Don Lemon says he'd sit down with Trump, but that the former president is 'too cowardly to do it'

Don Lemon is no longer on cable, but he is still maintaining a busy schedule.

The former CNN anchor has written a new book, “I Once Was Lost,” which hits shelves September 10. He has founded his own independent media company, Lemon Media Network, where he broadcasts his web-based show. And he is, very publicly, suing one of the most powerful men on the planet, Elon Musk.

We caught up with Lemon this week to ask him about all those things and more. Below is our Q&A, lightly edited for clarity.

OLIVER: Your new book, "I Once Was Lost," is out later this month. The book focuses on your relationship with God. Tell us what readers should expect and why did you choose to focus on faith?

DON: This book is about how my faith in God and love for this country shaped my life and empowered me to overcome the toxic evangelical teachings that sought to marginalize me. The book was supposed to be published after the November election. But, when the publishers read it, they felt strongly that people needed to read it before they cast their votes. Readers should expect a book that’s not just about faith or God. God is just the vehicle through which I tell America’s, and my own, story. Non-believers may even get more out of the book than believers. Regardless, if they are truly open-minded, they will come away with either renewed faith, or a renewed outlook on life, God and America.

OLIVER: The book also chronicles your exit from CNN and how you have worked to establish yourself in the shifting media landscape. How has post-CNN life been? Any surprises?

DON: Post-CNN life has been an adjustment. I spent almost two decades working at the same place, with the same people. That abrupt change and how it played out so publicly would be really tough for almost anyone. However, the surprising things I learned that followed are all written in the book. And, I use those surprises to try to help readers who have or may one day experience similar situations.

OLIVER: You spent decades working in television news. Do you ever have moments where you miss being on cable?

DON: I don’t miss being on cable. I never worked there because I wanted to be on cable. I worked at CNN because I wanted to be a journalist and they hired me. I’m still doing the work, just in a different capacity. What I do miss is working with and seeing dear friends on a daily basis. I worked there for nearly 17 years. Sixteen of those years were joyful and overwhelmingly drama free.

OLIVER: When you launched your own independent media company, you struck a deal with Elon Musk. He then abruptly canceled your agreement after you asked him some questions he didn't like during an interview. Do you regret trying to do business with Musk?

DON: I am in active litigation so, naturally, I can't discuss the case. However, I can say that it was incredibly disappointing that Elon chose to make the decisions he did.

OLIVER: I noticed you are still posting content on X. Given the way he treated you, why still use Musk's platform?

DON: I believe in keeping commitments. I’ve said publicly that I wanted to fight misinformation and extremism on the platform.

OLIVER: I'm curious to get your thoughts on how this election is being covered. How would you grade the legacy press? Do you think journalists are being blunt enough in calling out Donald Trump’s appalling behavior?

DON: Unlike some of my colleagues who have left legacy press (I call it corporate media), I don’t want to become a troll whose Internet searches all begin with, Insert person’s name, “calls out” this person or that thing about legacy media. It’s unseemly, cringy and embarrassingly thirsty.

But since you asked, I will tell you that I don’t watch much legacy press. From what I have seen, it would do many of them some good to step out of it for a while and then come back to it. False equivalency is a big, big problem. It’s why so many people are confused or even undecided at this point about who to vote for and what they're voting on. And while sunlight is the best disinfectant, it also allows weeds to grow which take root faster and can outgrow and strangle what nourishes us.

So, no, many journalists are not being blunt enough in calling out Donald Trump’s appalling behavior. “The system,” in many ways, doesn’t allow them to. The corporation doesn’t allow them to.

OLIVER: Would you sit down with Trump for an interview?

DON: Yes, I would sit down with Trump. But he’s too cowardly to do it. I don’t have to worry about how the boss or shareholders might react. I work for the American people. I don’t have anything to lose. He does.

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