Elon Musk cancels Don Lemon's show on X before debut following "tense" interview

[midian182]

WTF?! Elon Musk has once again shown that he didn't become a billionaire by having a calm temper. The CEO has canceled The Don Lemon Show, which was to be hosted exclusively on his social media platform X, a few hours after a "tense" interview between the pair that was supposed to be part of the show's debut.

Speaking to CNN's Erin Burnett, Lemon said he asked Musk a series of questions on a variety of topics during the 90-minute interview.

Lemon said one area where he pushed Musk, who makes no secret about his dislike of reporters, was the amount of hate speech on X. The interviewer wanted to know if Musk and his company felt they had a responsibility to moderate hateful content on the platform.

"I don't have to answer questions from reporters, Don," Musk replied. "The only reason I'm doing this interview is because you're on the X platform and you asked for it. Otherwise, I would not do this interview."

Elon Musk absolutely DESTROYED Don Lemon in his interview. Here's a snippet. Watch it. pic.twitter.com/0V93RooPAy

– Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 14, 2024

Lemon asked Musk about his recent meeting with Donald Trump, to which Musk emphasized that the former president had not asked him for money. There was also a question about Musk's use of ketamine and whether it would be an issue for his government security clearance. Musk said it wouldn't as he has a prescription for the drug.

Lemon said that Musk texted him a few hours after the interview concluded. The message read, "contract terminated."

Lemon said that he would still air the show on YouTube and on X this coming Monday (March 18).

Elon Musk canceled #TheDonLemonShow�'�

Watch on YouTube and listen everywhere on Monday March 18. pic.twitter.com/AAhnvcY0ny

– Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 13, 2024

Musk's explanation for why the show was being canceled came in the form of a post that read, "His [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."

Thirty-minute episodes of the Don Lemon show had been set to run on X three times per week. The former CNN star was fired from the network last April due to internal disputes with other staff and his short and disastrous run as a morning show host.

In a reply to Lemon's announcement that he had been fired from CNN, Musk asked if he'd consider doing his show on the social media site, which Musk claimed has a bigger audience than the TV network.

"Elon publicly encouraged me to join X with a new show, saying I would have his 'full support', and that his 'digital town square is for all'," Lemon said. "I took Elon and his management team's word that they, for the first time, were interested in working directly with new and diverse voices."

"While Elon goes back on his word, I will be doubling down on my commitment to free speech,"

Musk has a history of retaliating against those he believes have wronged him. Amid a feud with Disney boss Bob Iger in December, Musk removed the Disney+ app from some Tesla vehicles without giving owners a reason why.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/102259-elon-musk-cancels-don-lemon-show-x-before.html

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Maybe don’t attack your boss and the platform of your new show on the first episode?

(You don't have to go to propaganda mode like you would for your own political party team but at least have some awareness of why you were fired from your last job)

 

[Achaios]

He got framed and then pwned.

Seems like "Lemon" had premeditated this all along and now he's going through his prepared lines again as he's posting them on social media.

Elon needs to vet ppl better.

 

[Che Cazzo]

Maybe don’t attack your boss and the platform of your new show on the first episode?

(You don't have to go to propaganda mode like you would for your own political party team but at least have some awareness of why you were fired from your last job)

Journalist shouldn't create content just to please their boss. And they shouldn't be bending over to keep their jobs because otherwise their boss will throw a hissy fit. Like that thin skinned imbecile.

But if that's how you operate, then good for you!

 

[Roach182]

"While Elon goes back on his word, I will be doubling down on my commitment to free speech,"

His commitment to free speech is banning speech he does not agree with.

 

[wiyosaya]

Elon has another hissy fit, and this is news? Elon, once again, acts like a toddler, and this is news?

IMO, This proves what many have been thinking about Elon ever since he took over "X" and claimed it was for "freedom of speech." That is, its only "Free Speech" if Elon says its "Free Speech". To Elon, the Truth that is not Elon's Truth be damned.

The only reason anyone pays any attention to Elon is because of his money. He, and his money, are vastly over rated, but modern society is intoxicated on money, IMO. Talk about dysfunction.

 

[Uncle Al]

As usual, Musk makes many great claims but insists he is above them all ..... what a cry baby!

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Elon just sitting the exclamation point after TikTok on why content platforms/social media need have clear and defined guard rails *for all of them*.

For all the "free speech" noise Elon makes, at the end of the Day Twitter isn't a town square at all, it's Musk's courtyard and he gets the final say in what stays and what goes.

 

[Eflow]

It should be very easy to go through this interview if you are a free-speech absolutist. All Elon had to say was "No. I don't believe it is X's responsibility to moderate what some people define as 'hate speech'. Our platform exists to facilitate speech in every legal form. That's what sets us apart from other social media companies".

