CNN Host Don Lemon: I've been called a bigot and a racist...by the left AND the right

June 22, 2015

WRITER

Why do some people succeed on TV, but many, many others fail? People want to hear the truth, and they can tell when they aren't getting it. CNN's Don Lemon understands this. Don joined the radio show Monday morning for a fascinating interview, and the two discussed the dangers of political correctness, the way the left and the right put people into boxes, and more.

Below is a rush transcript of this interview, it may contain errors:

GLENN: I think it's extraordinarily difficult to be your own man in today's world. To actually stand up for what you believe in and to hell with the consequences. To be in the media and go against your audience or your perceived audience or your bosses is also very difficult. Because everybody wants to put you in a little box. If you're on Fox, you are a racist bigot Republican. If you're on NBC, you are a -- a racist bigot liberal.

But those are not necessarily the boxes that we all fit in, now, is it? In fact, I think very few of us fit into the boxes that society has given us. But once in a while on television, you will see somebody that you think you really disagree with, say something that you're like, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait. What was that? One guy who I think is demonstrating time and time again that he is brave to buck the norm, even though I don't believe he's a conservative by any stretch of the imagination. And I don't think we agree on a lot of policies. I have a feeling we agree on many principles. This man said this recently on CNN.

DON: Political correctness has become dangerous. We have to stop looking for reasons to be offended. We have to allow people leeway to make mistakes in conversations without calling them racists, bigots, stupid, dumb, sellout, or whatever the word your word choice might be. On and on. Not everyone is going to -- or should they have to agree with you. In fact, it's better when people don't agree with you. That's how we learn. That's what conversation is really about. It's not supposed to be an agree fest. After almost 25 years in the news business, you know who is the most easily offended and the least tolerant? Liberals and progressives. Because many of them don't really want to hear anyone else's opinions, but their own. Here's a tip: If you only agree with people who hold your same political affiliation or who are of your particular race, your particular gender, or ethnicity, you are part of the political correctness run amuck problem.

GLENN: Holy cow.

Don Lemon from CNN is joining us now. Hello, Don.

DON: Good morning. How are you?

GLENN: Very good. Thanks.

DON: Good morning. Afternoon. Good day. I'm great.

GLENN: It's good to have you on the problem.

DON: It's good to hear that. It's good to hear that.

GLENN: Good to hear what?

DON: I'm glad you played that. I actually said that on the radio program that I'm on. I said much more interesting things on CNN. I guess would be subversive from what you call mainstream media, but that's what I believe. I really do believe that.

GLENN: Do your bosses know that you believe that?

DON: Yeah, they do actually. They do know. I think that's why I'm there. You know, I've been called a bigot and a racist by the right. I've been called a bigot racist by the left. Mostly on the left I'm a sellout or an uncle Tom. I don't believe in pandering I believe in telling people the truth. And people don't always want to hear the truth. And I believe many times liberals don't want to hear the truth. You know, if you don't see their world point of view, they get really vicious because, you know, what are you kidding me? You're a black man, and you don't believe certain things that I believe. You know, it's just really interesting, that box that they put you in.

But the right puts me in a box too, which kind of is disappointing. Because when you say I'm not conservative, I am conservative on some issues, and I'm liberal on other issues. And I just kind of make up my own mind. I think I'm more conservative on fiscal issues. And on social issues, you know, I happen to be a person of color and I happen to be gay, and I think I'm a little more liberal on social issues. But, you know -- so as I said, I'm my own man.

GLENN: So here's what we noticed on, and this is why I wanted to have you on. First of all, to say, thank you for being a man of conscience. Because if I can always guess what somebody is going to say, they're nothing, but a shill.

DON: Yeah.

GLENN: Because it's no way to be consistent with the politically powerful all the time. Really? You agree with everything everybody is always saying? You're just a shill. And I cannot guess where you're coming from. And I find that refreshing.

What is it going to take to get more people to get away from the political parties and the political -- the political correctness and start being their own man or woman?

DON: Well, I think it's -- I think we listen to the loudest voices the most, and we shouldn't. Because the loudest voices aren't always the majority. And I think the majority of people feel the same way we do, Glenn. That we should not be run by the right or the left or, you know, conservative versus liberal. We should be -- you know, we should listen to what is right. And I think it's going to take people like us standing up and giving voice to that.

So, you know, I was reading something this morning. I don't normally read social media. But I was in traffic. And I was just sort of reading around. And someone said, you know, I don't know anyone in my circle who likes Don Lemon and why does he still have a job. And the reason I still have a job is because listen to me. People tune into my show every night because they want to hear the truth. They don't want to be pandered to.

