Don Lemon was heard making a small slight against Jon Stewart during a segment on CNN News on Monday, April 10. During a discussion about the comic’s live interview with Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, Don, 57, was heard with a little bit of shade after a segment of the interview finished playing, via TMZ. he did get complimentary to the former Daily Show host, 60, shortly after though.
During the segment, a clip was played of Jon calling out the deputy defense secretary about the Defense Department’s budget. “I can’t figure out how $850 billion to a department means that the rank and file still have to be on food stamps. To me, that’s f****** corruption,” Jon said during the interview.
After the clip played, Don could be heard having a conversation with his co-anchors. The video had ended and a few photos from the event with Jon and Kathleen were shown, and the anchor had some slight shade for the funny man. “He gets a lot of leeway with the comedian thing though,” Don said.
Exchange between @jonstewart and @DepSecDef Kathleen Hicks on the defense budget: "I can't figure out how $850 billion to a department means that the rank and file still have to be on food stamps. To me, that's fucking corruption."
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 7, 2023
Shortly after the clip, Don switched gears and complimented him for a “good interview” with the defense leader. “We were just discussing: Jon Stewart is so much more than a comedian. He’s a thought leader,” he said. “When I say comedian and television host, he’s so much more than that. I don’t know if you need to qualify Jon Stewart as that.”
The comment about Jon came over a month after Don faced some backlash when he said that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was not “in her prime,” while discussing comments that the former South Carolina governor had made about politicians over 75 requiring a mental competency test, in February. Don made his return to CNN This Morning nearly a week later and apologized for his comments in a tweet. “I appreciate the opportunity to be back on @CNNThisMorning today. To my network, my colleagues, and our incredible audience — I’m sorry. I’ve heard you, I’m learning from you, and I’m committed to doing better. See you soon,” he wrote.
