Don Lemon is one of the most recognizable faces in journalism. As a former anchor on CNN for nearly 10 years, many viewers are very familiar with Don and his political commentary. After almost a decade of hosting on the air (and more contributing), the anchor announced that he’d been fired by the news organization in a tweet in April 2023.
Don took to Twitter to share his statement, claiming that he was blindsided by the firing. “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” he wrote. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear there are some larger issues at play.”
CNN also released a statement, confirming that they had parted ways with the anchor, but they later released another statement saying that his claims were “inaccurate.” The company said, “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
Now, nearly three years later, Don was arrested by federal agents in connection to an incident at a Minnesota church in January 2026, where he was reporting from.
Find out everything you need to know about Don here.
Long before he was a staple of the news desk, Don was still a regular contributor to the news organization as early as 2006. He’d been at CNN for many years, before getting the chance to host his own programs in primetime in 2014. He began hosting both The Eleventh Hour and The Don Lemon Show in primetime and also became a permanent host of CNN Tonight and CNN This Morning. He also hosted various special programs for the network, including CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage.
