Don Lemon sat across from a Chicago protester on a livestream and offered zero pushback when the man celebrated the killing of Charlie Kirk and mocked his widow. The exchange showed how a host can let violent praise air unchecked. Conservatives see that as a dangerous double standard.
Kirk was fatally shot Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University, and the fallout included heated online reactions and real world consequences for people who cheered. The protester’s remarks aired during an anti-ICE demonstration on Lemon’s channel and they crossed the line from criticism into glorifying violence. Viewers expected a host to challenge that line, not shrug.
On the stream the man unleashed this tirade:
“Charlie Kirk is a piece of shit. I don’t give no fuck. I got a job too. I don’t give no fuck. Dox me. You better not pull up where I be at … Charlie Kirk running around saying stupid-ass racist-ass shit. All type of dumb-ass shit. And they call him a patriot,” the man said. “And he was a piece of shit. He was a racist. He said if he see a black pilot, he wonder is he qualified … he the one said that a couple gun deaths is okay for the Second Amendment. He said that shit. Then when he get shot, we all ‘posed to cry? He was talking shit the minute the bullet hit his neck.”
He followed with another crude declaration:
“I’ma be Charlie for Halloween. Put a fucking hole in my neck. And free Tyler Robinson,” he added. “In my eyes, that’s what a patriot is. Shit. Just free him and send him to the military. He a good shot. You can’t deny that.”
Rather than push back, Lemon thanked the man, shook his hand and laughed to end the interview, then offered a brief disclaimer about live television. His on-air response blamed the format while sidestepping the substance of the praise. That response felt like an abdication of responsibility.
“Look, this is live in real life. The views expressed on this program are not those of the host or this program,” Lemon said. “But it’s live, and that’s — look, this man has a freedom of speech. He can say what he wants. That’s him. That’s on him. But anyways, that is unfiltered and that’s live.”
Lemon had also listened without challenge when comedian D.L. Hughley attacked Kirk the day after the shooting. Hughley’s remarks aired on Lemon’s show and seared into the same pattern of talent tossing barbs at a slain conservative.
“Charlie Kirk was a horrible human being. He said horribly incendiary things … the very last words he spoke were basically putting the onus of gun violence on gangs, which is synonymous with black people,” Hughley said. “The very way he died was lying about black people with his last breath.”
Kirk’s last exchange took place before a crowd of students at Utah Valley University and centered on whether labeling gun violence as gang activity covers mass shootings. That context does not justify cheering a killing or glorifying an alleged shooter.
A responsible host calls out praise for violence no matter the target. When prominent media figures shrug at celebration of murder, they normalize it and empower the extremes.
Conservatives will demand accountability from networks and platforms that give space to this kind of rhetoric. If media outlets want trust, they must stop treating threats and applause for violence as acceptable entertainment.
Free speech protects unpopular opinions, but it does not shield applause for murder from consequences. Silence or laughter in response to calls to free an alleged killer is not neutrality; it is enabling.
If cable hosts want credibility, they must show the backbone to name what’s wrong on air. Silence in the face of praise for killing is not neutrality, it is a choice.
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Darnell Thompkins is a Canadian-born American and conservative opinion writer who brings a unique perspective to political and cultural discussions. Passionate about traditional values and individual freedoms, Darnell’s commentary reflects his commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue. When he’s not writing, he enjoys watching hockey and celebrating the sport that connects his Canadian roots with his American journey.