Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was insulted and challenged by a New York City passerby while conducting a man-on-the-street interview for his YouTube program on Sunday.
Video of the exchange shows a man interrupting Lemon shortly after filming began, telling the host, "You're a f------ moron, dude." Lemon responded, "Thank you. So are you," and the two continued a tense, back-and-forth conversation that touched on trust in major news outlets.
During the exchange the man accused Lemon's former network, along with MSNBC, of being "full of s---" and said they "lie." When Lemon asked for specifics, the man accused the networks of lying "about genocide" and "about all wars." The two spoke over one another at times; the man told Lemon, "Don't tell me when I can speak," after the host held up a finger to interject.
Another onlooker then approached and called Lemon a "racist." Lemon invited that man to speak on the microphone, but the person declined, saying, "No, I'm good. But you're mad 'cause Trump won and let's go," before walking away. Lemon replied during the exchange that he was not "mad 'cause Trump won."
The clip, circulated online and cited by news outlets, captures a charged street-level confrontation in which broader criticisms of media coverage surfaced alongside personal insults. Lemon, who left CNN and now hosts The Don Lemon Show on YouTube, continued to engage with the subjects on camera during the interaction.
The encounter reflects ongoing tensions between some members of the public and mainstream news organizations, with critics accusing outlets of bias or misinformation on topics including foreign policy and conflict. Lemon's interviews have drawn attention previously as he shifted from cable news to independent digital programming.
Video and still images from the exchange circulated on social platforms following the incident. The clip shows the conversation moving down the sidewalk as onlookers observed and some joined the verbal sparring. The exchange ended with the departing passerby repeating that Lemon was "one of the biggest racists I've ever seen," a claim the host did not concede.
Lemon has positioned his YouTube program as a platform for on-the-street interviews and commentary since leaving cable television. The brief confrontation in Manhattan provides an example of the polarized reactions that on-camera journalists and hosts can encounter while soliciting public views on the street.