Elon Musk just severed ties with former CNN host Don Lemon on a partnership they had for "The Don Lemon Show" to be amplified on Musk's social media platform X. Lemon took to X to issue a statement claiming that the partnership was terminated by Musk after the journalist interviewed him for an episode of the show.
“Elon Musk has cancelled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform,” said Lemon in the statement. “He informed me of his decision hours after an interview I conducted with him on Friday.”
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Lemon also claimed in the statement that Musk promised him that the show would have his “full support,” and that Musk and his team made “significant commitments” to the show as they “were interested in working directly with new and diverse voices.”
Lemon also said that the interview he had with Musk for the show had “good conversation.”
“There were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to, and my questions were respectful and wide ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election,” said Lemon. “We had a good conversation. Clearly he felt differently. His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me.”
Lemon claimed that he will be “doubling down” on his commitment to free speech despite the recent snub from Musk and his team. He also revealed that his interview with Musk will be the premiere episode of "The Don Lemon Show" on March 18.
News from me…#TheDonLemonShow pic.twitter.com/PzlKuvkZtj
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 13, 2024
X responded to Lemon’s recent comments claiming in a statement that the platform “champions free speech.”
“X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to provide an open environment for diverse voices and perspectives,” said the company in a tweet. “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. However, like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships, and after careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show.”
Last year, after Tucker Carlson debuted a show on X called “Tucker on X,” many users speculated that Carlson struck a partnership with Musk to debut episodes on the social media platform. Musk quickly shot down that speculation in a tweet but opened an invitation to individuals, “particularly from the left,” to become content creators on X.
“On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique and refute whatever he or anyone may say,” said Musk in the tweet.
On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique and refute whatever he or anyone may say.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2023
And, of course, anything misleading will get @CommunityNotes.
I also want to be clear that we have not signed a deal of any kind…
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