You know I thought about when I was at the White House Correspondents Dinner recently, and there was a person at MSNBC. And they're like -- and I saw them, and they said, look, I don't understand your success lately. Like, you're really taking off. What's going on?

And I said, well, I don't really care about what people think about me. And one of the anchors there, who you know I won't name, he said, well, what do you think about when you watch me? And I said, I don't watch you that much. And he said, why not? And I said, because I always know what you're going to say. Before you open your mouth, I know what you're going to say.

If I watch, Megyn, I don't know what Megyn is going to say. Megyn may call out Karl Rove or somebody on the left. And I'm usually go, yes! You're right! Not because I disliked the person, but because I thought that they were wrong on that particular issue. And just because I thought they were wrong on that particular issue, it doesn't mean that I don't like them or that I won't do business with them or I won't listen to them. That's all part of it. That's what we're supposed to do. I don't agree with my mother all the time, but it doesn't mean we hate each other

GLENN: Don, A, how did we get here? And, B, how do we reverse-engineer this?

DON: Well, I think we have to start listening to each other. And we have to stop sort of castigating each other and calling each other names. I mean, you know. You have names. Sport names. But when you call people rude names, you know, just because, that's fine. But if you say something is of this -- like if you say, something is, you know, akin to fascism. It is akin to racism. Or whatever.

You don't have to say, hey, you're racist. Or you're a fascist. It's because you may have those particular qualities, but it doesn't mean you're of it. And I think we have to start listening to each other. And I think somehow -- I don't know how we're going to do it. But all the people who have people sort of just wrapped around their fingers or in their heads and they continue to pander to those people, we have to somehow figure how to call out their lies and get people to realize that they're being pandered to. Because if you watch certain news programs, they say what people -- what they think people want to hear. Because they want to have -- I think people want to have their beliefs reinforced. Which is good. That's fine. But if you're in the news media, you have to tell people the truth. And that doesn't always necessarily mean reinforcing what you believe.

So somehow we have to figure out how to do that. And I think it's going to be -- it's incumbent on people like you who have a platform that I'm very -- I shouldn't say jealous of. But I would -- envious of it is a better word. I would love to have the platform that you have and the freedom that you have, Glenn. It's phenomenal and I commend you for it.

GLENN: Well, thank you very much. Let me ask you two questions.

DON: Yep.

GLENN: MSNBC was covering what was happening in Charleston on Friday. And we went down and I just asked people who wanted to go lay flowers at the church and just say a prayer and join hands and sing a hymn or two to join me and go down there. No political thing. I didn't talk to any cameras. I did nothing. I just wanted to go down. My wife and I show our support. So we go down. MSNBC is in the middle of a report. And can you play a little of this, Pat?

Thomas Roberts is the anchor who is reporting from Charleston. And in the middle of something else, this is what happens.

THOMAS: -- but hearing emotional testimony from the family. But can we look over here right now? I mean, it's kind of heartbreaking. They're singing and a whole flood of people showed up. At the same time this arraignment was taking place. So you're hearing from the family, and then this whole group of people showed up. And they're singing a gospel song? And you heard from the family members of those who were lost. I apologize.

GLENN: Okay. Stop for a second. Stop. Pat.

So he loses -- he breaks down. And feels the goodness from the people of South Carolina. When I got onto the plane and we were leaving, somebody brought that to my attention and said, my gosh, Glenn, MSNBC didn't know that it was you guys. Didn't know that it was your group. And I thought to myself, if they did, do you think it would have played out that way? Are we allowed to be -- are we allowed to be who we are? Or do we have to be in these little boxes? Would it played out the same way, Don, if he knew it was me?

DON: I can't answer that. Listen, I don't know for sure. But my honest truth, because I'm always honest, for me, is probably not. You know, I think Thomas is -- you know, I know him. He's a pretty honest broker. But, you know, MSNBC, I don't know. Because I don't think MSNBC is a fan of yours. So, you know, it would have been great if they had known that. That's what -- the weird thing is that people who are out there listening, the people who are on social media, whatever, they think that because you and I disagree with each other, that we don't like each other. Or -- they don't realize that if we see each other in public or at a certain event or whatever, we'll actually say hello and have a conversation. And I think that many people sort of take it to the extreme. Say, you have to make that known, Glenn, that you don't like -- by having me on your program. Now, just because you disagree with me, doesn't mean that you don't like me or you have --

GLENN: Quite honestly, Don. We were talking beforehand. I don't know what I disagree with you on. I know we have disagreed with you on stuff. But that's normal.

DON: That's normal.

