The Missing Ingredient in Don Lemon’s ‘Apology'

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It’s been nearly a week since CNN’s Don Lemon outraged his female colleagues and united the nation (for the most part) against him, after bizarrely proclaiming during a segment of the network’s “This Morning” program that former Trump ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was too old and not “in her prime” two days after she declared her presidential candidacy.

For those who missed the revealing moment, watch:

Don Lemon: “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. Sorry, when a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, and 30s, and maybe 40s…”

Poppy Harlow: “Are you talking about prime for like child bearing?”

“Don’t shoot the messenger! I’m just saying what the facts are! Google it!” pic.twitter.com/n1HmtkWTpl

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 16, 2023

Since then, the failed prime-time anchor has been off the air due to what we were told were previously scheduled days off. During that time, Lemon fake-apologized in a tweet…

The reference I made to a woman’s “prime” this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it. A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.

— Don Lemon (@donlemon) February 16, 2023

… called in during a conference call and “apologized” for offending his co-workers, and was told at some point by CNN CEO Chris Licht that he was to participate in “formal training” and needed to continue to “listen and learn” to the concerns of others over his sexist and ageist remarks.

Lemon was even mocked at one point by the Biden White House.

On Wednesday, Lemon returned to “This Morning” but not before taking to the Twitter machine yet again, this time to feign contriteness, apologizing this time to “our incredible audience”:

I appreciate the opportunity to be back on @CNNThisMorning today. To my network, my colleagues and our incredible audience — I’m sorry. I’ve heard you, I’m learning from you, and I’m committed to doing better.
See you soon.

— Don Lemon (@donlemon) February 22, 2023

Throughout this entire controversy, there has been one crucial thing missing from Lemon’s so-called “apologies,” chiefly that he’s never apologized directly to Haley.

Just for the record, I’m not into forcing people to apologize for something if they don’t want to. If someone has said or done something that is undeniably wrong and yet they want to stand behind what they said, I’m all for it because it helps me get a better feel for who that person really is.

In Lemon’s case, though, it’s different, because at least on the surface he’s shown a willingness to express regret in so many words and has made a big show of “apologizing” to just about everyone and everything – to his colleagues, his audience, the women in his life who he may have upset.

But not to Haley.

And the reason he hasn’t done so is that he’s not really sorry. He’s worried about his job, what the future holds for his career, and he’s doing what he needs to do to get back into the good graces of the people who hold those keys. Nothing more.

Again, that’s fine. If that’s how he feels, he has a right to feel that way. And people have a right to judge him based on his non-apology to the source of his ire.

After all, sour lemons are gonna do what sour lemons do. And Don Lemon is definitely a sour lemon.