imagine you with this Daily Beast podcast. How many people did you ask to be on a podcast? Be honest.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, I asked everybody. I met everybody, and they all looked kind of horrified. They must away. They were like, stay away. Stay away from me. I was. I was one of two journalists there, so it was very interesting from my point of view.

[Samantha Bee]

Really?

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah. And there is no. There is no sense of any real opposition, and they're going to get on with it.

[Samantha Bee]

Okay. So they feel totally enabled. Very excited for all of the. But how can they. I don't. The thing that I really just don't understand is how business leaders could be so excited for all of the chaos, for the tariffs, for the day of liberation.

[Joanna Cole]

I'm not sh. They are excited for the chaos. I don't think anybody wants chaos. But they are excited for change. They're excited for a rolling back of regulations that people feel have really stopped them from innovating. And there is extreme anxiety that the Chinese are. I mean, there were all sorts of discussions about AI which were very interesting. David Sacks was there. Sam Altman was there. Reid Hoffman was there. A lot of people talking about AI and the feeling that China is three months behind, not two years behind, and that if America doesn't get its ship together, it will be obliterated in the AI war.

[Samantha Bee]

So what did you. What was the overwhelming feeling that you. I'm just. I. I don't understand the circles that you roll in. Well, I am not party to those conversations at all. I mean. Oh, my God.

[Joanna Cole]

What's interesting is hanging out with. With Sam. Sam says, well, the law will protect us.

[Samantha Bee]

No, I don't.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, you do a little bit. You do.

[Samantha Bee]

You don't want it to protect us. I don't think it's going to.

[Joanna Cole]

There's no. There was no recognition that this was anything other than a radical mandate for change. And that's what they're doing.

[Samantha Bee]

That's what. There's no. About no apology, no bad feeling. No, they apologize.

[Joanna Cole]

They got elected, they're moving forward. And we've got this AI coming at us. And everybody's trying to figure out how it's. How fast we are going to be able to incorporate it into corporate life, into government, into everything.

[Samantha Bee]

Life goes on for these people. It just does not touch them at all. Real life does not touch them in any way. It feels to me like, I'm so sorry we're doing this in front of an audience and I'm taking it down to such a note, but like, there's a lack of. There's no empathy. There's no human emotion flowing out of that. There's no thought. Is there any thought or any conversation?

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah, there's a lot of thought about how much money there is to be made. There is a lot of thought about how much money and how much opportunity there is.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, God.

[Samantha Bee]

The aliens had an opportunity to beam everyone onto a spaceship and they missed it.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, Elon did say we will be on Mars in 10 years. Just. And he did say that he would.

[Samantha Bee]

Be and him alone.

[Joanna Cole]

And he did say he do this for three more months and then he was done. Three more months and then he was.

[Samantha Bee]

Done three more months of the chaos that he is sowing.

[Joanna Cole]

Three more months of his chainsaw.

[Samantha Bee]

Three more months. That's 90 full days. That's a lot more damage that can be done psychically also. There's psychic damage being done. So no thought of consequences. Just a whole lot of thinking about money. I've done it all wrong. I think about consequences eternally. I think about it all the time. It actually, I find it. I'm sweating from places I didn't know I could sweat from just having this conversation.

[Joanna Cole]

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[Joanna Cole]

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[Don Lemon]

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[Joanna Cole]

So I think it's about time we called up our guest.

[Samantha Bee]

Shall we?

[Joanna Cole]

Back by popular demand. Are you ready former CNN and now killing it on YouTube with his own Twice daily show, the Don Lemon Show. Welcome, sir.

[Don Lemon]

Thank you. And now on substack.

[Joanna Cole]

And now on substack.

[Don Lemon]

I'm getting my writing on. Yeah. I want to write for you. Why haven't you ever.

[Joanna Cole]

I would love to. We'd love you to write for us.

[Samantha Bee]

Consider it, though.

[Don Lemon]

Hi, Sam.

[Samantha Bee]

I want you to write for me.

[Don Lemon]

Good to see you. You don't have to.

[Samantha Bee]

No. One day. It's so exciting.

[Don Lemon]

Hi, everybody.

[Samantha Bee]

It's exciting to have you here. We all know. We all want to know what you're thinking about. What is happening right now on your phone. Just even sitting over on the couch. You can't prior.

[Don Lemon]

You saw that, right?

[Samantha Bee]

I did.

[Don Lemon]

Getting news. I saw. Donald Trump's approval rating is at its lowest ever right now. It just.

[Samantha Bee]

Where is it?

[Don Lemon]

56% disapproved. 42% of the. In this poll.

[Samantha Bee]

That's not a tantalizing enough number. Lower than that.

[Don Lemon]

And then Cory Booker broke Strom Thurman's record, which I'm really happy about.

[Samantha Bee]

That's good. And he's still going.

[Don Lemon]

And he is still going.

[Samantha Bee]

Okay. He's still going. Oh, my God. His heart. His heart is so good.

[Don Lemon]

How does it would. How does he. I don't think he could go to the bathroom. No. That was the biggest question I've gotten all day. I mean, you know, maybe it could be like an astronaut, you know, like the diaper or.

[Samantha Bee]

I think that one time, I feel like when Ted Cruz did it, when he. You know, when he did it, but less successfully than Cory Booker. I think that he got bathroom breaks. He did like a sandwich break.

[Don Lemon]

Well, I noticed that earlier they were taking a sandwich break, I don't think. Really?

[Samantha Bee]

Someone brings you a turkey club. Let's go to a safe place.

[Don Lemon]

Chris Murphy said you can train your body if you are motivated enough. So.

[Samantha Bee]

Okay.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah. Have you guys ever gone 24 hours without peeing?

[Joanna Cole]

No, I haven't voted.

