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Elon Musk has a new enemy, CNN anchor Don Lemon, who confronted the billionaire on a wide range of topics, some of which Elon was clearly very sensitive about.

Earlier this week, news got out that Musk had abruptly cancelled the TV journalist’s upcoming show on X, without giving a coherent reason as to why.

“There were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to,” Lemon wrote in a statement, “and my questions were respectful and wide-ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election.”

But it seems as though Musk may have been incensed by the journalist’s questions.

In what the New York Times called a “testy interview,” the pair were clearly at odds, with Musk appearing taken aback by Lemon’s probing questions, particularly when it comes to his drug habits. The thing is, Musk does not like to be confronted, leading to the grouchy CEO taking his usual potshots.

In a Friday tweet, Musk accused Lemon of being “a pompous fool who spouts nonsense”, to which Lemon fired back in a Sunday interview with PEOPLE, calling out the billionaire as thin-skinned.

“I went into this with my eyes open,” Lemon said. “I’ve interviewed many world leaders, presidents to convicts, and no one has been more sensitive or touchy than Elon Musk.”

Lemon described Musk’s snowflakey attitude, which is ironic considering his schtick is often that everyone else is too sensitive:

“And during the interview and during other interviews, [Musk] constantly says he doesn’t care what people write or say about him,” he said. “For someone who doesn’t care about what people write or say about him, he sure does care about what people write or say about him. He’s not used to being held to account.”

Despite being so successful that he’s often the first (now the second) richest man in the world, Musk is really adept at making plenty of enemies, from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to Paris Hilton, using his social media network to hurl personal insults. Another recent lashing out of his was directed at Bezos’ ex-wife, the philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who is known to spread her fortune with those less fortunate.

The Tesla owner tweeted “Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse” should be listed among “Reasons that Western Civilization died.”

Musk has proven to have a tenuous connection to reality, often resorting to furthering conspiracy theories and making outright racist remarks while surrounding himself with far-right agitators on X.

Lemon argued that Musk was “naive” for thinking that he wasn’t going to question Musk’s infamously racist and antisemitic outbursts.

“When I questioned him about things that he put out on social media, posted or tweeted, that weren’t factual, it was very uncomfortable for him,” Lemon told People. “To the point to where [he and his team] wanted to see the interview before it aired. Which was a a big capital N no.”

Anyway, the hour-long interview was finally shared in its entirety on X, and yes, it’s really tense.

The Don Lemon Show episode 1: Elon Musk

TIMESTAMPS:
(02:23) News on X
(10:07) Donald Trump and Endorsing a Candidate
(13:04) The New Tesla Roadster
(16:46) Relaxation and Video Games
(17:54) Tweeting and Drug Use
(23:19) The Great Replacement Theory
(30:03) Content Moderation… pic.twitter.com/bLRae4DhyO

— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 18, 2024

In January, the Wall Street Journal released a damning report about Musk’s reported “illegal drug” use, ranging from cocaine to LSD, which apparently had leaders at both Tesla and SpaceX worried.

According to the report, Musk took ketamine recreationally, and not just under the supervision of health professionals, as he seemed to be suggesting in his interview with Lemon.

“The reason why I mentioned ketamine prescription on the X platform, was because I thought ‘maybe this is something that can help other people,'” he said.

“Obviously I’m not a doctor, but I would say if somebody has depression issues, they should consider talking to their doctor about ketamine instead of SSRIs,” referring to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorders.

Whether his drug use is indeed impacting or has impacted his work at his many companies remains a hotly debated subject, but it was a relevant topic for Lemon to broach given Musk’s high-profile standing and security clearances.

Lemon definitely appeared to have hit a nerve with his hard-hitting questions, and despite being a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” Musk is clearly touchy about many things.

[source:futurism]