CNN’s Don Lemon was accused of misogyny after asking a Republican panelist who lost her train of thought if she was suffering from ‘mommy brain.’
During Lemon’s show on Tuesday commentator SE Cupp, 43, was discussing the future of the Republican party when she began stumbling over her words and forgot where she was going.
‘The ideas are not popular among Republicans,’ Cupp said, discussing firebrand MAGA beliefs, ‘Thirteen percent of Republicans want a total ban on abortion. Seventy percent of Republicans want… sorry’ she said, forgetting where she was going and trailing off.
Lemon – who is rumored to be facing the ax from his show amid CNN’s ongoing anti-woke purge – jumped in and attempted to complete her thought, then commented on the Cupp’s lapse.
‘Did you lose your train of thought? I do it all the time,’ Lemon said.
Cupp responded ‘I did,’ then went on to finish her idea.
‘A majority of Republicans oppose book bans. A majority of Republicans think that talking about race and learning about racism in school is a good thing. Majorities of Republicans are not where today’s MAGA Republicans are going and all the things they keep talking about, which begs the question: what the hell are they thinking?’
Rather than responding to the idea, Lemon continued to harp on Cupp.
‘Is it fair to say this, because I’m not a mommy, but is it mommy brain?’ he asked.
Don Lemon asked SE Cupp whether she lost her train of thought because of ‘mommy brain’
Cupp appeared bewildered by the question as a silence hung over the panel for a moment.
‘No,’ she finally said, drawing the word out, ‘I just forgot what I was going to say.’
‘I forget what I’m talking about all the time,’ Lemon then responded while laughing in what some suggested was an attempt to cover-up his gaffe.
Other members on the panel chimed in, suggesting it was ‘Covid fog.’
‘No I just forgot what I was going to say!’ Cupp responded with a grimaced chuckle.
‘We’re not beating up on you. We’re just having fun,’ Lemon added.
DailyMail.com columnist Meghan McCain was among those who condemned Lemon’s words
The comment quickly caused a splash on the internet, with Twitter users accusing Lemon of misogyny and hypocrisy.
DailyMail.com columnist Meghan McCain was among them. She tweeted: ‘I look forward to ANY man on planet earth being chided on air for having ‘daddy brain’…
‘Misogynists run media and are rarely ever held accountable for it.’
‘Its cute how the same people that accuse others of things like mansplaining and misogyny get a free pass for practicing it because dem, lol,’ wrote another tweeter.
Another put thinks more succinctly:
‘THATS SEXIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’
‘Mommy brain’ is the colloquial name for a condition some mother’s experience in the years after childbirth which results in forgetfulness, particularly focused on the verbalization of thoughts and naming things.
The condition is caused by a loss of gray matter in the brain mothers can suffer during pregnancy.
Though Cupp has a seven-year-old son, she never apparently complained about experiencing mommy brain.
CNN’s new CEO, Chris Licht, said to expect significant changes as he tries to shift the network away from partisan programming and focus instead on objective journalism
Lemon’s uncomfortable gaff comes as shakeups at CNN have led many to speculate Don Lemon might be the next name on the network’s chopping block.
White House correspondent John Harwood – known for his diatribes against Donald Trump – was given the boot earlier this month.
Just last month CNN stalwart Brian Stelter was canned as the network’s new CEO, Chris Licht, said to expect more significant changes as he tries to shift the network away from partisan programming and focus instead on objective journalism.
Steler hosted Reliable Sources, a show about the media, and was derided as a hall monitor over claims his broadcasts had a woke, smug and self-satisfied tone.
A week before Stelter was shown the door, longtime CNN commentator Jeffery Toobin announced he would not be returning to the network.
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