[Don Lemon]

That was the biggest question I got today, was like, is he. How does he go to the back bathroom? Is he going to the bathroom? Which was a very. I think.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, I think if you just don't drink water, you'll be fine. Right. He may get dehydrated by the end of it. All right, I have a question for you, John. Whose signal group chat would you most like to. Yeah. Accidentally invited to.

[Samantha Bee]

Yes.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, my God. You asked. I forgot because I had a margarita when you asked me. Oh, I'm gonna take a second chat with Ooh.

[Joanna Cole]

Oh, boy, oh, boy.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, That's a good one.

[Samantha Bee]

A lot of our government must be in government.

[Don Lemon]

Just anybody?

[Joanna Cole]

Well, anybody. Anybody at all?

[Don Lemon]

I would say it would be. Can I say Jay Z and Beyonce? That's kind of boring, right?

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah. Really?

[Don Lemon]

No, not really.

[Joanna Cole]

I think more interesting, I would like.

[Don Lemon]

To be on a signal group chat with Elon Musk, Donald Trump. Well, that would be enough, J.D. vance.

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah.

[Don Lemon]

And I got one. And Pete Hexseth. That's it.

[Joanna Cole]

I think they will invite you at some point.

[Don Lemon]

That's enough.

[Joanna Cole]

So do we think that Mike Waltz and Jeffrey Goldberg are, in fact, in regular contact?

[Don Lemon]

I think that Mike Waltz is a contact. Is a source for Jeffrey Goldberg.

[Joanna Cole]

So do we think he's actually deep state Mike Waltz?

[Don Lemon]

I just think he's a blabbermouth. I think that he's, you know, he's a thirsty person. He's a pick me. Right? And so, seriously. So I think he, like, probably. Hey, you know, I got some. I got some information for you if you write something good about me. And so I think he was a source. I think Donald Trump knows that he was a source. He knows he's a source. That's why he has to say, oh, this is the worst person ever. He's so dumb, and he's so stupid. And Jeffrey is being a little coy about it because we don't like to give our sources away. So Jeffrey's like. He's saying he doesn't know me, but his number's in my phone. You get it? Thank you.

[Samantha Bee]

There are so many leakers. I mean, there are always people willing to give information. It seems to me this administration is just a leaky boat. I mean, we talked to Michael Wolfe about it. He has so many people talking to him all the time. People are competing to give him their scoops, and they want to get theirs. I mean, that's what he told us, is that people are. They want to get their side of the story out before anybody else gets it out. Because they're all so suspicious of each other, and it's such a cutthroat, and they want to.

[Don Lemon]

They want to curry favor with the reporter or whatever so that the reporter will write something good about them because they're all hungry.

[Samantha Bee]

Yeah, they're all right.

[Don Lemon]

Egomaniacs.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, and I think they all dislike each other, right? So they're all giving stories about each other to the press because they all want to be. I mean, I'm always struck by the analogy to the royal family that Princess Diana used to talk regularly to the Daily Mail. And on a Friday, she would have a regular weekly date with the Daily Mail where she would tell them everything about what was going on with her divorce with Prince Charles, then Prince Charles, now obviously King Charles. The Daily Mail would then run the front page with all these juicy details. And Diana would come out, say, this is outrageous. Why are they doing this to me? I'm being persecuted by the tabloid press. Meanwhile, she was the source. So I think there's a lot of that going on here, that they tell tales about each. Each other, they're all suspicious of each other. And Donald Trump knows that and plays them like that.

[Don Lemon]

But don't you know. You're from the uk, right? Where are you from?

[Joanna Cole]

No, of course I'm from the uk.

[Don Lemon]

Okay, so. Because I. So I get that. And in Australian, it just depends. It's like a little bit.

[Joanna Cole]

Sorry.

[Don Lemon]

I knew. I knew. Crocky. I never know. Okay, so can I.

[Joanna Cole]

Can I just tell you one thing? That a friend of mine went, went into Australia recently and when he was being interviewed by the, you know, the equivalent of their customs people or whatever, immigration people going through, and they said to him, he'd filled out his form and they said, do you have a criminal record? And he said, do you still need one to come here? Immediately pulled aside for second reason immediately. But I thought, what a good. Well, almost worth it.

[Don Lemon]

That's so good.

[Joanna Cole]

And how crazy is the story about Virginia Roberts Giuffre who got hit by a bus? Have you been following?

[Don Lemon]

No, I haven't.

[Joanna Cole]

So she was the big accuser of certainly Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew did a fourteen million dollar settlement with her, saying he'd never slept with her. But it was $14 million. Just in case I forgot through Epstein. She was the big episode.

[Don Lemon]

She was a minor at the time. Yeah, yeah. Okay, got it.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, she claims that she was traded for sex and, and abused by Gillen and by Jeff. By Jeffrey Epstein. But she posted earlier this week, for those who haven't seen it, pictures of herself looking absolutely terrible, saying she'd been given four days to live.

[Samantha Bee]

Right.

[Joanna Cole]

Because she'd been hit in a car accident by a school bus.

[Samantha Bee]

Yes.

[Joanna Cole]

Crazy, crazy story.

[Samantha Bee]

It's crazy.

[Don Lemon]

Do you think they set it up with that?

[Joanna Cole]

You. It's so difficult to know, isn't it? So hard not to think. Maybe there are a lot of people who want her out of the way.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah. I mean, I hope she's okay, but like, you get hit by a bus, right?

[Samantha Bee]

Literally, for people who cannot see this I'm sitting over here and my mouth is open.

[Don Lemon]

She got hit by a bus. Are you buying it?

[Samantha Bee]

God, I'm just. She was 24. Now she's in school bus.

[Joanna Cole]

She's been. School bus.

[Samantha Bee]

And she lived until the.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, she lived well that. She said two days ago. She had four days left to live.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, wow. Yeah, awful. Sorry. Oh, but it sounds all right.

[Joanna Cole]

Let's move quickly on. No, swiftly on to Don. Should CNN attend the White House Correspondents Dinner?

