A sexist remark against Republican politician Nikki Haley, who wants to run for her party’s presidential nomination, has drawn much criticism from well-known CNN anchor Don Lemon. Haley, 51, had called for a generational change in the country’s political leadership, saying some politicians were past their prime. Lemon then said on the station’s breakfast show that all this talk about old age made him uncomfortable. “Haley is not in her prime. (…) A woman is in her prime in her 20s, 30s and maybe 40s.”
That’s not his opinion, but you can read about it on Google, for example. So Haley should be careful what she says. His co-host Poppy Harlow was obviously uncomfortable with the comment – she held back.
The issue was also discussed at the White House press conference on Friday. “I’m not going to comment directly on this. This is clearly something that needs to be addressed,” the White House spokeswoman said of the statement. Lemon previously apologized on Twitter for his statement on Thursday. She was “inappropriate” and he regrets her. “A woman’s age does not define her, personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day,” he wrote. According to media reports, the 56-year-old also apologized during a CNN editorial meeting on Friday. Lemon was absent from Friday morning’s morning TV show – actually he’s the main presenter alongside Harlow and Kaitlan Collins.
Responding to Lemon’s comment, Republican Haley also tweeted that she was not calling for competency tests for “middle-aged sexist CNN anchors,” only for people who make laws and are older than 75. Haley had previously announced that she wanted to be in the White House for the Republicans. At the start of her election campaign in the US state of South Carolina, she said, among other things: “America is not yet past its best, only the politicians are behind it.” She called for “mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75”.
