Former CNN host Don Lemon is considering a presidential run in 2028.
After several months of teasing the idea, Lemon insisted he was “serious” in an interview last week. His statement comes at a time when the Democrats are scrambling for direction. So far, he isn’t looking like the answer.
Lemon made his career as a particularly harsh Trump critic during the first administration. He was eventually fired from CNN after “unprofessional behavior towards women” or, as it’s known when the subject in question is not a Democrat, being a world-class sleazebag. Since then, he’s gone independent, espousing ridiculous takes that somebody is probably bored enough to listen to. In January, he was arrested for joining a mob in harassing a pastor over ICE deportations.
He’s louder since having gone independent, but his brand relies on cheap provocation, not political craftsmanship. A Candace Owens of the Left, in many respects.
Could Don Lemon stand a chance in the Democratic primary? He has the identity advantage of being black and gay. These characteristics make it harder for the progressives to slander his character and provide easy defenses to any attacks from the Right.
I’d be hard-pressed to say it’s impossible, but I’m skeptical. The fact that he considers himself a viable candidate speaks more to the spiraling priorities of the Democratic party than anything else. With no political experience or original vision, Lemon seems to be of the belief that sharp anti-Trumpism qualifies one for the highest political position on the planet.
Ironically, Lemon seems to be trying to channel Trump from 2016 in his political ambitions. Like Trump in the Obama years, he’s a hypercritical celebrity with a well-established ego who seems to have decided that he would be a gift to the world of politics at a time where his party is starved for leadership and direction.
His casual comment, “I actually think I would be a really good president of the United States” echoes Trump’s “I might do something” statements in the years leading up to 2016. He’s also recycling the anti-lobbying rhetoric by insisting that he’d run “without having to beg for money.”
He explicitly compares himself to the president by musing, “It seems in this day and age you don’t have to have a ton of political experience because our current president had none — that’s very obvious.”
The only problem is that, frankly, nobody cares about Don Lemon. Trump spent a lot of time teasing his run, and whenever he would, it would electrify his enthusiastic following. So far we’re yet to see anybody get excited by the prospect of President Don Lemon except for, well… Don Lemon. But he’s been tough on Trump! And that’s what matters. His delusions of grandeur show what the Left’s institutional Trump Derangement Syndrome can do to one’s own sense of self-importance, a hallmark of the Democrats today.
Though he wasn’t a politician, Trump energized a massive base that he had built through decades of critical commentary and tabloid fame. Merging the post-Tea Party populism with his own personal brand was far less of a stretch than starting essentially from scratch which is precisely what Lemon would have to do. Even when a Trump victory looked unlikely, nobody viewed his candidacy with disinterest.
In 2016, disgruntled populist voters had no real alternative to Trump. Of the 10 Republicans on the first debate stage in 2016, nine of them were pretty much saying the same thing. For better or for worse, Trump was saying something different. That made him the natural heir to any and all anti-establishment sentiment within the party.
The same cannot be said for today’s Democrats. While they’re not without their problems, very few things remain unsaid. If you’re a Democrat who’s mad about something, there’s damn well someone out there complaining on your behalf.
But it’s not like they’re swimming in great options for 2028, they don’t seem to care and Lemon might actually be a good fit for the vibes the Party is giving: unhinged, radical, still appealing to identity ideology of half a decade ago, and rampantly socialist.
Between California Governor Gavin Newsom’s establishment feel and the DSA’s poor showing with minorities, it’s likely that Lemon would be able to perform at least reasonably well with young black men. But even if he overperforms significantly with that demographic, it’s hard to see how he pulls together a winning coalition.
Ultimately, Lemon is not the representative of a powerful movement. He doesn’t have a unique charisma or entertainment factor. He has no political experience and no unique vision.
But then again, neither do the Democrats.
