Don Lemon Returns to CNN and Tells Trump to ‘Stop Threatening Democracy’

Former CNN host Don Lemon returned to the network as a guest on Monday in his second appearance on CNN since being ousted in April 2023.

Lemon appeared on OutFront , where he received a warm welcome from Erin Burnett . The former host promoted his new book about religion in America, I Was Once Lost . He reacted to the news that a would-be shooter was arrested after apparently aiming a rifle at former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago golf course. The Secret Service said an agent engaged the armed man after spotting him about 300 to 500 yards from Trump, though he did not “have line of sight” on Trump.

The suspect did not fire his weapon and was taken into custody.

In response, Republicans have blamed Democrats for calling Trump a threat to democracy over the former president’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Lemon said he is glad Trump was not hurt and called on everyone “to lower the temperature.” And he was not shy about calling out the former president over his choice of words.

“But for Donald Trump and his folks to say – and JD Vance to say – that it’s Democrats who are causing this… that’s an issue,” Lemon told Burnett. “I wrote down some notes when I saw it. Do you mind if I read this?”

Burnett gave her former colleague the green light and Lemon offered a partial record of Trump’s overheated rhetoric:

So, he’s called everyone who works in this building, “the enemy of the people,” right? We had pipe bombs sent because he kept calling us “the enemy of the people,” and that CNN was fake news.

Crooked Joe . Crooked Hillary . Crooked Kamala. Comrade Kamala . Deranged Jack Smith . Birdbrain Nikki Haley . Bloodbath if he’s not elected. There won’t be another election if he’s not elected. Bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. Poisoning the blood of our country . Destroying the blood of our country, which is something that was Hitler-esque. Communists. Marxists. Fascists. Left-leaning that live like vermin. Sons of bitches to NBA players. Shithole countries . Haiti was one and now he’s blaming Haitian immigrants for things. Blood coming out of her wherever as he talked about Megyn Kelly.

And so if Donald Trump wants people, wants Kamala Harris and others to stop saying that he is a threat to democracy, then he should stop threatening democracy. Perhaps he shouldn’t be trying to overturn elections, overthrow the government, and inciting insurrections.

CORRECTION: This article originally stated that Monday’s appearance on CNN was Lemon’s first on the network since being let go. It has been updated to reflect the fact that it is his second appearance.

Watch above via CNN.