Greg Gutfeld: Mr. Don Lemon is coming back
'Gutfeld!' panelists discuss CNN's Don Lemon returning to his morning show after he made sexist comments about Nikki Haley.
ABC's "The View," the all-women talk show that gears toward a female audience, has completely avoided the sexism controversy that has plagued CNN host Don Lemon over the past week.
Lemon ignited a firestorm last week with his comments knocking Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, saying the 51-year-old was past her "prime" due to her age. Lemon defended his remarks in real-time, memorably telling 40-year-old co-host Poppy Harlow and viewers to "Google it," but the anger over his comments wound up forcing him to apologize to colleagues and receive a sharp rebuke from CEO Chris Licht.
There was bipartisan scorn from critics and even mockery from the Biden White House, and he will have to attend "formal training" going forward. The moment received an unusual amount of attention for a cable news dust-up, as it involved such thorny issues as sexism and ageism, common topics of debate on "The View."
However, there was not one mention of the Lemon backlash on "The View" during Thursday, Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday's broadcasts. Monday's show was pre-recorded since it was Presidents Day.
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During that time, at least 11 "hot topics" were discussed, none involving the liberal CNN host. "The View" did discuss Haley and her comments at her campaign launch about mental competency tests for elderly politicians, which prompted Lemon's attack in the first place.
Even CNN managed to air its own Lemon bashing.
"The View" co-hosts did not touch the Don Lemon drama that made headlines last week despite his attack on women over 50. (Screenshot/ABC News)
"The View" has repeatedly trashed Haley's candidacy since her campaign launch last Tuesday. On Monday's pre-recorded show, co-host Whoopi Goldberg actually echoed Lemon's sentiment by rejecting the notion that Haley is part of the "new generation" of leadership she's calling for in the White House.
"You're not a new generation, you're 51," Goldberg told Haley. "She may be younger than most of those people, but her rhetoric is the same. She’s saying the same BS."
Four out of the six "View" hosts have or had professional ties with Lemon. Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin are both currently CNN commentators, Sunny Hostin is a former CNN legal analyst, and Joy Behar used to host a show on CNN's sister network HLN. That hasn't stopped the show from discussing CNN drama in the past, however, such as the Chris Cuomo-Andrew Cuomo harassment saga that embroiled the network throughout 2021.
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"The View" normally covers the biggest headlines and issues that are relevant to women, mixing politics and hard news with lighter cultural discussions during a typical show. The Don Lemon drama seemed to be a perfect combination for a "View" debate and was even covered by legacy outlets like the Washington Post and New York Times.
By Lemon's own standards, most of the hosts are past their "prime" since Behar is 80, Goldberg is 67, Hostin is 54 and Navarro is 51.
ABC News did not provide an on-the-record response to Fox News' requests for comment.
Don Lemon returned to CNN's airwaves Wednesday after taking time off following the backlash he faced for his sexist remarks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for THR)
Lemon knocked Haley on Thursday for supporting "mandatory mental competency tests" for politicians over 75 years old, accusing her of being past her "prime."
Lemon cited "Google" to argue the 51-year-old presidential hopeful will have an uphill battle in winning the presidency since women are only in their prime during their "20s, 30s and 40s."
"I’m just saying what the facts are. Google it. Everybody at home, when is a woman in her prime, it says 20s, 30s and 40s," the 56-year-old Lemon said. "And I’m just saying Nikki Haley should be careful about saying that politicians are not in their prime, and they need to be in their prime when they serve. Because she wouldn't be in her prime according to Google or whatever it is."
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Lemon attempted to issue a mea culpa on Twitter following the intense backlash, writing, "The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it. A woman’s age doesn't define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day."
He later was forced to apologize to colleagues on the network's editorial call on Friday morning, as insiders told Fox News Digital that everyone was upset with Lemon and confused by what point he was trying to make.
"I did not mean to offend anyone," Lemon said to colleagues. "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."
CNN host Don Lemon and his partner Tim Malone were spotted vacationing in Miami Beach just hours after he phoned in his apology to his colleagues during an editorial call. (MEGA/GC Images)
Later that day, Lemon raised eyebrows after he was spotted having fun on the beach in Florida, fueling critics within CNN to believe his apology was not sincere.
In a memo sent to staff late Monday night obtained by Fox News Digital, CNN boss Chris Licht said he "sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation" which included the host agreeing to "participate in formal training."
"It is important to me that CNN balances accountability with fostering a culture in which people can own, learn and grow from their mistakes," Licht wrote before revealing that Lemon would be back Wednesday.
Before Wednesday's broadcast, Lemon told his colleagues and audience via Twitter, "I’m sorry. I’ve heard you, I’m learning from you, and I’m committed to doing better."
He did not address the controversy on-air.
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