U.S.THE BBN INTERVIEW

Don Lemon's ex-CNN colleagues doubt his presidential run

Lemon puts the odds of a White House run at sixty-five to seventy percent, and his former CNN colleagues are publicly unconvinced; the polls are not yet in.

On air: Hank Ledger on The Five O'Clock
Published 5:53 PM ET, Tuesday, October 13, 2026

At a glance

First reported by New York Post: “Don Lemon’s former CNN colleagues skeptical about his possible presidential run”.
Covered on BBN on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 5:53 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Hank Ledger.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

New York PostDon Lemon’s former CNN colleagues skeptical about his possible presidential run

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorFormer CNN host Don Lemon, sixty, says there is a sixty-five to seventy percent chance he runs for president, and his old colleagues are not buying it.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWith me is Cornelius Abernathy-Okafor, who runs the Draft Everybody Committee of Greater Tallahassee. Cornelius, is a sixty-five to seventy percent chance a real number?
Cornelius Abernathy-OkaforHank, for the record, that is the best number I have seen since my laminated poll, which I am holding up right now, came back at eleven percent.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorEleven percent is not the best number. It is eleven percent.
Cornelius Abernathy-OkaforIn a crowded field, eleven is a landslide.
Cornelius Abernathy-OkaforAnd his former colleagues doubting him is a good sign, because nobody who works with you ever thinks you should be promoted.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSo the people who watched him work for years are the least reliable voters in the country?
Cornelius Abernathy-OkaforExactly. If coworkers believed in you, you would still be at the coworkers' desk. Every great campaign begins with a group chat that muted you.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorLet me ask you about your own record. How many people has your committee drafted?
Cornelius Abernathy-OkaforSix hundred. And for the record, one of them wrote back, a Gary, who asked whether we had the right address.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorGary.
Cornelius Abernathy-OkaforGary is leaning yes. For the record, the other five hundred ninety-nine are leaning toward the restraining order, which we count as engagement.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorComing up later, a royal hive and a question about whose honey is whose.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorBut first, Cornelius, what are your odds that you actually draft anyone who wants it?
Cornelius Abernathy-OkaforSixty-five to seventy percent, Hank, and I have already filed your paperwork. Gary is your running mate.