Don Lemon denies Brooke Baldwin’s claims CNN is sexist: ‘We have plenty of women in positions of power’

Lemon also suggested that perhaps Baldwin, who left CNN in April, could have taken more initiative with CNN president Jeff Zucker

CNN anchor Don Lemon has pushed back against Brooke Baldwin's claims that the news network is male-dominated, noting that there are “plenty of women in positions of power”.

Speaking on the Sway podcast to host Kara Swisher, Lemon listed off a handful of women in the upper ranks at CNN. “I think we have had women who have run the network. I mean, Janelle Rodriguez ran part of the network,” he said, then pointing out that his executive producer is a woman, as is colleague Erin Burnett’s.

“We have plenty of women in positions of power in the network,” he continued. “Now, at the executive ranks, I don’t know enough about the organizational chart to tell you that. But listen, my CMO is a woman, Allison Gollust, and she is a huge influence on the network, so should the network be run by a woman? Of course, a very qualified woman. I would love to see a woman run the network.”

Lemon also suggested that perhaps Baldwin, who left CNN in April, could have taken more initiative with CNN president Jeff Zucker.

“I actually called [Zucker] up and said, ‘Would you like to have lunch?’ I mean, she can do the same thing,” he replied, also adding that he and Zucker both attended Baldwin’s wedding in 2018. He clarified, though, “I love Brooke. She’s one of my best friends.”

Earlier in April, Baldwin spoke out about gender pay disparity at the network, but did note that “it’s getting better.” She announced in February that she would be leaving the network in the spring and has since departed.

“The most influential anchors on our network – the highest-paid – are men. My bosses, my executives, are men. The person who oversees CNN Dayside is a man and my executive producer for 10 years is a man, so I’ve been surrounded by a lot of men,” Baldwin said about her time at the network during an appearance on Ms Magazine’s On the Issues podcast.