Don Lemon Announces He's Leaving X, But Doesn't Get the Response He May Have Hoped for

Another one bites the dust.

In the latest instance of a media personality stepping away from mainstream media only to struggle in the new media landscape, former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced his exit from X — still referred to by him as Twitter — effective immediately.

Lemon cited his main reason as the platform being "too conservative" for his liking, though many pointed out that few people had realized he was even still active on it.

“I’ve loved connecting with all of you on X, but it’s time for me to leave the platform,” Lemon shared in a Wednesday morning statement.

“I once believed it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency, and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose.”

He also pointed to recent changes in the terms of service, which require disputes to be resolved in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas or in Tarrant County, Texas.

“As the Washington Post recently reported on X’s decision to change the terms, this ‘ensures that such lawsuits will be heard in courthouses that are a hub for conservatives, which experts say could make it easier for X to shield itself from litigation and punish critics,’” Lemon added.

It’s worth noting, however, that during an interview between Lemon and X owner Elon Musk, the one who pushed for censorship was actually … Lemon himself.

Additionally, public reactions to his departure suggested that the driving factor might have been that few people really noticed his presence:

For context on how this unfolded — and how Lemon has become a prime example of how legacy media figures struggle when transitioning to new media — here’s a quick recap of Don Lemon’s career developments over the last few years.

In April 2023, following months of behind-the-scenes turmoil on CNN’s morning show, Lemon was let go by the network after 17 years.

It’s unclear whether the decision was due to the show’s low ratings, his frequent clashes with co-hosts, or a series of controversial remarks, especially one targeting Nikki Haley, where he implied that women over 50 were past their prime.

Lemon might have pivoted to a weekend slot on MSNBC; after all, if hosts like Katie Phang and Al Sharpton still have their shows, Lemon could likely have found a spot there too.

Instead, he aimed to become the next Joe Rogan or Tucker Carlson, venturing into social media and podcasting.

Initially, it seemed Musk was considering bringing Lemon on board, despite some lofty demands. Then, Musk reportedly realized that Lemon's approach was essentially a rehash of “CNN, but on social media,” which, as Musk put it, “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 [former CNN president] Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so it lacked authenticity. All this said, Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform along with everyone else,” Musk posted on X.

Lemon gave it a go — though with minimal success, as most users didn’t even notice his presence. Now, he attributes it to social media’s conservative leanings.

Notably, yes, conservative and politically independent figures tend to thrive in the podcasting and social media spaces. Personalities like Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, and Tim Pool have made their mark, and former mainstream media figures like Carlson and Megyn Kelly have found renewed success after leaving their networks.

But this isn’t due to social media favoring right-leaning voices, as some claim.

Instead, it’s because figures like Lemon often attempt to recreate the same narratives on these new platforms that they did on traditional outlets, while audiences come to these platforms to escape that kind of content.

Lemon isn’t the first to encounter this reality. Chris Wallace, after departing from Fox News due to differences over 2020 election coverage, joined CNN’s digital streaming service, CNN+. That experiment ended disastrously within a month, partly due to the lackluster nature of Wallace’s show; imagine a more monotonous version of Charlie Rose without any scandalous allegations, and you’d get the idea.

Wallace hasn’t completely changed his approach, as he’s now shifting to independent streaming and podcasting — a move unlikely to fare much better than his stint on CNN+.

What media personalities like Lemon and Wallace are starting to realize is that people aren’t just leaving traditional media because of technological advances and new platforms. These new options eliminate the old gatekeepers who once controlled the media narrative. Without that barrier, there’s little incentive for audiences to seek out Lemon or others like him. And so, Don, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.