Former CNN host Don Lemon criticized Tesla CEO Elon Musk during an interview on CNN Wednesday night, calling his commitment to free speech into question.
Lemon announced on Wednesday that Musk canceled a partnership Lemon had with X because the billionaire was angered by their recent interview that has yet to be aired in full.
When asked to explain why Musk allegedly canceled his show on X during an appearance on his former network, CNN, Lemon said that it was a "good question for Elon Musk."
"I don‘t know," Lemon told CNN's Erin Burnett. "As I said in my statement, I felt really good about the interview. I said to him, as we were doing the interview, and it was tense at moments, but you‘ve been involved in tense interviews, I said to him, 'I think it‘s good that people see folks like you and I, who have different worldviews, come together and talk, as he says, have free speech."
"Free speech is only important when someone you don‘t like, or I would say someone who doesn‘t have your same point of view, if they‘re allowed to speak freely and to say their point of view," Lemon said. "Apparently, that doesn‘t matter to Elon Musk. It's just maybe for talking points for him or rhetoric, because it doesn‘t seem to matter when it‘s questions about him from people like me."
DON LEMON DROPPED BY X, CLAIMS ELON MUSK RETALIATED OVER THEIR INTERVIEW: HE'S 'MAD AT ME'
Lemon also claimed that his conduct during the course of his interview with Musk was respectful.
"During the course of that interview, I never raised my voice," Lemon said. "I told him, ‘I think this is important for people to hear, especially considering the type of discourse that we’re having in the country right now.’ And he supposedly says this is a public square for all. Maybe we’re learning that a public square should not be privately owned by someone who doesn’t think that there should be any moderation on that platform."
Lemon reiterated that the interview was at times "tense," saying that Musk became "upset and was uncomfortable" during their conversation.
"You and I do not disagree — you and I do not agree on much but I will fight for your right to be able to say what you want to say," Lemon said, recounting a conversation that he had with Musk. "That’s what freedom of speech means to me."
In a posting on X, Musk explained the decision: "[Lemon's] approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media’, which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying." "And, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity. All this said, Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform along with everyone else."
Fox News' Brian Flood, Joseph A. Wulfsohn and David Rutz contributed to this report.
