X cancels partnership with Don Lemon after Elon Musk interview

[KARAH RUCKER]

FORMER CNN HOST DON LEMON IS STARTING A NEW SHOW ON MONDAY.

HIS FIRST EPISODE – AN INTERVIEW WITH ELON MUSK.

LEMON’S SHOW WAS GOING TO HAVE SOME SORT OF BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X.

UNTIL MUSK TEXTED LEMON “CONTRACT IS CANCELED” JUST HOURS AFTER THE INTERVIEW.

DON LEMON SAT DOWN WITH HIS OLD NETWORK –

TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED.

[DON LEMON]

“It was interesting because at the end i could tell he was upset, uncomfortable, it was tense.

“You and i don’t agree on much. But i will fight for your right to be able to say what you want to say. That’s what freedom of speech means to me. 24 hours later. It means freedom of speech doesn’t mean the same thing to him as it does to me.”  

[KARAH RUCKER]

IN A STATEMENT –

X SAYS THE PARTNERSHIP CANCELLATION IS NOT AN ISSUE OF FREE SPEECH.

X IS NOT RESTRICTING THE SHOW OR BANNING IT FROM THE PLATFORM.

A POST FROM X BUSINESS SAYS IN PART – 

“X IS A PLATFORM THAT CHAMPIONS FREE SPEECH…THE DON LEMON SHOW IS WELCOME TO PUBLISH ITS CONTENT ON X, WITHOUT CENSORSHIP…

HOWEVER, LIKE ANY ENTERPRISE, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT OUR BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS.”

NOT ONLY DID DON LEMON GO ON CNN FOLLOWING NEWS OF THE SEVERED DEAL  –

BUT HE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT HOW **TENSE THE INTERVIEW WITH  MUSK WAS. 

ALLUDING TO MAYBE SOMETHING WAS SAID DURING THE BACK-AND-FORTH THAT TRIGGERED MUSK TO PULL THE PLUG ON THE PARTNERSHIP.

[DON LEMON]

“Hi everyone, elon musk is mad at me.”

“Apparently free speech absolutism doesn’t apply when it applies to questions about him from people like me. What did we talk about? Why is he so upset? Does he even have a reason to be upset?

[KARAH RUCKER]

DON LEMON RELEASED SOME CLIPS FROM THE INTERVIEW.

IN THEM –

LEMON DOESN’T SHY AWAY FROM BRINGING UP CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES.

EVERYTHING FROM HATE SPEECH AND WHO MUSK PLANS TO VOTE FOR TO MUSK’S USE OF KETAMINE.

[DON LEMON]

Do you believe that x has some responsibility to moderate hate speech on the platform? That you wouldn’t have to answer questions from reporters about the great replacement theory? 

[ELON MUSK]

I don’t have to answer these questions. I don’t have to answer questions from reporters. Don, the only reason I’m doing this interview is because you’re on the x platform and you asked for it, otherwise I wouldn’t do this interview.

[DON LEMON]

So you don’t think you wouldn’t get in trouble or criticized for these things?

[ELON MUSK]

I get criticized constantly, I could care less.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

SOURCES WHO SPOKE WITH CNN SAY DON LEMON TECHNICALLY HAD NOT INKED A CONTRACT WITH X –

BUT THEY CLAIM CONTRACTS DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE SIGNED TO BE LEGALLY BINDING.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR LEMON TOLD CNN DON HAS A DEAL WITH X AND EXPECTS TO BE PAID FOR IT –

SAYING IF THEY HAVE TO GO TO COURT – THEY WILL.