In a Tense Interview With Don Lemon, Elon Musk Told Him to "Choose His Questions Carefully"

After 17 years at CNN, Don Lemon was fired in April 2023 following a career marked by controversy. He frequently made inappropriate comments that landed the host in hot water, such as the time he said the U.S. men's soccer team should make more than the women's because men are "more interesting to watch." Lemon's departure from the network came after he said then-Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was "not in her prime" during a discussion about ageism in politics.

Following his departure from CNN, Lemon launched his own media network and briefly partnered with X (formerly Twitter). It was this new venture that led to an interview with X CEO Elon Musk, in March 2024. This was conducted four months before Musk endorsed Donald Trump as president and covered a wide range of topics. The conversation was rather tense and at one point, it looked as if Elon was going to cry. Read on for more details.

The interview really took a turn when Lemon asked Musk about advertising on X. Lemon pointed out the fact that half the companies who previously advertised on X had since pulled out after Musk's quest for free speech resulted in more hate speech on the platform. The former CNN host said Musk called these advertisers "oppressors" and said they could "go f--k themselves."

In Musk's opinion, any advertiser who wasn't OK with his version of free speech was actually "forcing censorship" on X. "Why is that not a form of free speech?" asked Lemon. "They are free to advertise where they want." Musk's answer was to mention X's very good "ad placement controls" which ensure that an advertiser's content won't end up next to hate speech.

Switching gears a bit, Lemon reminded Musk that he said if advertisers kill the company, that's on them. "Doesn't the buck stop with you?" Lemon asked. "Choose your questions carefully. There's five minutes left," replied Musk while looking visibly shaken. Lemon asked the question again and assured Musk he wasn't trying to upset him. "You are upsetting me because the way you're phrasing the question isn't cogent," said Musk.

Six months after the strange interview with Musk, Lemon sued him for allegedly unfairly terminating their deal and refusing to pay him. The lawsuit also claimed Musk used the media personality's name to attract advertisers, reported USA Today. The partnership was canceled via a post to X mere days before Lemon released the interview on his YouTube channel.

The decision was shared on the @XBusiness account and said, "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." It continued, "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."

Lemon referred to X as a "far-right and conspiracy theorist cesspool," and lamented what it has become. "It's really sad, because it is a great tool, and that platform has the potential to do some real good in the world, and unfortunately, that's not happening right now," said Lemon.