Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was branded a “f–king moron” during a tense street confrontation with a passerby in New York City — a clash that quickly spiraled into a profanity-laced shouting match captured on video.
The ex-primetime host, who was ousted from CNN last year, approached a man during a man-on-the-street segment in Manhattan for his podcast when the exchange turned ugly almost immediately.
“You’re a f–king moron, dude,” the man told Lemon, cutting him off within seconds of introducing himself.
“Thank you. So are you,” Lemon shot back, grinning before trying to salvage the interaction.
The confrontation began when Lemon tried to ask where the man was from and whether he lived in New York. Instead of answering, the stranger immediately recognized him and hurled the first insult.
“I’m glad you watch me,” Lemon responded, attempting to defuse the jab.
“No, I don’t,” the man snapped.
The heckler accused CNN and MSNBC of being “full of s–t,” claiming the networks lied about “genocide” in Gaza and “all wars.”
Lemon countered that both outlets had simply reported on what international courts ruled, but the man wasn’t convinced.
“They would never say it’s genocide,” he said. “They were protecting Israel.”
Lemon tried to steer the conversation away from the Gaza issue, telling the man he was contradicting himself by claiming not to watch him while also referencing his clips.
“You must watch me,” Lemon said. “So you’re not making any sense.”
The man compared it to knowing who George Clooney is without seeing his movies.
“And I’ve seen you spouting nonsense,” he added.
When Lemon asked why he would walk up to someone and insult them, the man shrugged: “Because it just comes out, man. Because you’re big and think you’re something.”
At that point, Lemon launched into a mini-lecture about self-respect, suggesting the man only hurled insults because he “didn’t accomplish much” in his own life.
“I would never in a million years walk up to anybody, whether I knew them or not, and call them a f–king moron,” Lemon said.
“Not unless I had terrible self-respect and I wanted to lash out because I felt bad about myself.”
But the man wasn’t backing down. “I called you a f–king moron,” he retorted. “I don’t need to defend that, cuz it’s accurate.”
The exchange turned into a loop of accusations and denials. Lemon insisted, “It’s on tape. You said it three times.” The heckler denied it, then accused Lemon of insulting him back.
“You called me a f–king moron too,” the man said.
Lemon argued that unless the man really watched him, he had no idea what he actually said on-air.
“If you’re watching clips of me, then you’re watching someone else’s idea of who I am,” Lemon said.
Nearby onlookers muttered that the man seemed drunk, but Lemon didn’t cut off the confrontation until the man finally walked away, taunting: “Go find a library.”
“You go find a library,” Lemon barked back. “There’s a bookstore right there.”
Afterward, Lemon admitted on camera that the argument was “beneath” him but said he found it “fun.”
The Post has sought comment from Lemon. The man with whom he interacted could not be identified.
Lemon, 59, was fired from CNN in April 2023 after a series of controversies, including remarks about women being “past their prime” and reported clashes with colleagues.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
