Stephen Colbert had some tough words to say about Don Lemon’s outfit on CNN This Morning. The late night show host took to The Late Show to air his grievances about Lemon’s seizure, which he didn’t feel was right for the news show.
Though Colbert said Lemon was “a dear, dear friend” and that he likes to see him on “CTM,” the Strangers with Candy alum said he was “stunned” that Lemon was wearing a jacket over a gray top and pants wore a hood.
“I think a great man once said, ‘What the hell is that?'” Colbert added. “I know they want to add some comedy to CNN and it’s hilarious, but how do you break the news in that outfit? How do you actually talk about tragedy when you’re wearing that, because what could be more tragic than that look he had this morning?
Colbert continued to poke fun at Lemon’s outfit, saying he looked like “a high school teacher who went for a jog and then got a little hungry and stopped at a restaurant, but it was too nice a restaurant and they were like, ‘Sir ‘She must wear a jacket.’ Then he stole a jacket from a Guys and Dolls extra.”
Addressing Colbert’s criticism on CNN’s morning show, Lemon said he “loved Stephen Colbert” and said he “didn’t expect” that reaction from him.
“First of all, it’s not a sweatshirt or anything. It was a sweater with a hood,” Lemon explained to his co-host Kaitlan Collins. “I don’t know if I want to go into that anyway because I was really, really surprised.”
Lemon went on to say that he wore different outfits on the morning show and when he accepted the job, they asked him to “make himself more comfortable.” The TV journalist said that “people don’t wear suits that much anymore” and “a lot has changed since the pandemic”.
“I just thought it was interesting that there was a reaction like that because I got a lot of negative reactions online,” he said.
Lemon said he now “understands” his female colleagues being criticized for their outfits.
“If Barack Obama can be criticized for a brown suit, if Volodymyr Zelenskyy can fight a war in a hoodie, if Trayvon Martin can start a revolution in a hoodie, then Don Lemon can break the news in a hoodie,” he added.
Collins asked Lemon if he would wear this outfit again and he replied, “Of course and I will wear it again, will wear a version of it.”
Watch Lemon on CNN This Morning in the video shared below.
CNN, highlighting insults from CNN! On “CNN This Morning” they play Colbert SAVAGING Lemon because he’s wearing a hoodie with a suit coat.
Don: It wasn’t a hoodie. It was a hooded sweater. pic.twitter.com/h3YIByXnq8
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) January 20, 2023