CNN’s Don Lemon suggested Jon Stewart has more "leeway" to discuss things as a comedian in what appeared to be a hot-mic moment during a "CNN This Morning" segment.
Lemon spotlighted a recent discussion Stewart had with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks where the former "Daily Show" host criticized the Department of Defense for boasting a massive budget while at the same time a number of veterans are homeless and on food stamps.
"If I give you a billion dollars, and you can’t tell me what happened to it? That to me is wasteful. That means you are not responsible. But if you can’t tell me where it went, then what am I supposed to think?" Stewart said.
He continued, "We got out of 20 years of war and the Pentagon got a $50 billion raise. Like that’s shocking to me now. I may not understand exactly the ins and outs and the incredible magic of an audit, but I’m a human being who lives on the Earth and can’t figure out how $850 billion to a department means that the rank and file still have to be on food stamps. Like to me, that’s f---ing corruption. I’m sorry."
After airing a clip of the discussion, Lemon appeared to be caught on a hot-mic off-screen commenting on Stewart.
"He gets a lot of leeway with the comedian thing, though," Lemon was heard saying.
After that comment, Lemon said how Stewart was "more than a comedian."
"So Stewart questioned why some veterans are facing food insecurity despite the Defense Department’s massive budget, Hicks acknowledge it has been a problem in the past, but said that the Biden Administration has made it a ‘major priority.’ We’re just discussing like Jon Stewart is so much more than a comedian. He’s a thought leader," Lemon said.
"He’s one that truly needs no introduction and has stood up for so long for veterans rights and fought so loud and so hard and uses this big platform to keep doing so well," co-host Poppy Harlow agreed.
Lemon added, "We were saying when I said comedian and television host, he’s so much more than that. I don’t even know if you need to qualify. Jon Stewart is that but good interview there."
CNN’S DON LEMON ACCUSED OF EXTENSIVE MISOGYNY, SENDING THREATENING TEXTS TO FEMALE COLLEAGUE: REPORT
Lemon has been in the headline for several controversies in the past months.
The most recent was from a Variety report which accused Lemon of displaying "diva-like" behavior and making misogynistic comments.
"More troubling was his misogynistic behavior, multiple sources say. Lemon called one of his producers fat to her face. Not long before he was fingered for sending threatening texts to Phillips, he mocked [Nancy] Grace on air by mimicking her, shocking fellow colleagues," Variety reported.
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However, a CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The story, which is riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence, is entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip. It’s amazing and disappointing that Variety would be so reckless."
