Don Lemon Dismisses CNN's Quest to Win MAGA Voters

The former anchor says Paramount CEO David Ellison's plan to appeal to right-leaning viewers is a 'losing battle'.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 10:48pm

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Former CNN anchor Don Lemon dismissed Paramount CEO David Ellison's proposed efforts to have the news network appeal to MAGA voters, saying 'those folks are never ever going to watch CNN and they're never going to watch any network that's a factual news network.' Lemon made the comments during an interview at the New Orleans Book Festival, where he argued that it's a mistake for Ellison to believe CNN can gain an audience by moving the network to the right.

Why it matters

Lemon's comments highlight the challenges facing media companies like CNN as they try to navigate the increasingly polarized political landscape. Ellison's plan to target more center-left and center-right viewers could be seen as an attempt to broaden the network's appeal, but Lemon believes it's a futile effort when it comes to winning over staunch MAGA supporters.

The details

During the interview, Lemon told interviewer Tim Miller that the topic came up while he was speaking to 'Shark Tank' investor and host Kevin O'Leary. O'Leary said he believes the network will need to 'come to the middle' for such voters, but Lemon strongly disagreed, telling Miller 'You're out of your mind, that's never going to happen, are you crazy?'

  • Lemon worked at CNN from 2006 until he was fired in 2023.
  • Lemon made the comments during an interview at the New Orleans Book Festival on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The players

Don Lemon

A former anchor at CNN who worked at the network from 2006 until he was fired in 2023.

David Ellison

The CEO of Paramount, which is acquiring CNN as part of its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Tim Miller

The interviewer who spoke with Lemon at the New Orleans Book Festival.

Kevin O'Leary

An investor and host on the TV show 'Shark Tank' who spoke with Lemon about CNN's efforts to appeal to center-left and center-right viewers.

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What they’re saying

“Those folks are never ever going to watch CNN and they're never going to watch any network that's a factual news network.”

— Don Lemon, Former CNN Anchor

“You're out of your mind, that's never going to happen, are you crazy?”

— Don Lemon, Former CNN Anchor

The takeaway

Lemon's dismissal of Ellison's plan to have CNN appeal to more center-left and center-right viewers highlights the challenges facing media companies as they try to navigate the increasingly polarized political landscape. Lemon believes that MAGA supporters will never watch CNN or any other 'factual news network,' making Ellison's efforts a 'losing battle.'