Don Lemon leaving X due to platform not serving ‘purpose’ of free speech – Washington Examiner
Don Lemon, the former CNN anchor, announced that he will no longer be posting on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). His decision is influenced by the platform’s upcoming updated terms of service, which he believes undermine its purpose as a venue for free speech and honest debate. After being fired from CNN in April 2023, Lemon had intended to create his own show on X, similar to Tucker Carlson’s venture, but has now decided to abandon that plan. He expressed his feelings in a video on X, stating that the platform no longer serves the purpose he once valued. Additionally, the new terms of service require legal disputes to be handled in Texas courts, which Lemon views as a strategic move that favors conservative interests. Following his announcement, reactions from social media were mixed, with some users expressing skepticism about the permanence of his departure.
Don Lemon leaving X due to platform not serving ‘purpose’ of free speech
Ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon announced Wednesday he would no longer post on X, citing the platform’s incoming updated terms of service as part of his reason.
Following his firing from CNN in April 2023, Lemon sought to create his own show on X and YouTube, in the same vein that commentator and ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson did. However, his venture in pursuing a show on X is being dropped, claiming it is “time for me to leave the platform.”
“I once believed that it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency, and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose,” Lemon said in a video posted to X.
Here’s why I’m leaving Twitter… pic.twitter.com/VIope68L2k
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) November 13, 2024
Lemon also cited the updated terms of service that X is implementing Friday, which will require all legal disputes to be “brought exclusively in the U.S. district court for the Northern district of Texas or state courts located in Tarrant County, Texas.” The commentator cited a report that said this update will ensure that lawsuits are heard “in courthouses that are a hub for conservatives.”
In August, Lemon sued X and its owner, Elon Musk, over the scrapped deal that had been broken off following Lemon’s interview with Musk in March. The lawsuit says Musk and X convinced Lemon to make a heavy financial investment to start an online show “through false promises and representations.”
Many users on social media were largely unbothered by Lemon’s announcement to leave X, with the Washington Examiner’s Conn Carroll posting an image of President-elect Donald Trump waving outside a McDonald’s drive-thru. Republican activist Robby Starbuck also joked that Lemon would return to X within a month.
https://t.co/jwGeOkdwdt pic.twitter.com/DN3cwwjASk
— Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) November 13, 2024
I give it one month before you can’t help yourself and come back on here.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 13, 2024
Lmao Don Lemon announces his exit from 𝕏
Why do people feel the need to do this?
Just go.
So dramatic.
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) November 13, 2024
Lemon’s announcement was made on the same day The Guardian announced that it would no longer post on X.
In the wake of the 2024 election, BlueSky, an alternative social media platform to X, has received over a million new users.
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