[Don Lemon]

Why wouldn't they?

[Samantha Bee]

Amber Ruffin works for them.

[Don Lemon]

Well, Amber Ruffin doesn't work for cnn. She's a contracted employee. Contracted employee, Yeah. I think that they.

[Samantha Bee]

Did you like it? Do you like it?

[Don Lemon]

I actually loved it.

[Samantha Bee]

You did?

[Don Lemon]

Yeah. I think that's the whole point. The whole point of it is to roast people and for them to, you know, somehow, you know, have this sort of, what do you call it, snowflake attitude towards the comedian being there. Remember the people that she's going to criticize, many of them, especially the Trump folks and on the right, they are the free speech, absolutist people. Let comedians be comedians. What does Elon Musk say? Like, make, make comedy legal again. And so, yeah, then that has to be for everybody if you're going to do so. I don't understand why the White House Correspondents association did it. And I believe, you know, I spoke with Larry Wilmore last night who, who did the 2016. He was the comedian in 2016. And he made a joke about me and I flipped him off live on television.

[Joanna Cole]

Tell everybody the joke, because that was a good joke. And this was Obama's last year.

[Don Lemon]

He said there were some world class journalists or the best journalists in the world are here. And Don Lemon is also here, too, alleged journalist. And then I was just, it was a natural thing. So I was in the crowd and I did this and the cameras got me and people were wondering if I was going to get fired. And my boss was like, no, that's pretty fucking awesome. That's great that you did that. But it was just a natural reaction. Larry Wilmar and I are friends. I interviewed him last night about Amber Ruffin, and he's on my side. It's, it's supposed to be a roast, but not all things are equal, right? But in comedy you can find, you know, look, just the last 70 some days or the last week was enough for an entire routine, right? At the White House correspondence. Just the, the whole signal gate of it would be a routine. I mean, it writes itself. How dumb is how dumb are they just to do what they did?

[Samantha Bee]

So dumb.

[Don Lemon]

And by the way. Oh, the other breaking news. I found out as I was sitting there that other members, members of the Trump administration have been using Gmail to conduct government business, including Mike Waltz.

[Samantha Bee]

Yeah, you stop it.

[Don Lemon]

No, I'm serious. But her emails.

[Samantha Bee]

But her emails. I can't. These people, I really can't.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah.

[Samantha Bee]

You know, it pains me how much this, how much the story of Signal Gate kind of left the public view. It actually hurts. I hope that this story elevates it again because I think it's really. I think it's really important. I think it's so emblematic of how sloppy they are, how careless they are.

[Joanna Cole]

Do you think that Donald Trump.

[Samantha Bee]

They are.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, do you think Donald Trump introduced the idea of running for a third time term to distract from Signal Gate?

[Samantha Bee]

No, no, no.

[Don Lemon]

They've been talking about it for a while. Steve Bannon was talking about it before Signal Gate even happened.

[Samantha Bee]

But I definitely think he's erratic and operates on a very primal level. I think it had the effect of turning people's attention away from single gate. But we have a really hard time staying with one story when so many stories are happening, like moment by moment. I mean, firing all of those workers today, like the whole. It's.

[Joanna Cole]

It's due to human services.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah. That doesn't sit well with the public. I think that's gonna. I think that's gonna backfire. I think that's gonna be the thing. I actually do think that Signalgate is going to stick. It's gonna take a while. And one. It's funny, right? Laughable. Not. I'm not laughing.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, and people can understand it, right? Sometimes government, it's simple.

[Don Lemon]

That's what I was gonna say.

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah.

[Don Lemon]

It's easy to understand.

[Joanna Cole]

Yep. We've all done it. We've all fired off an email reply. All which we shouldn't have done. Not you, Sam, but everybody else. And I. I think those small things where people realize, oh, my God, I can't believe he did that. And it's national security at the heart of it. Doesn't sit well with.

[Don Lemon]

Have you sent an email to someone you were talking shit about?

[Joanna Cole]

Of course. Of course. Yeah.

[Don Lemon]

And what happened?

[Joanna Cole]

Weird thing. Well, you're like, oh, my God, I didn't mean it. Yeah, it's very tricky.

[Don Lemon]

That was for the other Joanna Coles.

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah, exactly.

[Don Lemon]

Right.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, I actually invited you to a dinner this week. The wrong Don. You did the wrong Don.

[Don Lemon]

That's right.

[Joanna Cole]

You Signal gated me I signal gated.

[Don Lemon]

You have dinner with us in the UK. Is it on the 10th? When is it?

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah, 19th.

[Don Lemon]

On the 19th. And then she's. And then five minutes later she's like, oops, wrong, Don. I thought she was flying me to the UK to have dinner.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, I will, I will. Right.

[Don Lemon]

Don't you think she should. Round of applause. Should she? Yeah. Seriously, you should invite me.

[Samantha Bee]

You really can only talk shit about people live and in person. You have to make. That's what phone calls are for.

[Don Lemon]

Who I mean has a phone call and it's kind of weird to have a phone call.

[Samantha Bee]

It is not a lot of people.

[Don Lemon]

I talk on the phone rarely. Either it's like a zoom with my team or like I talk on the phone with my mother.

[Samantha Bee]

Right.

[Don Lemon]

Everybody else is pretty much a text or an email.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, your mother appreciates that.

[Don Lemon]

She does. You gotta talk to mom.

[Samantha Bee]

You've got to talk to mom.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, moms and like sisters and, you know, siblings, you gotta talk to them. But I don't have a lot of phone calls. You guys have a lot of phone calls. I don't do a lot of phone calls. You do. I don't know. Phone calls to me are like meetings like, this could have been an email.

[Joanna Cole]

Oh, my God, that's terrible. All right, so listen, we want to know how the Don Lemon show is going. You started twice a day. I thought you'll never have enough news to fill twice a day. Now I think you should be doing six times.

