Former CNN anchor Don Lemon is criticizing President Donald Trump after the president publicly mocked CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins during an exchange in the Oval Office in D.C. The incident occurred earlier this week when Collins questioned Trump about the newly released Epstein files. After briefly addressing one of her questions by saying that “it’s really time for the country to get onto something else,” Trump later dismissed Collins as “the worst reporter” and took aim at her demeanor, remarking that he had never seen her smile.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,” Trump said at the time. “You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth.”
In a recent Instagram post, Lemon came to his former colleague’s defense, saying Collins did not deserve to be spoken to in that manner, especially while doing her job as a professional journalist. Lemon called Trump a “pig” and characterized the president’s “not smiling” remark as the familiar and demeaning trope often directed at women.
He likened it to telling a woman she would be “much prettier” if she smiled. “You insulting the way someone looks and acts. Do you own a mirror?” Lemon asked, before adding that Trump’s perception of himself might be disconnected from reality.
Lemon also criticized the Trump administration, claiming that it was “trampling” on foundational democratic principles, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. “I don’t understand how any woman supports this president and this administration,” Lemon said. “This is the administration of hypocrisy, of misogyny, of racism.”
Netizens Have Mixed Reactions to Lemon’s Remarks
While some viewers applauded Lemon for standing up for Collins, others were less receptive to his message. Several critics argued that Lemon was not in a position to lecture others about respect toward women, pointing to his own controversial history at CNN, where he made certain comments that were widely criticized as misogynistic.
One commenter on X wrote, “Maybe look in the mirror of hypocrisy before smiling at the idea that it lies elsewhere.” Another added, “Wasn’t one of the reasons he got fired from CNN his bad treatment of his female colleagues?”
