Don Lemon tells Paramount to 'take your hands off' CBS, CNN newsrooms
Not one to mince his words, journalist Don Lemon spoke out about Paramount's pending control over his former employer, CNN, and Kristi Noem's recent firing.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor turned independent journalist, knows a thing or two about what journalism is about: "The truth."
Speaking to USA TODAY at the 37th GLAAD Media Awards, Lemon chimed in about Paramount's pending purchase of Warner Bros., which includes his former employer, CNN, and what's already happening at CBS. In recent months, the network has received criticism over its cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and its appointment of Bari Weiss as CBS News' editor-in-chief.
Lemon, rarely one to mince words, called it "a bit unfortunate."
"It appears that [Paramount is] trying to take an organization, especially CBS News, that's built on journalism and move it in a certain direction politically, and that's not what journalism is about," Lemon, 60, said on the red carpet. "Journalism is about the truth, and the truth has no right or no left, it's just what is."
Don Lemon to Paramount: 'Take your hands off' CBS, CNN newsrooms
In July 2025, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. Skydance purchased Paramount, which includes the CBS broadcast television network, for $8.4 billion.
That same month, Paramount paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump. Despite backlash, the FCC has said the agency's review of the proposed merger was not connected to the civil suit.
Then, Paramount Skydance cancelled "The Late Show," calling the move "purely a financial decision," although some believe it was another attempt to acquiesce to the current administration, as Colbert is a frequent critic of Trump. And it's not the last merger that the FCC will rule on for Paramount, as the company will shell out $110 billion to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery.
With the deal, Paramount Skydance will also own Lemon's former employer. "It's not good for journalism at all," Lemon says of the expected merger. "My advice to them would be: let the journalists be the journalists. Take your hands off the newsroom."
"The journalists will save our democracy," he adds. "It's not going to be money, it's not going to be moving people to the right politically. That's not going to help anything; that's only going to make America worse."
Don Lemon speech calls for more 'karma' after Kristi Noem's firing
During the GLAAD Awards ceremony, Lemon once again spoke his truth while presenting the honor for outstanding TV journalism segment to Jonathan Capehart and Eugene Daniels of "The Weekend" on MS NOW.
Onstage, Lemon seized the moment and mentioned the barely hot off the presses ousting of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem by Trump. "I'm not going to say much, I'm not going to go off script much. I'm just going to say two words, and you guys can cheer if you want. Kristi Noem," said Lemon, evoking chants and applause in the audience.
"Karma is a you know what," he added. "Let's hope that it gets more people than just her." After Noem's firing, Trump replaced her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma.
Don Lemon urges people to 'refuse to be burnt out' amid trying times
Lemon also encouraged members of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, women, immigrants, and all intersections in between to use their voices and platforms during times of political turmoil.
"Refuse to be overwhelmed, refuse to be burnt out, refuse to be intimidated because when enough of us keep shining a light, the darkness doesn't stand a chance," he said.
Don Lemon jokes about hotel arrest
On stage, Lemon quipped that Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, hated him because the event was held at the Beverly Hilton hotel, the same place he was arrested back in January by federal agents.
The journalist faces charges of conspiring to violate constitutional rights during his coverage of an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota last January. Lemon has pleaded not guilty.
The journalist, who is gay and Black, told USA TODAY that he "loves being amongst my people.
Lemon adds that LGBTQ+ rights and the First Amendment are his top priorities at the moment. "Anytime I get a chance to speak about that and to honor people who are doing good journalism, I'm here for it."
Contributing: Anika Reed, USA TODAY