[Samantha Bee]

I think six times a day would be an appropriate choice because you've already done two show. You've done two live streams today.

[Don Lemon]

Honestly, I have. But you know what? I think I. The thing is, I started at 5 o'clock. I started doing. My show was going to be like three days a week. An interview show, which was just sort of, you know, I thought, kind of boring. After I started doing it, I was like, this kind of like I was doing a cnn. It's boring. I don't have a connection to my audience. I started Live at five in my living room. It took off. People like, get out of the stupid studio. It looks like cable news. Do it in your living room. And then I said, okay, after the election, maybe there'll be a different outcome and I won't have to cover politics so much. But then Donald Trump was elected again and he takes over everything in the zeitgeist, including sports, arts, Kennedy Center. Now he's in charge of that. And so now, you know, I started at 10am Lots of news, news. Now I feel like I should just go from 10am all the way to 6pm with just my own like mini sort of news station. Because there's so much news when I. When I sign off at 11 or 11:30, there are so many people watching that I hate to just leave them there on the board. Right.

[Samantha Bee]

If something broke at 10:00 at night, which often it really does, would you do a special? Like, would you just go right on, Fire it up?

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, I'd fire it up. And it's. Especially now on substack subset is so easy. It's just you hit one button in your line, I decide about sort of overnight what's happening and then maybe an hour or two before the show. Because in the morning you want to inform people right at 10 o'clock they've kind of seen the boring morning shows and then just.

[Samantha Bee]

I like that you're taking a position on morning shows. Oh my God, no, they are morning.

[Don Lemon]

But the thing is that I used to love morning shows. I wouldn't miss the first 20 minutes of the Today show. But now they've just become vehicles to sell books or entertainment project. And so you get a little bit of news and the rest of it is just kind of fluff. And so I don't really like morning shows. And so anyways, yeah, that's it. Sorry, not a big fan.

[Samantha Bee]

Are you gonna go do a live stream right after this something?

[Don Lemon]

I'm gonna do a live stream and talk about how Sambi was drunk off her ass on margaritas.

[Samantha Bee]

Just like inflated.

[Don Lemon]

She was bloated from the salt. Yeah. And then she proclaimed her love for maga. I mean.

[Joanna Cole]

Do you find operating in this environment you're self censoring?

[Don Lemon]

No. Am I self censoring?

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah.

[Don Lemon]

I have to make myself not because I've been trained for so long to self censor in real time.

[Samantha Bee]

How do you do that? How do you untether yourself from that?

[Don Lemon]

It's, it's, it takes a bit of time. I think I'm just starting to really do it. I had a moment back right at the end of the year last year where there was this whole controversy about the H1B visas and they were like kicking. We're going to kick all these people out. And then, you know, Vivek and came around and said, oh, we don't want, you know, the H1B visas. He was saying, it's good, it was good for whatever Indian people. And I've done this. And then the Trump folks, the MAGA folks came about and said, hell no, we don't want any immigration. And they were so racist about it. And I just got on and I started laughing. I'm like, you fucking idiots. You didn't realize? And people were like, that's my head of my social media. Like, dude, what did you do today? Like, your social media is blowing up. Because that's how people really feel. They just want you to be authentic and real. And so I try not to self censor now because I, I am beholden to me, not a corporation. I don't represent 4,500 people around the world who are in war zones. It's just me. And I can say whatever the fuck I want.

[Samantha Bee]

How do you handle it? I guess when a story, because, you know, there's. You can read a lot of stories and a lot of news is happening and it's all very tragic. It's very, you know, it's compelling. But then occasionally I think for myself, a smaller story will bubble up and it really is very, very affecting. How do you handle that?

[Don Lemon]

What do you mean, the small story?

[Samantha Bee]

Well, you know, the story of the man who was deported to El Salvador.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, my God, I've been covering that.

[Joanna Cole]

Not just him, even Joe Rogan stepped in.

[Don Lemon]

I talked about Joe Rogan today. Look, I said, you know, mark your calendars. I agree with Joe Rogan. Maybe hell is frozen over. But, but honestly. And then at the end, I said, but it's a little late for moral clarity. Because for someone to think that Donald Trump, honestly, I don't care what your political affiliation is, that he is somehow going to act in a democratic way when he told you what he was going to do, when you endorsed him and you asked people to vote for him and you voted for him. It's a little late for moral clarity. It's sad that they're picking up people off of the street and basically kidnapping them or abducting them. But I'm shocked that you're shocked that he's doing it.

[Samantha Bee]

I'm shocked that he's shocked. And I'm shocked that we're not going to try to bring him back.

[Don Lemon]

No, there's no, there's no incentive structure. There is a path. We are the United States of America. We could do whatever we want. If we want to bring him back, we could. But there's no incentive structure for them because, number one, they don't want people getting on the news and telling their story because they're afraid that public sentiment would not be in their favor and it wouldn't be All. Also, I'm sure they're afraid of lawsuits. And so they don't want these people coming back to America. They want to leave them where they are.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, how? I guess so when a story hits you like that, you're just, you're just able to go for it in a way that you weren't before.

[Don Lemon]

I'm able to. I'm able to not have to give false equivalents, right, and say, well, you know, it's this. It's just wrong. It's just wrong. People have due process. They presented no evidence. I'm sure some of these people are really bad. And I think they. If you're bad and you're a gang member, of course you should be deported. But to run up on a Tufts student who wrote something in a newspaper that you didn't like. She was pro Palestinian. American students, white, liberal American students have been doing this since the 1960s. And if you look at what she wrote, it wasn't even that bad. And so for them to, like, accost her and abduct her in broad daylight is just beyond the pale. And with no evidence and no due process, that's really, to me, un American.

