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Former Fox Star Megyn Kelly starts high-profile spat with CNN’s Don Lemon

Kelly has brought up the topic of journalistic neutrality

Clémence Michallon
Tuesday 07 April 2020 14:27 EDT
Don Lemon says he feels like Network character

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Megyn Kelly has criticised CNN anchor Don Lemon over the topic of journalistic neutrality.

Kelly, a former Fox News host, shared a news article discussing a recent segment on Lemon’s show on Twitter.

“CNN still pretends he is an objective news anchor (yeah, sure) while the msm [mainstream media] recoils in horror at the bias of Fox/OANN, etc. Who do they think they’re kidding?” she wrote.

OANN stands for One America News Network, a conservative cable channel.

The clip referenced in the article shared by Kelly features Lemon criticising Donald Trump and his handling of the coronavirus crisis.

At one point, Lemon says the past weeks have left him feeling like Howard Beale, the anchor portrayed by Peter Finch in the 1976 movie Network.

“Americans are mad as hell,” he tells viewers. “How much more can Americans take?”

Kelly’s reaction to Lemon’s segment has been met with criticism on Twitter. Some have pointed to previous comments she made at the time of her Fox News career, in which she insisted that “Santa just is white”.

Twitter users have also brought up remarks made by Kelly on her later Today talk show, in which she questioned why wearing blackface as part of a Halloween costume wasn’t acceptable.

Kelly apologised for her comments but was dropped by NBC in October 2018 following the controversy.

Lemon reacted to Kelly’s remarks on Chris Cuomo’s CNN show, telling his colleague at the time: “Megyn is 47 years old, she’s our age. There has never been a time in that 47 years that blackface has been acceptable.”

The Independent has contacted Lemon’s CNN representative for comment.

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