Don Lemon delayed a CNN commercial break on Tuesday to awkwardly heap praises on his co-host Kaitlan Collins for her interview with Republican Rep. James Comer.
Lemon was apparently so incensed by comments made by Comer, a Kentucky Republican who serves as the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, in his interview with Collins that he stopped outro music signaling a cut to commercial.
He also hit out at the New York Post, claiming it is not a ‘credible source,’ after Comer praised the outlet for breaking the news about Hunter Biden‘s laptop.
The awkward exchange came amid reports that Don Lemon has fallen out of favor with his female co-hosts, and even made Collins run off crying.
Don Lemon awkwardly delayed a commercial break on Tuesday to heap praise onto his co-host Kaitlan Collins
Kaitlan Collins (right) was interviewing Rep. James Comer (left) for the CNN show
In the interview with Comer on CNN This Morning, Collins pressed the Republican on upcoming House investigations into Hunter Biden’s laptop and suggestions from the Twitter Files that the FBI tried to suppress those stories.
Comer said he was grateful for Twitter revealing how the FBI worked with social media companies to suppress stories related to Hunter Biden’s laptop, saying: ‘Thank goodness for Elon Musk.
‘We wouldn’t know that the government was involved in censoring conservative speech were it not for Elon Musk being transparent and not disclosing the Twitter Files,’ he said before praising the New York Post for breaking the story.
The congressman called the paper a ‘credible outlet’ and ‘the fourth biggest newspaper in America.’
But when the interview concluded and Lemon was left to transition to a commercial break, he seemed stunned by Comer’s comments as his co-host Poppy Harlow praised Collins for ‘fact checking in real-time.’
‘That’s the time that we’re in, where facts are sort of flexible and you just throw things out there — citing uncredible sources like the New York Post as a credible source and saying that facts are — it’s just… I can’t believe that we’re here,’ Lemon said.
Harlow then looked directly at the camera, seemingly taken aback by Lemon’s comments and said: ‘That’s why we got Kaitlin Collins on the Hill fact checking in real-time.’
Still, Lemon continued his rant even as the outro music started to play, signaling a cut to commercial.
‘Hold on, please with the music,’ he told the crew, who immediately shut off the sound.
He then went on to claim there is no ‘shared reality’ with people like Comer, saying: ‘American people are going to have to suffer through all of this stuff from election deniers to people who don’t believe in facts.
‘We don’t have a shared reality, and now it’s center stage.’
Lemon was supposed to transition to a commercial break following Collins’ interview with Rep. James Comer
The two discussed the upcoming hearings on Hunter Biden’s laptop, when Comer praised the New York Post for breaking the story — much to Lemon’s chagrin
At that point, Harlow tried to interrupt again, as she continued to praise Collins for pointing out that special counsels for probes into Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were both appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
She called it ‘critically important’ to fact-check in real time as the show finally cut to a commercial.
When it came back, Lemon praised Collins’ interviewing skills, saying: ‘As I was watching that very good interview by Kaitlan Collins with Comer, and I had to come out and say something because he is citing sources as credible that are not credible.
‘He is talking about facts of something that’s kind of flexible, and maybe you believe one thing or maybe another, facts are facts.’
Hunter Biden’s laptop story was highly questioned by Biden supporters ahead of the 2020 presidential election, and even led to the New York Post being suspended from Twitter for a period.
But multiple outlets — including CNN — have since confirmed that the laptop is authentic.
The awkward interaction came amid reports Lemon has had a falling out with Collins
CNN insiders say Lemon is having trouble sharing the spotlight with his two morning show co-hosts, noting they used to arrive at events together but now come separately
Lemon’s awkward attempt to praise his colleague on Tuesday came amid reports that he and his female co-hosts have not been getting along.
Sources have said that the network’s golden boy went ‘ballistic’ on Collins back in December for interrupting him, apparently berating his co-host in front of the television crew.
The incident was later featured in a company newsletter, prompting Lemon to ‘blow up’ at staff, according to RadarOnline.
He was told to take a day to ‘cool off’ by CNN boss Chris Licht.
When the two co-hosts finally reunited on Monday, their interactions were notably icy towards one another, speaking to each other only once during the hour-long show.
That interaction came when Lemon appeared to nearly interrupt Collins again, pointing to her and asking her whether she recycles in a discussion about climate change.
Collins barely looks at her co-host as she quickly replies ‘yes, we recycle’ before directing her attention back to their guest.
Lemon was reportedly told to take time to ‘cool off’ after admonishing Collins for interrupting him in a segment in December. He is pictured here last week
A spokesperson for the network denies there is any animosity between the co-hosts, calling them ‘friends’
A CNN insider has since told Fox News that Lemon is ‘having a hard time sharing the spotlight’ since losing his solo hosting gig for his primetime show, saying: ‘Don’s having a hard time sharing a show. He’s having a hard time sharing the spotlight.’
Lemon anchored CNN’s 10pm ET time slow for years but its viewership had been steadily declining.
He was then pulled from the top slot by Licht in September and asked to appear alongside Collins and Harlow for a revamped morning show.
It was intended to replace the Jeff Zucker-era program ‘New Day.’
Eric Hall had served as executive producer of the show when it launched but he was pulled from the role last month and reassigned to prime time.
Collins and Lemon, along with Harlow, used to arrive to red carpets and events as a unit.
But now, they arrive separately and seem to want to stay far away from each other.
‘At this point, Kaitlan wants to be on set with Don as little as possible,’ another source told The Post. ‘It’s messy.’
To Collins’ advantage, CEO Licht wants the morning show hosts out in the field more than on set.
Collins, who is also CNN’s White House correspondent, has recently spent a lot of time in DC.
CNN previously issued a statement saying that the reports of Lemon’s outburst are overblown, but other outlets have confirmed that the events being described are largely accurate.
‘Don, Kaitlan and Poppy were friends before they were co-anchors and they remain friends today,’ a statement reads.