[Samantha Bee]

I find this very chilling. I find this to be a very chilling harbinger of what could be coming. We're not even 100 days in, like, I guess every time I open my mouth, I go, well, what do we do? And I don't know what we do other than Cory Booker has to talk for, I don't know, 8000 hours straight.

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[Don Lemon]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for 15amonth plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail].

[Samantha Bee]

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All.

[Joanna Cole]

Right, I want to open it up to questions from the audience. Before we do, I have one more question for you, which is there have been a lot of Fox News anchors which has found themselves becoming cabinet secretaries. If you were to take over a government department, which would you take over?

[Don Lemon]

Doge. It's not an official, it's not an official government department, but I would take over Doge.

[Joanna Cole]

Okay, questions please. Okay, we have a lady. Thank you. We need to get you a microphone. Oh, just talk loudly. That's, that's the way.

[Don Lemon]

Should I go hold the microphone over there?

[Joanna Cole]

The way we do it at the Daily Beast.

[Samantha Bee]

Human microphone.

[Don Lemon]

Okay.

[Joanna Cole]

Yes, we're going to repeat your question.

[Don Lemon]

I can just go over there. You want me to do it?

[Bombas Ad]

Okay.

[Joanna Cole]

This is my job.

[Don Lemon]

This is the Don Lemon Town hall for the Don Lennon show and the Daily Beast. Yes. What's your name, ma'am?

[Samantha Bee]

Anu.

[Don Lemon]

Anu, what's your question? So my question is I just finished.

[Instacart Ad]

Reading Careless People, which you know is at the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

[Don Lemon]

And I don't know if you all.

[Samantha Bee]

Have read it, but I'm very curious.

[Instacart Ad]

To your response or just feedback on how Meta is handling the situation.

[Joanna Cole]

Great question. Sam is obsessed by this book. She's read it extremely, extremely carefully. And we are, we are fascinated by the way that Meta is handling it on the, on the same week that they cancel fact checking for the rest of us, they forced the author into arbitration.

[Samantha Bee]

They did. And she was, we were supposed to have her on again as a guest on the podcast, and she was actually then forbidden to come on it. I thought it was a really interesting book. I think I really, really enjoyed it. And I think that Meadow's response to it by putting it into arbitration and trying to shut it down, had the exact opposite effect and in fact elevated it to the top of the bestseller list. It's really well written. I think it's really, really interesting. I don't know a lot of the players personally, but I think it's a, it's a great kind of chronology of the damage that they've done because they truly have been careless people. And I, I, I think it's really worthy. I think it's a really worthy read. I really, really liked it. And it starts with the shark attack, and that alone got my attention.

[Don Lemon]

Can you imagine if you wrote a book and then that happened? You'd be like, yes, yes, yes, this is going to be number one with a bullet. Thank you.

[Joanna Cole]

And also they've got her on the technicality, which is that they're claiming that she broke her non disparagement clause in her severance agreement. They haven't gone after her because they're saying anything in the book is untrue. Right. So it's a classic workaround in the way that Donald Trump said he was going to injunct Michael Wolf's first book, Firearm Fury, but didn't.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah. Is there an attorney in the room? I've been told that non disparagement or non disclosure, there's really tough to enforce. Like, they're very tough to enforce. Yeah. So it's like if you do it, you're just basically signing. It's basically to scare people so that you scare them into not talking. But look at what happened with Stormy Daniels and then Susan McDougal. Like they all. Not Susan McDougal. What's her name? McDonnell, whatever her name is. And they basically told their stories and Donald Trump never sued them for because they signed a non disclosure agreement or non disparagement and nothing ever happened. It's very tough.

[Joanna Cole]

Very tough. All right, next question. Okay, lady down here.

[Samantha Bee]

Julie.

[Don Lemon]

Hello, lady down here.

[Samantha Bee]

What's your name? My name's Julie Dermer. I have a question for Sam. Oh, Sam, would you ever consider doing the not the White House correspondence dinner as you did in 2016? And if so, like, for all these people that are now bound. And, and would you be nervous? Like, what, what would go through your head about having something like this.

[Don Lemon]

By the way, I was there last time.

[Samantha Bee]

Do you remember?

[Don Lemon]

I know. The company got mad at you. I thought it was funny.

[Samantha Bee]

I know, I know. The company was so mad.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, my goodness. Because she roasted us. And I'm like, yes, that's great.

[Joanna Cole]

Yeah, back up. And just explain to people what it was, because not everybody will know.

[Samantha Bee]

So I guess in 2017. It was 2017.

[Don Lemon]

2017.

[Samantha Bee]

We as my. The show that I had the time, which was called Full Frontal, we wanted to create. Donald Trump had announced that he was not going to attend the White House correspondence dinner. And we were so angry about, I mean, attacks on the press. It was unbelievable. We wanted to support journalism. So we actually. And we just didn't feel like the traditional mode was sufficient for the moment. It was not meeting the moment. So we intended to create some counter programming to that event. And we did it twice in the. During the Trump presidency. And they were both so fun and they. I. And we did get in a lot of trouble because we roasted cnn. So we got in good trouble with CNN because that was. Would you do it again? As she said, would I do it again? I don't have the ability to do it again, but certainly I would.

[Don Lemon]

Yes, you do. You can.

[Joanna Cole]

I mean, it's a little shocking that the White House correspondents dumped Amber often as unceremoniously as they did.

[Samantha Bee]

When you acquiesce, when you give over, when you, you know, when you comply, when you pre. Comply with Donald Trump, you get nothing out of it. There's no benefit. You get nothing from it. You might as well just, like it is your job to speak truth to power, not power to truth. Like, it's. It's backwards. We have it backwards.

[Joanna Cole]

Okay.

[Don Lemon]

I think there's an audience for it. Pardon me? I do think there's an audience for that.

[Samantha Bee]

I. I was so fun.

[Don Lemon]

Elvis Costello.

[Samantha Bee]

Elvis Costello was there.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, my God.

