A top women’s group is calling for CNN anchor Don Lemon to be suspended from covering politics over his comments about women and age this week while discussing Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
“While Don Lemon’s egregiously sexist comments about women being ‘in their prime’ have no place on CNN or anywhere in the news media, this isn’t the first time Lemon’s bias has influenced his on-air reporting,” said Bridget Todd, director of communications at UltraViolet, a leading national gender advocacy group. “From athletes to politicians and even his co-anchors, Lemon has used his power and platform to consistently undermine and demean powerful women.”
Lemon sparked widespread backlash Thursday morning with comments criticizing Haley, who has called for competency tests for politicians over the age of 75.
“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable. I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians or something are not in their prime,” Lemon said on the air. “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry.”
“A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s,” he added.
Lemon, hours later, sent a tweet from his personal account saying his comments were “inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it.”
Todd said Lemon, one of CNN’s most recognizable personalities who was tapped to co-host the network’s revamped morning show, should not be allowed to cover politics moving forward.
“The anchor’s cavalier public apology for such flagrantly patronizing, chauvinistic remarks signifies nothing of accountability or consequence,” she said. “The network should also continue to monitor Lemon’s on-air appearances for gender bias, and be prepared to take additional action if needed.”
Lemon, who was off the air Friday on what was a planned day off, reportedly called into CNN’s morning editorial meeting and apologized for his remarks.
