Don Lemon tells CNN Elon Musk's dedication to free speech is 'talking point' in first appearance since firing

On Wednesday night, Don Lemon made his first appearance on CNN since being booted from the network last year, however this time he was the one being interviewed.

The former host complained about Elon Musk in light of X's decision to cancel a partnership between the platform and his new show, Don Lemon Tonight, and claimed that Musk's commitment to free speech was "just talking points."

Host Erin Burnett asked Lemon what he had done to "set Musk off" during the pair's recent interview, to which he replied, "Quite frankly, I don't know."

Lemon explained that during the interview, they covered a wide variety of topics from diversity, equity, and inclusion to content moderation on X, but that things were "tense at moments." 
 

"I never raised my voice," he said. "I told him, ‘I think this is important for people to hear'. At the end, I could tell he was upset. He was uncomfortable."

He went on to question Musk's commitment to freedom of speech, suggesting the Tesla CEO's comments on the subject could be "just talking points," and that he believed it "doesn't mean as much" to Musk as people think it does.

One of the "tense" moments, Lemon said, was when he asked Musk about his alleged amplification of the "great replacement theory," which contends that non-white immigrants are being allowed into the country at higher rates to eventually eclipse the white population at the ballot box.

"He has gone there directly," Burnett said, quoting a post from Musk in which he suggested Democrats would "grant citizenship to all illegals" and turn the US into a "permanent one-party deep socialist state."

"He doesn't understand that that sort of rhetoric, the 'great replacement theory' and a 'migrant invasion,' that's what radicalized shooters use in their manifestos; those exact words ... I wanted to know if he felt any responsibility as someone who has one of the largest social media information platforms in the world."

When asked whether he believed he should have to answer questions about hate on X and the aforementioned theory, Musk said he was under no obligation to entertain reporters' queries, telling Lemon that were the interview not taking place on X, he would not have done it.

"I'm criticized constantly, I could care less," he added.

In a statement, X Business reiterated that "X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to provide an open environment for diverse voices and perspectives," but explained that, "like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships.

"After careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show," it added, noting that, "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."