[Joanna Cole]

Elvis Costello was there.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah.

[Joanna Cole]

Let's do it. To invite Elvis Costello.

[Samantha Bee]

I wish. That's right.

[Don Lemon]

You asked me about the bigger audience in cnn. I think that you underestimate the power. Look, look at what happened with Amber Ruffin, what you did. And you've had several similar things, not quite to that level, but just from a podcast that you're doing for the Daily Beast. So I think there's a place.

[Samantha Bee]

You know what? You should have Amber on that she would have done.

[Joanna Cole]

I would love her to do that. I would love her to do that.

[Don Lemon]

Great idea.

[Joanna Cole]

We should be really fun.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah.

[Joanna Cole]

We'll invite the White House correspondents and see if any of them come.

[Samantha Bee]

Thank you, Julie.

[Don Lemon]

Where are you going to have it? I want to go.

[Joanna Cole]

All right, gentleman in the middle with the glasses.

[Don Lemon]

I'm tired and old. Do you want. Okay, I'll do that.

[Joanna Cole]

He looks like he can project. No, don's getting down.

[Don Lemon]

Okay. Hello, sir. What's your name? What's your question? Hey, my name is David.

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My question's for you, actually.

[Don Lemon]

Oh.

[Bombas Ad]

So I worked at TikTok for four years. I'm really curious to hear about, now that you're independent, how you're thinking about your overall content strategy. You're doing substack, TikTok, YouTube. Tell me, like, what you're trying to achieve, what audiences you're trying to reach and what your vision is. Like, is it to build Mr. Beast Empire for media news? How are you thinking about your content strategy?

[Don Lemon]

Well, first of all, I would like to get some sleep because if you. Seriously, I've worked my ass off. I'm up like early and late, that is. This is the head of my social media guy. Social media from respective collective. If you guys want social media, it's great. What is my strategy? What I want to. I want to meet the audience. When. Excuse me. My commitment to myself was to meet the audience where it is and to find the audience wherever it is. The audience, quite frankly, I'm not saying that because I'm not there anymore. It's not on cable news and you know that. It's there still. Listen, there's still a place for legacy media, but the where people are getting their news and how they're getting their news now, social media, shorter clips. So every day they're like, these guys are like, please give us some breaking news. News, give us some whatever. As I was sitting here, I did some. Some news because that's how people are getting their news. So my commitment is to meet the audience where they are. It is paying off because as I walk down the street, it's not just an ego boost. I joke about that. But all the time people are saying, I saw your interview. I love your TikToks. I watch you on Instagram, I watch your lives on YouTube. YouTube has become the biggest network in the world. And so my goal is just to invest, inform people wherever they are. That's it. And it just happens to be on social media right now.

[Samantha Bee]

But I would like you to have a Mr. Beast style line of chocolate bars and a squid game, like game show.

[Don Lemon]

Okay, we're getting merch and whatever we're gonna do. That.

[Samantha Bee]

Okay, good.

[Joanna Cole]

But guess what?

[Don Lemon]

I've never watched Mr. Beast. I'm sorry. And he sends me the feastables all the time.

[Samantha Bee]

Don't apologize to me. I also don't watch.

[Don Lemon]

I don't. I don't watch. I don't like to be in competition. I want to do what I do myself. You know what I mean?

[Joanna Cole]

I want to know what kind of merch you're getting. Are you doing underpants? I think the Don Lemon line of underpants would do really well, especially from the people that like to see you dancing.

[Don Lemon]

It is lemon. It would make a lot of things smell a lot better. And it would be lemon scented underwear, I think.

[Joanna Cole]

Awesome.

[Samantha Bee]

Okay, I will.

[Joanna Cole]

I'll order some.

[Don Lemon]

That's what I mean by that. I hope you guys understood what I was saying.

[Joanna Cole]

I think we did. I think there's some bewildered looking faces, cold looking faces, actually. They're like, oh, no, Lemon fresh Joy.

[Don Lemon]

Do you guys see anybody old enough to remember Lemon fresh Joy? No, the slogan, Lemon fresh joy. It's underwear. Anyways.

[Joanna Cole]

Okay, next question, please. Lady in white. And then we'll come to the gentleman that lounging in the very comfortable leather chair.

[Don Lemon]

I feel like Phil Donahue. Anybody old enough to remember that? Caller, you're on the air.

[Samantha Bee]

Oh, how are you?

[Don Lemon]

How are you? Hi. What's your name and where are you from and what's your question?

[Instacart Ad]

Rhonda. I live in New York, from Lebanon.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, nice.

[Joanna Cole]

Yes, thank you.

[Instacart Ad]

Thank you. So I appreciated your comments about the Girl with Palestine, but that's not my question. My question is how did you feel about your departure from cnn? I don't know what else to call it. Were you happy? Sad? Shocked? How did you deal?

[Samantha Bee]

Was it the worst day of your life?

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Was it a blessing in disguise? And how did you cope and bounce back?

[Don Lemon]

Let me lay down on the couch. That is a loaded question. Actually, it's not. How did I feel? Look, everything comes to an end, so it's like, to me, that's not a big deal. I didn't like the way it came to. And I thought I was treated very unfairly. There were a lot of things that were written and said about me that were not true. And I couldn't defend myself at the time because contractually I can't. In your contract, you cannot make public statements, yada, yada, yada. And so I, you know, and I am still under contract with CNN until the end of 2026. So thank you, CNN, for the paycheck. So. And people think that I was Let go of CNN for certain things or certain stories or certain things. I said that was not it at all. The bottom line is that they wanted to move the network in a certain direction, and I was not part of it. They wanted to leverage their relationship with conservatives. And as you know, I had this very tense conversation on the morning show, and I'm saying probably too much, you know, that shouldn't be talking about this stuff with Vivek, With Vivek Ramaswamy. And it was the only time I had ever been called in the principal's office for almost 17 years that I was at CNN because they wanted to give these folks air. And I said to them, well, what is our election, Denier Insurrectionist policy? And they couldn't answer it. And I think they probably did not like that question. And four days later, I was gone. And so, you know, people think, oh, it was Nikki Haley who says, none of that. None of that. Was it because people say dumb things in conversations all the time. And one should realize that. And it's if you know my history as a professional, my entire team at CNN was women ran my show. I put women on their first chance to be in primetime all the time. Even the people who were on my show, I gave them their first shot, both of the women who sat next to me. So it was tough. Like, it's tough hearing those things and people saying, oh, my God, you're a massagist, whatever. So being let go from cnn, that's no big deal. I'm thriving. It was a blessing in disguise. But the thing that hurts the most to me, that since I grew up in a family of all women. You should read my substack I just wrote about it the other day, is people calling me sexist or misogynist, which is the furthest thing from who I am. That was very tough.

