Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins opened cnn this morning on Tuesday, April 25, addressing the departure of his former co-anchor, Don Lemon, who was fired from the news network on Monday (April 24).
In a brief segment, Harlow read a statement from CNN announcing Lemon’s exit before sharing her admiration for her former colleague.
In a statement, CNN CEO Chris Licht thanked Don for his contributions over the past 17 years, writing in part, ‘Don will forever be a part of the CNN family. We wish him well. And we Cheering her on in her future endeavors,” Harlow said.
“Don was one of my first friends at CNN,” Harlow continued. “I am very grateful for working with him and for his support for nearly 15 years here, and I wish him the best of luck in the future.”
See: CNN @PoppyHarlowCNN And @kaitlancollins Early on ‘CNN This Morning’ address Don Lemon’s termination news: “We wish him the best.” pic.twitter.com/SzQ8rmGdqE
– TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) April 25, 2023
Collins said, “Don was a big part of the show over the past six months. He was one of the first CNN anchors to have me on their show. It’s something I’ll obviously never forget.”
Harlow then focused on the show itself, assuring viewers that they would remain a priority.
“Catelyn and I are really proud of this show,” she said. “We are very proud of the dedicated team that works round the clock to bring you news every morning, and our priority is you, the viewer, who welcomes us into your home every morning.”
Lemon’s name was also removed from the show’s logo at the beginning of Tuesday’s episode.
The firing followed Lemon’s comments about women “behind his prime” in February, though the longtime news anchor said his dismissal came as a surprise.
“I was notified this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am appalled,” Lemon wrote in a statement shared on Twitter on Monday. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that management I would have someone have the decency to tell me straight. There was never any indication to me that I wouldn’t be able to continue doing the work I love at the network. It’s clear there are some big issues at play.”
Lemon wasn’t the only news anchor let go yesterday, as Fox News announced that Tucker Carlson has agreed to part ways with the network. This surprised many Fox News viewers, especially when TV producer Brian Kilmeade took over for Carlson on Monday night.
“Fox News is the new Bud Light…” tweeted one frustrated viewer, as many others called for a boycott of the network.
See some of the reactions below.
boycott fox news pic.twitter.com/BOYxkTteAT
— Gary Dee (@KMGGaryde) April 25, 2023
I expect conservatives to make the Budweiser boycott look like small potatoes compared to the Fox News boycott. i just saw a tweet that was talking about favorites to change @Tucker Carlson, Cut the crap #BoycottFoxNews pic.twitter.com/rmsDgUJm87
— Brian Topping (@briantopping66) April 24, 2023
Who Will Boycott Fox News For Firing Tucker Carlson?
— ♥Heavenly Scents♥ (@HeavenScent88) April 25, 2023
If you’re mad that your favorite host on Fox News got fired, and have thus decided to boycott Fox News, congratulations! You are now participating in cancel culture, which makes you a filthy liberal. Sorry, there are rules!
— Michael Aranda (@michaelaranda) April 25, 2023