Instead of using the interview as an opportunity to spread his message, Elon once again showed that he is a thin-skinned narcissist who can't handle outside criticism. Time to go back to your bubble where everyone pretends to love you, Elon.

 

[redgarl]

If Elon was so brilliant, he would have paid 1B$ to make the Twitter deal abort and move on...

No, he was so brilliant that he bought the damn thing with Tesla stocks.

And after that, he ask the BoD to give him 55B$ of Tesla stock so he can retain control of his own company.

Simply BRILLIANT individual.

What he did with Paypal and Tesla is nothing short of incredible, but what he is doing with what he built ATM is nothing more than breathtaking, in wrong sense of the term. It is like watching a plane crashing in flammes in slow motion.

 

[Ohnooze]

What is it you guys don't understand about what Don did? Elon gave him a platform and offered to do an interview and Don did everything he could to try and make Elon look bad. This is not about free speech. Elon knows Don is a left leaning weirdo and he still was willing to give him a platform. This was nothing but Don being shady and trying to revive his career. If you can look at this from an honest unbiased perspective you would see Don was being a real dbag.

 

[wiyosaya]

What he did with Paypal and Tesla is nothing short of incredible, but what he is doing with what he built ATM is nothing more than breathtaking, in wrong sense of the term. It is like watching a plane crashing in flammes in slow motion.

Tesla is coming apart - in part, IMO, because of all the brilliant things he's doing, and in part, because real automobile manufacturers are finally entering the EV market with better offerings.

 

[wiyosaya]

What is it you guys don't understand about what Don did? Elon gave him a platform and offered to do an interview and Don did everything he could to try and make Elon look bad. This is not about free speech. Elon knows Don is a left leaning weirdo and he still was willing to give him a platform. This was nothing but Don being shady and trying to revive his career. If you can look at this from an honest unbiased perspective you would see Don was being a real dbag.

But Elon gets a pass for being hypocritical? Got it.

 

[Ohnooze]

But Elon gets a pass for being hypocritical? Got it.

He's not being hypocritical. He doesn't have to answer questions on these things. He doesn't have have to answer questions that could damage his business. The big issue here is Don's character and that is why he was really fired. Imagine giving someone an opportunity only for them to plan on stabbing you in the back to further their sinking career. Sorry but Don is not worth defending.

 

[axiomatic13]

Elon is a man baby.

 

[Beerfloat]

Elon is so damn needy. The man just withers if he's not constantly the center of attention. Preferably fawning. Reminds me a lot of some other right wing hero, come to think of it.

 

[Superconductor]

Lemon is a doof

 

[Ohnooze]

Elon is so damn needy. The man just withers if he's not constantly the center of attention. Preferably fawning. Reminds me a lot of some other right wing hero, come to think of it.

Elon is a man baby.

I don't even care about Elon either way but it's funny that you're trashing him for firing someone who deliberately stabbed him in the back after he gave the loser a chance. Now dumb @&$ Don is unemployed again and his show is going to tank like his ratings at CNN

 

[DdubbleR]

Journalism 101:
"If someone says it's raining & another person says it's dry, it's not your job to quote them both.
Your job is to look out the F@@king window and find out which is true"!

 

[Endymio]

"While Elon goes back on his word, I will be doubling down on my commitment to free speech,"

His commitment to free speech is banning speech he does not agree with.

Utter nonsense. Musk is allowing Lemon to speak freely on Twitter. Lemon doesn't want "free" speech. What Lemon wants is for Twitter to pay him for his speech.

 

[Beerfloat]

What Lemon wants is for Twitter to pay him for his speech.

*helpfully positions fainting couch under Endymio*

What Elon wants is for his companies to make him money *gasp*

 

[poltevo]

Musk is completely untrustworthy, so I always assume he is either lying or has an agenda. The details of each story don’t matter. Don’t believe anything he says and try to ignore him completely. Unfortunately he has money and power.

 

[Homerlovesbeer]

Journalism 101:
"If someone says it's raining & another person says it's dry, it's not your job to quote them both.
Your job is to look out the F@@king window and find out which is true"!

Actually it IS your job to present both arguments without bias and let people make up their own minds over whether it's"raining outside" or not. It's certainly never been the case that journalists tell their audience what to think or what is truth.

 

[OortCloud]

Elon, you utter horror of a human being.

 

[Endymio]

Elon, you utter horror of a human being.

Why, because he fired an underperforming social media influencer? Or because he stopped Twitter from illegally conspiring with the FBI to violate first amendment rights?