Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has sparked a wave of outrage after making crude and mocking comments about conservative host Megyn Kelly on a podcast.
During an episode of Clip Farmers, Lemon and his co-hosts were discussing women they called “MAGA types” when Kelly’s name came up. One of the hosts asked if she was “chopped,” meaning unattractive.
Lemon jumped in and said, “Yeah, she’s chopped,” adding that she looked like “a lot of hair pieces and makeup.” He went further, saying, “She looks trans. She looks clockable,” using a slang term for someone who can be identified as transgender by their appearance.
The clip quickly spread across social media, and people across the political spectrum were stunned by Lemon’s choice of words. Critics accused him of using transgender identity as an insult and of showing the same kind of mean-spiritedness he once condemned in others.
Even longtime supporters of LGBTQ rights said Lemon had crossed a line. Outlets like OK! Magazine, PrimeTimer, and KATU News reported on the backlash, noting that many found his tone both misogynistic and hypocritical.
Lemon has long presented himself as a defender of women and of the LGBTQ community, but this moment revealed a double standard. When it comes to a conservative woman like Kelly, his compassion seems to disappear. Using the word “trans” as a way to mock someone’s looks is not only demeaning—it’s exactly the kind of behavior Lemon used earn millions calling out on air.
Author J.K. Rowling even weighed in, saying that Lemon’s insult was just another form of old-fashioned misogyny dressed up for modern times.
Megyn Kelly herself has not publicly responded, but many of her fans see the attack as proof that Lemon and others in left-leaning media can’t handle strong, outspoken conservative women. To them, this wasn’t just a cheap shot—it was part of a wider pattern of hostility toward women on the right who refuse to conform.