Don Lemon returned to the air on CNN Mornings today, but no one can really explain why. Ratings for the new program started out dismal and have only gotten worse. After years of prime-time missteps, Lemon insulted women over the age of 40 last week in a lame attack on Nikki Haley that infuriated his co-hosts and led to a three-day suspension.

Lemon posted a brief apology early this morning shortly before going back on the show, where he reportedly stuck to the news and kept his opinions on female “prime” to himself:

I appreciate the opportunity to be back on @CNNThisMorning today. To my network, my colleagues and our incredible audience — I’m sorry. I’ve heard you, I’m learning from you, and I’m committed to doing better.
See you soon.

— Don Lemon (@donlemon) February 22, 2023

That didn’t satisfy CNN’s critics any more than head honcho Chris Licht’s expression of “disappointed” unhappiness over Lemon’s remarks about Haley and mature women. Perhaps the sharpest and best-situated criticism came from former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, who has criticized CNN’s failure to dump Lemon since the controversy erupted. Last night on her eponymous SiriusXM show, Kelly wondered aloud just what it takes to get fired at CNN in regard to the treatment of women.

Kelly was actually more blunt and explicit than in the headline above:

“Here’s a question I have for him,” Kelly said, pointedly at Licht. “Do women matter? Do we matter? Because it shouldn’t have to be that you were raped by a man or 21 women come forward alleging that they’d been sexually harassed by a man or they’d been inappropriately touched by a man for their offense to matter.”

Kelly added, “We have seen person after person get fired because they caused offense. Mere offense. When it comes to race, when it comes to sexual orientation, when it comes to gender identity. Does women’s offense matter?” …

“Does our offense matter to CNN or does someone have to grab a boob for us to count, Chris Licht?” Kelly said. “That’s my question to you because Don Lemon’s re-education camp is a farce,” … “Do something real — prove to us that you actually see this guy’s got a repeated problem with women. He’s a sexist,” Kelly said.

Even before the pull-quotes published by Mediaite this morning, Kelly had dismantled CNN’s laughable spin in defense of Lemon. “At a townhall meeting, Licht reportedly said, ‘if saying stupid things becomes a trend for Lemon, then there will be recourse’,” Kelly read from a report, laughing. “And I tweeted out — If? If? I realize he only took over a year ago, but there’s a history here,” Kelly points out as Steve Krakauer chuckles along.

Indeed there is. Lemon already has a long history of ill-advised, ill-considered, and ill-informed opinions and arguments that went a long way toward explaining the low ratings for Lemon’s prime-time show as well. Even in our far-from comprehensive coverage of Lemon’s faux pas examples, we have a number of doozies:

• NOAA official to Lemon: No, “climate change” is not responsible for Hurricane Ian
• Oops: Lemon suggests reparations from royals … and gets stuffed
• Great moments in “journalism”: Don Lemon *literally* sings Biden’s praises over … seven cents
• Don Lemon: It’s time to start shaming the unvaccinated and leaving them behind
• Important theological update from Don Lemon: “God is not about hindering people or even judging people”
• Lemon: Let’s face it, Jesus Christ “admittedly was not perfect when he was here on the Earth”

And that’s just from the past couple of years. If Licht wants to argue that a single mistake on air shouldn’t be a firing offense, especially in a talk-show environment driven by opinion, I’d agree. Even when that involves offensive statements, it should only result in termination in the rarest of circumstances, because Lemon and others are paid to opine and to be pot-stirrers.

That argument runs into two fatal issues with Lemon. First off, he has a long habit of making stupid and/or insensitive remarks on air, as this short list aptly demonstrates, a couple of which border on offensive. Second, the decision to keep Lemon on air doesn’t make any business sense either. His rating were tanking in prime time, and they’re tanking in the mornings too. There seems to be little value to protect in Lemon’s case, especially with reports of antagonistic behavior on the set with his co-anchors emerging over the last few weeks.

With that in mind, Megyn Kelly asks a very good question — one which Licht should answer, and perhaps one on the mind of the women who have to work with Lemon. And maybe the men as well.