The independent journalist said on “Pod Save America” that a presidential bid is not off the table, though he stops short of calling it an aspiration.
Don Lemon is not closing the door on a presidential run. The independent journalist and former CNN anchor, 60, raised the possibility during a March 29 appearance on Pod Save America, telling guest host Alex Wagner that a future campaign could happen under the right circumstances, though he stopped well short of announcing any formal plans.
Lemon said the idea had crossed his mind despite his reservations about the personal cost of public office. He acknowledged the scrutiny, the opposition research, and the controversy that would inevitably follow, but pushed back on the notion that such obstacles should disqualify him from even considering it.
He made clear that, unlike some of the figures currently holding or seeking power, he had no comparable controversies on his record and argued that the political playing field remains uneven for people who are not white men. He pointed to the treatment of figures including Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and Nikki Haley as evidence that the standards applied in American politics differ sharply depending on race and gender.
Lemon said that while he does not consider the presidency an active aspiration, he believes he could do the job better than Donald Trump and better than most people currently in or near power. He also acknowledged the practical reality of running as an independent, noting it would likely require him to join the Democratic Party to mount a viable campaign, a step he said he was not prepared to take at this time.
Lemon’s comments come amid ongoing legal troubles
The remarks landed in the context of a turbulent stretch for Lemon personally. On January 18, he was arrested while reporting on an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota. The arrest drew significant criticism from press freedom advocates who argued it set a dangerous precedent for journalists covering civil unrest.
Lemon has maintained that he was present as a journalist, not a participant. He entered a not guilty plea in February on charges of conspiracy against religious freedom at a place of worship and interfering with the exercise of religious freedom. Speaking outside the courthouse after his release, he described the moment as a test of the country’s commitment to a free press and said he had no intention of backing down from that kind of work.
Trump, when asked about the arrest by reporters aboard Air Force One, dismissed Lemon as a failed broadcaster with no audience and called the situation the best thing that could have happened to him. Lemon did not directly respond to those remarks on the podcast.
A media career that has kept him in the public eye
Lemon spent more than a decade as a prime-time anchor at CNN before his contract was not renewed in 2023. He has since built an independent media presence, including a podcast and digital video operation, and has continued covering politics and culture as an unaffiliated journalist.
His willingness to weigh in on a presidential run, even hypothetically, reflects a broader moment in which media figures, entertainers, and public personalities are increasingly being floated as potential political candidates for 2028. Lemon did not mention a specific election cycle in his comments but acknowledged that the conversation was unlikely to go away.