[Joanna Cole]

Okay, well, the. Can I borrow your mic? Oh, my microphone's back now. Well, the reason they did that, I think, I guess, was because of the prime comment. Right? What was the prime? Why did you say that?

[Don Lemon]

I talked about it in my book, that her ideas were outdated. And I was shocked that she, of all people, as a woman, would put certain, considering how society has treated women, that she would do the same thing with an older person. I was actually, I thought she was being ageist. And I thought about my grandmother who was, you know, who was an older woman who had these tests, the tests for voting and all of that, and all of these things that were put on women. I was surprised that someone who had been discriminated against because she is a woman, that she would be. That she would be ageist about someone. She wanted to decide when Joe Biden's prime was. And it was to the society, not me. And I said that. I said society. I said that she is. And I'm not saying that I believe it, but no one writes about that society treats women that way. And I thought it was just tone deaf for her and just a little bit too cute by half for her to decide that. And she was deciding it about Joe Biden, who was not that much older than Donald Trump when Joe Biden was a senior. Donald Trump was a freshman in high school. And so that's what that was about. Not that I think that a woman is. Has an expiration date. Not at all.

[Joanna Cole]

I thought that was so odd because you and I have worked together. We did an Oscars together, actually, for cnn. And I couldn't understand. I was like, no, no, that's so not what Don Lemon thinks. I'm glad you cleared.

[Don Lemon]

Go back and look at the tape and see what I said.

[Joanna Cole]

She was probably right about Joe Biden.

[Don Lemon]

She was probably right about Joe Biden, but also her being tone deaf, just about the world. I think that I was right about her. The Civil War was not about slavery. Come on, Nikki Haley. You know, it's like, give me a break. She will say, I don't know if you're a fan or not. I'm not. And it has nothing to do with how old she is. It has nothing to do with her politics. I think that she's a hypocrite and that she will say anything to get elected. That's my issue with her. That's it.

[Joanna Cole]

Okay, gentleman sitting down here looking very fabulous. You look so zero bond right now. Black shirt, black pants. You're lounging in a lovely leather chair.

[Don Lemon]

I got you good. I'm Xavier. Hi, Xavier. I know you don't like morning shows. I'm a big fan of morning show and msnbc. Yeah. So maybe tell us what you think is going to happen when they get spun out of contest. I don't think much is going to change. You mean with Morning Joe or with msnbc? Well, the person running the network is actually a friend of mine, a dear friend of mine. And she's getting, you know, she's getting lots of criticism. And that's Rebecca Cutler. Her first EP job was on my show, my weekend show in Atlanta. And I fought for her to be. To head my show because I just thought she was really talented. So I think that Rebecca is very good at talent. She was. She was in charge of the contributors and analysts at cnn, and it also, you know, helped with talent. So I don't think the network is going to change that much. I think they're in good hands with her. People are concerned about, you know, what happened with the host there, but I don't know if that much is going to change with msnbc, especially with Rachel Maddow at the helm. I think they're going to be fine.

[Joanna Cole]

Do you mean when Mika and Joe went down to Mar a Lago to talk to Donald Trump?

[Don Lemon]

So I have to talk about that because I. Look, I don't know M. I know Joe. I happen to like him. I had to. The weird thing in this business is, you know, and you know it as well, that you have to critique people and analyze people who you like and their moves. And it doesn't mean that you don't like them, but that's your job. Right?

[Joanna Cole]

Right.

[Don Lemon]

And so I had to criticize them in a way. I thought, of course, if I had the opportunity to talk to Donald Trump, I would take that opportunity. And I did have the opportunity in 2017 or 2016 after he was elected, to speak with him. But I'll tell you what I did back then and this is what I would do now. So he invited a bunch of people after he got elected, a bunch of the anchors, like the primetime anchors and the major networks and at the cable networks to come to. I forget if it was Trump Tower or I think it was Trump Tower because I don't think he was in the White House yet. And he invited a bunch of us to come over to talk. And I called up my boss and I said, do I have to go? And he goes, no, you don't have to go. And he said, why don't you want to go? I said, because we're going to sit there and he's just going to demonize us and he's going to talk shit about us and why would we put ourselves through that? And I said to Jeff, I said, what I will do is that I will put in a request to interview him so that it would be we can be transparent and public about it. And I just don't want to sit there in an off the record meeting and have him berate us and then have him and his folks leak it to the media. And then he gets. And that's exactly what he did. So this time, rather than going to Mar A Lago and sitting down in a private thing and Going down to him, I would have said, I would love to speak to you, but let's do it at Mar a Lago or anywhere else. Let's do it on the record. Let's do it for an interview for the American people. Because I think it's important, especially considering how people feel about the media now and feel about you. Let's get this on the record. You are going to be the President of the United States. I respect that. But I think this interview should be transparent in public. That's what I would have done. They did not do that. Perhaps they offered it and he didn't do it, but that's what I. Otherwise I would have said, no, thank you.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, we have Micah on the poll podcast, actually one of our best performing podcasts, where people were so interested about it. And she explained that they'd gone because they felt they had the opportunity. They wanted to talk to him. He'd been voted in.

