CNN anchor Don Lemon was missing in action Friday morning a day after he became the center of the country's ire when he said presidential candidate Nikki Haley is not in her "prime" because of her age.
Fellow morning cohost Kaitlan Collins said Lemon "had the day off," with other cohost Poppy Harlow currently being in Utah for the NBA All-Star Game. Harlow was the main person who was visibly bewildered when Lemon made his comments about Haley on Thursday.
"This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable. I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians are something not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn't in her prime. Sorry, a woman is in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s. That's not according to me," Lemon said yesterday, adding he researched about women being in their prime on Google.
Fox News reported CNN insiders told them Lemon's day off was planned before the controversy. (Which, I mean, really? They expect us to believe that?)
A few hours after the show ended, Lemon tweeted he regretted making the remarks but did not specifically apologize to Haley.
The reference I made to a woman’s “prime” this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it. A woman’s age doesn't define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) February 16, 2023
Haley fired back at Lemon's tweet with, "To be clear, I am NOT calling for competency tests for Sexist middle-aged CNN anchors; only for people who make our laws and are 75+"
To be clear, I am NOT calling for competency tests for Sexist middle-aged CNN anchors; only for people who make our laws and are 75+. https://t.co/wvUNCcNdVt
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 16, 2023