NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 21: Don Lemon attends The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation New York Dinner at The Rainbow Room on April 21, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation)

OAN Staff Sophia Flores 
4:34 PM – Friday, July 17, 2026

Disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon revealed in a recent interview that he is “totally serious” about considering a 2028 presidential run.

On Wednesday, appearing on the “Can’t be Censored” podcast, hosts Travis Dhanraj and Karman Wong asked Lemon directly about his political ambitions. The former anchor surprised the hosts by stating that he is “totally serious” about potentially running for president of the United States.

“Do you have political ambition? Is that true?” Dhanraj questioned.

“No, but people keep asking me if I’m running for president,” Lemon responded. “And I don’t know. I might. I’m serious. I don’t know. I might, because people keep asking me to do it, or if I’m going to do it.”

 

“I actually think I would be a really good president of the United States,” he continued.

Lemon, however, emphasized that any potential presidential bid would rely on grassroots voter support rather than major corporate donors.

 

“I would like it to be a voter-citizen-driven campaign for as much as it can be. Maybe at some point I might have to take a donation. I would rather not do that, but I would rather the people of the United States to say, ‘That’s the guy that we want. I’m gonna give him five dollars or $10’ or something that doesn’t break the bank because I know that the economy is tough,” Lemon responded.

Lemon, who was fired from CNN in April 2023 and has long been a staunch critic of President Donald Trump, leveled sharp criticism at the president’s management style during the interview. Assessing the GOP administration’s performance, the former anchor argued that Trump “could have done a better job if he actually listened to people,” before adding, “but he doesn’t and he thinks he knows everything.”

Lemon’s 2023 firing was the culmination of escalating on-air controversies, internal friction with staff, and a steep decline in viewer popularity under the network’s leadership. The primary catalyst occurred in February 2023 on “CNN This Morning,” when Lemon triggered public backlash and a temporary suspension for arguing that 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her “prime,” asserting that a woman is only in her prime in her 20s and 30s.

 

Combined with struggling morning show ratings, reports that guests were refusing to book appearances with him, and a damaging Variety exposé detailing allegations of a long history of misogynistic behavior toward female colleagues, CNN management ultimately terminated his 17-year tenure to protect and stabilize the network’s morning brand.

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