GLENN: That is normal. I mean --

DON: Right.

GLENN: We grew up in a country where we used to disagree with people. But we didn't demonize them. We didn't -- they weren't the enemy. Now -- I was talking to my children last night. And they said, dad, you know you're going to have to take on the left and the right on some issues. And I said, I know that, honey. I know that. There's going to be people -- but it's the fringes.

DON: Right.

GLENN: The majority of people are not like that. It's just the fringes.

DON: Yes.

GLENN: But we're responding to the fringes.

DON: I told you, the loudest voices -- we respond to the loudest voices, and that's not the majority. I think most of the people in this country want -- want the country to work. They want our lawmakers to work things out. They want them to come to consensus. But we've paid attention to the extremes and the loudest voices. And that's not the majority, and we have to stop doing that. And we have to do what we're doing. We should go around the country and do something for -- to get people to start talking together. I wish I had known. I wasn't reporting from there this weekend. But I wish I had known you were doing something. I don't mind. I don't mind promoting something that you're doing.

GLENN: No, no. That's not why we did it.

DON: I know that's not why you did it. But I'm just saying, if I was on the air and I knew it was you, I would say that it's you because I think it's more important to say that so that people know. Because this guy -- this hateful guy who went into this church, he's accused -- we say alleged. But he's [inaudible]. But this guy who allegedly went into this church, he wanted to start a race war. That's what he said. That's what's alleged that he said. He thinks that people are divided. All the people that are coming together in Charleston are showing him, he's wrong. It's people of all different backgrounds. All different ethnicities. All different political beliefs. They're coming together because they realize, at the end of the day, regardless of all the hyphens, we're all Americans. And most of us in America are God -- God-fearing people, and we want to live together.

[BREAK]

GLENN: A host of CNN weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Don Lemon is with us. Don, you just said that you kind of wish that there was something that would, you know, kind of travel the country and talk about these things and try to bring things -- bring people together. We have just launched something that I would like you to look into. Called never again is now. All life matters. And what we're starting -- I think the biggest thing we can all agree on, and that is the rights of the Christians, the Muslims who aren't Muslim enough, the atheist, the homosexuals that are being thrown off the roofs by ISIS. We have to do --

DON: I saw your report on that. Awesome.

GLENN: Yeah, we have to help these people. We have to help these people. And we're going to be down in Birmingham, Alabama, on 8/28. And I'd love to invite you to come on down.

DON: If you invite me, I'm there. I'll come.

GLENN: Holy cow. That was easy.

DON: Yeah, that was easy. It's that easy.

GLENN: How about the -- and it requires that you give me personally $10,000.

[laughter]

DON: No. I just -- I'm about the truth. And I've been doing it for quite a while. And you know who realizes that, is Rand Paul? I started this thing on CNN called No Talking Points. Rand Paul and I had a huge row (phonetic) on CNN once about -- because he just wouldn't answer my question directly. I just wanted him to answer my question directly. And he went round and round and round. And this was during the last presidential cycle.

And I said, you know what, I just want politicians -- I don't care what party they're with -- just to -- if I say, what color is the sky? I don't want you to say, well, my grandmother used to say that back then the sky was -- the sky is blue today. And don't give me all this other stuff. We'll get to the other stuff, if you just answer my question.

And so, you know, since then, he'll come on the show. And I say, you know, people think we hate each other and you know, Twitter blows up every time we're on. And he said, well, that's why I like coming on your show. And the same with Donald Trump who is coming on my show as well this week. Because, you know, they're honest people. And they realize people don't just -- shouldn't normally just kiss each other's butt. I should be able to say, Glenn, I don't agree with you on that, and here's why. And we can still go on to have other conversations about other things. It's just that simple.

GLENN: I'm trying to get -- I'm trying to get the past that you think Donald Trump is a normal guy.

DON: I don't think he's normal.

GLENN: Okay. All right. Good. Okay. Good.

DON: There's nothing normal about Donald Trump.

GLENN: Okay. Good. All right.

DON: But he appreciates you if you stand up to him, is what I'm saying.

GLENN: Yes. Yes, I'll agree with that.

Don, best of luck to you. And I'm glad we opened this dialogue with each other. And I hope to see you on 8/28. We'll be in touch. Give you all the details. But I appreciate a man that doesn't always say what I believe, but always says what he believes.

DON: Yeah.

GLENN: Because that's an honest search for truth. And you engage in that. And I appreciate it. God bless. Thanks, Don.

DON: Huge fan. Please consider coming on my show as well.

GLENN: Thanks a lot, Don. I appreciate it. Back in a minute.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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