Gay journalist Don Lemon ‘totally serious’ about running for US president
Don Lemon (YouTube/Can’t Be Censored)
Don Lemon, the gay journalist who went head-to-head on X with Nicki Minaj, has said he’s “totally serious” about running for president.
In April, the former CNN anchor suggested he was keen to become the first out gay US president, saying he’d be “better than Trump”.
Lemon, who is married to real estate agent Tim Malone, now doubled down on that thought, making it clear he’s already started looking at how he could launch his presidential campaign.
Speaking to Travis Dhanraj and Karman Wong on the Can’t Be Censored podcast, Lemon said: “I’m being totally serious.
“I actually think I would be a really good president of the United States. People keep asking me to do it.”
He explained he has spoken to people with experience in politics about what it takes to run a campaign, such as the logistics and “when [he] would have to get in”.
But, he added, he would want his campaign to be driven by the American public, rather than major political donors.
Lemon said: “I would rather the people of the United States say, ‘That’s the guy we want,’ and give five or 10 dollars – something that doesn’t break the bank.”
Elsewhere in the chat, Lemon looked at the state of American politics, and how leaving cable news changed his understanding of voters.
He said: “When I was sitting at an anchor desk at CNN, I was in a bubble. Going out and actually talking to voters is where I got the idea.”
Lemon also teased that an announcement about his bid for presidency could be coming soon.
He said: “As we get closer to 2027 or 2028, I’ll see.”
In April, speaking on Pod Save America, Lemon said: “I think I could be president of the United States. I could definitely run this country better than Donald Trump.”
He suggested he would run as an independent, but accepted “there would be a hard time” ahead, adding: “The way the system is set up, I’d have to choose a side.”
Lemon added: “I probably would have to become a Democrat. Am I at that point now? No. I don’t have the aspiration to become president, but I do think I could run this country better than Donald Trump.”
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