When Don Lemon tried to play the race card on an episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher,” he was quickly called out — much to the delight of the audience.
Lemon, a former CNN host, spoke with Maher and New York University professor Scott Galloway Friday about the anti-Israel protests that have swept through college campuses recently, according to Fox News.
Lemon, who referred to the protests as a “fad,” said the students can learn from these protests by dealing with something that may be uncomfortable.
“I’m not minimizing what’s going on, but it teaches some of these students to deal with discomfort,” Lemon said.
He continued with his own situation as a gay Black man.
“Listen, I’m different than you guys. I’m a Black gay man, so I live in uncomfortable spaces all the time. And I think that’s a good lesson for college students,” Lemon said.
“Why? What’s going on?” Maher asked in response.
“College is not a comfortable place. You learn –” Lemon said.
“No, but you said you live in those spaces. Just tell me what,” Maher said.
Lemon said, “I’m often the only person of color in the room.”
“There’s only three of us here. Come on,” Maher said.
As Maher said that, the audience laughed and cheered.
And it wasn’t just the in-studio audience who reacted. Many replied to a post by Conservative Brief on X, formerly Twitter.
Watch the video below:
Lemon has been a controversial figure since commenting that women in their 40s are past their prime.
“I’m just saying what the facts are. Google it. Everybody at home, when is a woman in her prime?” Lemon said. “It says 20s, 30s and 40s. I’m just saying Nikki Haley should careful about saying that politics are not in their prime, and they need to be in their prime when they serve. She would not be in her prime according to Google.”
Lemon went on X shortly after making the comment to clarify his statement.