News anchor Don Lemon has agreed to receive formal training after making ageist and misogynistic remarks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, CNN CEO Chris Licht issued a memo informing staff that Lemon will participate in formal training.
“I sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation. He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously.”
Although Licht was unclear about the type of training Lemon will undergo, he announced that the infamously opinionated This Morning host will return to the program on Wednesday.
Lemon came under fire after responding to Haley’s remarks about age and cognition. The former South Carolina governor suggested that politicians older than 75 should undergo a mental competency test. In a panel discussion about her comments, Lemon expressed surprising biases about sex and age, claiming that the 51-year-old presidential hopeful that women her age and above were no longer in their “prime.”
“Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s. If you Google “when is a woman in her prime,” it’ll say 20s, 30s and 40s.”
Lemon’s comments implied that a woman’s value is determined solely by her fertility. He later apologized for his derogatory remarks on Twitter, telling his 1.4 million followers that his sentiments about Haley’s age were “inartful and irrelevant.”
A former CNN staff member praised Lemon’s co-anchor Poppy Harlow for standing up in opposition to his obtuse views, and said it was clear that he did not respect his female colleagues.
Another user pointed out that Lemon failed to apologize to Haley.
Other users roasted Lemon and asked if he used Google and Chat GPT to formulate his response.
Lemon has the unwavering support of CNN boss Licht, who says he aims to use the incident as a teaching moment to demonstrate taking accountability and learning from errors.
“It is important to me that CNN balances accountability with a fostering a culture in which people can own, learn and grow from their mistakes. To that end, Don will return to CNN This Morning on Wednesday.”
Apparently, Licht and some members of the staff at CNN have diverging views on what accountability looks like. Many of Lemon’s colleagues were disappointed with the decision, incensed that Lemon got a slap on the wrist. Colleagues of the embattled news anchor claim they are frequently on the receiving end of his sexism, and describe his demeaning remarks about Haley are part of a pattern of behavior.