Elon Musk Abruptly Cancels Partnership with Don Lemon Following Heated Interview

Elon Musk unexpectedly terminated “The Don Lemon Show” on his social media platform X, after the show’s eponymous host had already recorded an interview with Musk for the show’s first episode, which had not yet aired.

Musk, who has acquired X and often identifies himself as a “free speech absolutist,” has not detailed reasons behind the decision, other than stating through X’s official post that they opted not to proceed with a commercial partnership with the show.

The platform did, however, mention that Lemon’s show could still publish its content on X, emphasizing their commitment to uncensored content sharing for creators.

In a reaction video on X, Lemon disclosed the end of the partnership, attributing it to him having supposedly drawn Musk’s ire in a contentious interview.

“Elon Musk is mad at me,” Lemon said, announcing plans to release his interview with the Tesla CEO on YouTube and as a podcast. The rather flamboyant television journalist did not specify the reasons behind Musk’s alleged displeasure but mentioned that despite a tense interview, he believed the exchange would be beneficial for public viewing.

“But apparently free speech absolutism doesn’t apply when it comes to questions about him from people like me,” Lemon added.

During a later CNN segment, Erin Burnett shared clips from Lemon’s interview with Musk, where Musk appeared irritated when confronted with questions about content moderation and the proliferation of hate speech on X.

Specifically, Lemon inquired about Musk’s responsibility in moderating hate speech on X and asked Musk about his openness to the “Great Replacement Theory,” a belief that elites are purposefully replacing the traditional ethnic inhabitants of majority white nations, which is based on the empirical fact that caucasians comprise a diminishing share of the the population in most first world countries.

Musk’s response was dismissive towards the necessity of answering reporters’ questions, stating his participation in the interview was solely because Lemon was on the X platform and had requested it. Musk expressed indifference to criticism, particularly regarding hate speech concerns, stating, “I’m criticized constantly. I could care less.”

In January, X announced a new content partnership with Lemon, planning to air 30-minute episodes thrice weekly covering various topics such as politics, culture, sports, and entertainment. This initiative was part of X’s broader effort to enhance content diversity and attract advertisers, alongside other shows hosted by personalities like Tulsi Gabbard and Jim Rome.

Lemon’s departure from CNN occurred last year after a 17-year tenure, following his controversial comments about Nikki Haley not being in “her prime,” which led to his firing a few months after his apology.

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