[Samantha Bee]

Well, also, I mean, there was an additional element to it. And I remember talking to Mika about this, which I did understand this aspect of it because she is so committed to women's health issues in particular, and she felt like having the opportunity to possibly move him on that issue was her job. And I think, you know, as she explained it to us, she felt like, I have the opportunity. It's sit down, it's informal, like, I will press him on the issues that I care about in the only way that I know how, in person. Because he does respond to in person things. And of course, it had absolutely no effect and had the effect of blowing up their worlds for quite a long time and they fielded a lot of criticism. But I did understand that. I did understand that. I mean, I don't know him, I never would. I don't want to talk to him. But I do understand that perspective. I mean, everybody thinks they can move him, but ultimately he's not really moved.

[Joanna Cole]

I don't have any sort of sense that one can move him. But I just think as a journalist job, your job is to observe and report, right? And it almost doesn't matter if you're in a compromised position, because you can always report the fact you were in a compromised position. But as a reporter, as a journalist, it's always better to sit in a room with someone than have someone else's point of view on it. You get to smell someone, you get to see them, you get to observe them, you get to watch them, and you can come away with your own opinion and you were there and you may have felt compromised when you were there for cnn, but now you can talk about it in a way that feels much more unfettered.

[Don Lemon]

I don't know if it was off the record or not. I don't know. And I look, like I said, I don't. They made the choice that they made. I would have made a different choice. And especially they had sort of been the opposition to Donald Trump. So I think you have to sort of read the room. It was shocking to a lot of people. And again, I like Joe. I don't know Mika. And you know, from what I see her on television, I really like her. I like that she has this know your value thing for women. I, I love that. But I think that I just would have. I feel that they didn't really read the room and that it was kind of about them rather than the American public. And I think you have to take the American public's sentiment into consideration sometimes. And would I like to be in a room? Sure. But do I want to be considering that sitting in a room with him at Mar a Lago without a camera and without any way of being able to report it? I don't think I would want to. At least I would have asked and have pushed for to have an interview. Maybe he'll do it now, but I doubt it. You know, I've said this on Bill Maher and I've said it before. I think a large group of, I think a big faction of the MAGA movement is racist. And as a black man and bigoted and homophobic and as a black gay man, I'm just, I just can't. And I believe it is true as the evidence is there. Look at the, you know, how they. The criticism of me is often based in racism and homophobia. And all you have to do is sort of look at, listen to what MAGA people say and what they stand for and what the head of MAGA has done and how maga, the inception of MAGA was from, you know, show me your birth certificate.

[Samantha Bee]

Right.

[Don Lemon]

And so let's just go from there. And so I just can't. And that it's not an opinion, it's a fact.

[Joanna Cole]

Right.

[Don Lemon]

And look, culminating till today, the person, he wasn't a MAGA person, but it was Throm Thurman who was a member of the Republican Party who filibustered the 1964 Civil Rights Act. And then now you have a black man who is, you know, broken his record. And I think that's probably not going to go over well with some MAGA folks. But, yeah, I don't have to be friends with you, but I can sit down and. Or I can have a conversation with you.

[Samantha Bee]

Right.

[Joanna Cole]

Well, I'm going to call this podcast Order, because these poor people have got to get out and eat in the most fabulous restaurant in Zero Bond. And there are some delicious things on the menu. So I want to thank everybody for coming. Thank you very much for your questions, but I want to thank the team at Zero Bond for making this possible. To Scott, to Brad, Carolyn, Omar and Sophie, thank you very much for organizing this. Thank you to everybody here. Thank you to the live audience for coming tonight and being part of our first live taping. Thank you to Don Lemon for being.

[Samantha Bee]

A fabulous first guest.

[Joanna Cole]

And if you enjoyed this episode, please, like, subscribe, comment, and share it with everybody you know and some people you don't know.

[Samantha Bee]

And Sam, I've forgotten what I'm supposed to say. I think we're supposed to email it.

[Don Lemon]

We're supposed to say, I think that's.

[Joanna Cole]

Why you have something about.

[Samantha Bee]

I have a script, but I put it down because I was so fascinated.

[Don Lemon]

By this podcast was produced by engineers.

[Joanna Cole]

Okay, she's going to read mine. You just have one line. You have one line at the end.

[Samantha Bee]

No, you have to keep sending emails to beast potathedaily beast.com because Joanna reads all of them and personally recites feedback.

[Don Lemon]

Can I say something? Make sure you go to YouTube for the Don Lemon show. Sign up, go to substack don london.com and sign up for my subsack.

[Samantha Bee]

We can't leave you without some final words from my personal muse, first lady of the United States of America. Who's saying it again. And I think we should all take this to heart, get out there and be best.

[Don Lemon]

I told you it was Melania. I told you it was Melania.

[Joanna Cole]

It's beast. Beast.

[Samantha Bee]

Also beast.

[Joanna Cole]

Okay.

[Don Lemon]

I really don't care. Do you?

[Samantha Bee]

I really don't care.

[Joanna Cole]

What was she thinking with that jacket? The Daily Beast podcast is produced by Sarah Demonkoff, Sveer Baron Reinstein, Jesse Cannon, and Seamus Calder. It's edited by Deanna Chapman and engineered by Cam Schenken. Thank you very much for coming, everybody, and make. This is going to be so much fun, we'll barely edit it.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah.

[Joanna Cole]

Fluent. Great questions. Thank you all very much.

[Samantha Bee]

Thank you, everyone.

[Don Lemon]

Thank you. That was great. Am I in trouble?

[Joanna Cole]

So much fun. Why are you in trouble? Why would you be in trouble with your.

[Don Lemon]

I really don't care. Do you?

[Joanna Cole]

I know you don't have a boss.

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