*Don Lemon continues to target Elon Musk after his partnership with the tech mogul was abruptly terminated last week.
Lemon’s new web-based show was dropped from the X social media platform hours after he interviewed Musk for the debut episode. During the conversation, Musk appeared annoyed when pressed about hate speech on X (formally Twitter), which the billionaire purchased last year.
In a new interview with People, Lemon said Elon is “not used to being held to account.”
“He’s not used to having to answer to anyone, especially someone like me who doesn’t share his worldview, who doesn’t look like him,” Lemon added. “You know what I’m saying?”
Don seemed to suggest that Elon is unaccustomed to being held accountable by Black people.
Below are additional excerpts from Lemon’s PEOPLE interview about why he chose Musk as the first guest for his new independent talk show.
PEOPLE: Did you have any qualms about joining forces with Elon Musk and X? The platform — and Musk — has a reputation for intolerance, antisemitism, transphobia. Not the most accepting culture.
LEMON: I disagree, quite frankly, with most of what Elon Musk tweets about and talks about. But he owns X, which is formerly Twitter. And it’s one of the biggest social media and information platforms in the world. I thought it was the best opportunity to reach the biggest audience so that people could see the work that I’m doing. I also, unlike Elon Musk, truly do believe in freedom of speech.
PEOPLE: Why did you choose Musk for the first show?
LEMON: As the show came into fruition, we started to think about guests. I said, “Who would be the best guest for the first show? Who would be the most impactful?” And I said, “I think that would be Elon Musk because this show is going to be about true freedom of speech and it’s going to be a global town hall for everyone. Elon Musk would be the best person.” We reached out to him. He said yes, willingly, and the rest is history.
PEOPLE: You certainly had an idea that it could all fall apart.
LEMON: The possibility of Elon Musk being unpredictable and erratic, yeah. Of course I knew that. I went into this with my eyes open. I’ve interviewed many world leaders, presidents to convicts, and no one has been more sensitive or touchy than Elon Musk. And during the interview and during other interviews, he constantly says he doesn’t care what people write or say about him. For someone who doesn’t care about what people write or say about him, he sure does care about what people write or say about him. He’s not used to being held to account. He’s not used to having to answer to anyone, especially someone like me who doesn’t share his worldview, who doesn’t look like him. You know what I’m saying? When I questioned him about things that he put out on social media, posted or tweeted, that weren’t factual, it was very uncomfortable for him. To the point to where [he and his team] wanted to see the interview before it aired. Which was a a big capital N no.
PEOPLE: What did you want to happen with this interview? Some people would say, “Don’t give him the air time, even more of an audience.”
LEMON: My philosophy then when I was in cable was that no one ever wins a cable news argument. I just wanted us both to be authentic. there was so much to get out of the way. “Why did you tweet this about Black people? Why did you say this about DEI? Why did you say this about a woman pilot? Why did you say this about Jewish people?” I had to know that and the audience needs to know that. And for him to think that that wasn’t going to happen, that was really naïve if he thought that.
He’s a very consequential person to the world. He controls the satellites. Electric cars, the auto industry. Rockets, space, and one of the biggest information platforms in the world.
I learned a lot about him and I think he learned a lot about me. Well, he could have, but I think it just went right over his head.
PEOPLE: What is the state of your relationship with Musk now?
LEMON: Our business relationship is over, so I’ll move on from there.
The Don Lemon Show debuted Monday, March 18, on YouTube. Watch it above.
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