Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins verbally sparred in an awkward moment on CNN This Morning, and a lot of viewers are starting to see it as a pattern. Several viewers posted clips from Thursday’s episode where Lemon tried to read entirely through a story about Brittney Griner while Collins repeatedly attempted to interject. The result was both hosts talking over each other and fans divided over who was at fault.
Lemon was reading the latest updates on Griner’s return to the U.S. on Thursday morning after a segment from a correspondent on the scene. Lemon was looking down at his notes and apparently trying to get through a set number of facts before the next story, while Collins seemed to be trying to make the moment more conversational. Some viewers thought that Collins should have picked up on Lemon’s tone and given up, while others felt that Lemon should have accepted Collins’ attempt at a give-and-take. Either way, commenters on social media said that this budding morning show lacks “chemistry.”
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Thursday’s incident did not end there, according to a report by Puck News. In a story about the broader issues plaguing CNN behind the scenes, insiders mentioned that Lemon took the day off work on Friday, leaving Collins and Poppy Harlow to host without him. Some at the studio thought that Lemon was upset by his tense moment with Collins the day before and took the day off to avoid another confrontation.
For what it’s worth, others thought that Lemon simply took the day off because he was tired from traveling. He attended the White House Christmas party in Washington, D.C. the night before, leaving him little time to get back and forth. Either way, his absence was conspicuous.
This was not the first time Lemon and Collins have stepped on each others’ toes like that. Earlier this month, the two seemed to have a genuine argument on the air while discussing the wage gap between men and women playing professional soccer. At the time, Lemon took some heat for what viewers saw as misogyny, and in hindsight many feel that he was disrespectful to Collins as well.
The Puck News piece speculates about Lemon’s frame of mind at this point in his career and in CNN’s evolution. The network is battling low ratings and lack of public trust, and experiments like CNN This Morning do not seem to be making the situation better. For now, neither Lemon or Collins have commented publicly on their perceived on-screen awkwardness.
