“CNN This Morning” co-host Don Lemon caused some on-air tension and triggered an uproar on social media Thursday after claiming GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley was not “in her prime” — and should not comment on the age of other politicians.
Lemon, 56, was responding to Haley, 51, calling for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75 in her presidential campaign kickoff speech Wednesday.
“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable,” Lemon began. “I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians are suddenly not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime.”
To the bewilderment of co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, Lemon then said: “A woman is considered to be in their prime in [their] 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
Harlow, 40, immediately called the former primetime host out: “What are you talking about, wait … Prime for what?”
Lemon quickly tried to save himself by claiming he wasn’t stating his personal beliefs.
“That’s not according to me,” he said. “It’s like, prime. If you look it up. If you Google when is a woman in her prime, it’ll say 20s, 30s and 40s.”
He continued: “I’m just saying Nikki Haley should be careful about saying that politicians are not in their prime and they need to be in their prime when they serve. Because she wouldn’t be in her prime according to, you know, Google.”
Lemon then suggested that Haley should be careful with such proposals as they could potentially turn away older voters.
The exchange drew criticism from both sides of the aisle, with many condemning Lemon as both sexist and politically biased.
“This is one of the most sexist things a ‘news host’ has said in recent memory, but nothing will happen to Don Lemon, of course,” tweeted conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
Stand-up comedian Pete Dominick called for Lemon, who regularly puzzles Twitter with seemingly sexist and out-of-touch commentary, to be sidelined.
“More classic and egregious sexism from #DonLemon. It was only a few weeks ago where he said @secupp had ‘mommy brain.’ Today he said #nikkihaley was ‘past her prime’ as a woman. Poppi [sic] tries to dig him out of his ditch and NOPE! Bench that dude IMMEDIATELY,” Dominick wrote.
In another tweet, Dominick lists other notable women in politics and the ages they were when they ran for office.
“Just thinking about the reporting process that went into this,” tweeted former journalist Lachlan Markay. “Don Lemon heard Haley talking about politicians being past their prime, so he googled ‘when are women in their prime’ and decided that was an authoritative metric of presidential fitness. Remarkable.”
Atlanta-based radio host Erick Erickson bashed Lemon, writing, “If someone on @foxandfriends said this, Don Lemon would be losing his s— this morning on CNN for the misogyny of it.”
“If a Fox News host said this, Don Lemon would call for them to be fired,” agreed New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz.
Writer Kimberly Ross said she didn’t remember Lemon making similar commentary when Hillary Clinton ran for president at the age of 69.
Other Twitter users pointed out that Lemon shouldn’t be commenting on Haley not being in her “prime” because he is five years older than she.
“She’s 5 years younger than you. Lie down for a nap and think about what you’ve done,” one Twitter user wrote.
Another Twitter user quipped: “Nikki Haley is 51. Diva Don Lemon at 56 has the EQ of a bed bug.”
Lemon tweeted an apology for his remarks Thursday afternoon, saying: “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it.
“A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally,” Lemon added. “I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.”
Lemon neither apologized to nor mentioned Haley in his mea culpa.
