Don Lemon to Chris Cuomo: It’s ‘Beneath the Dignity of this Network’ to Interview Kellyanne Conway

Don Lemon does not believe that CNN should be giving airtime White House Special Counsel Kelleyanne Conway and said as much to his friend and colleague Chris Cuomo, who had just interviewed Conway in the previous hour.

Cuomo and Lemon are clearly close and share a great mutual respect for one another, and parade their bromance nearly every evening in an extended toss that often can take a full segment of programming and features a thoughtful discussion about the news of the day. During Thursday’s toss, Lemon made plain his feelings for Cuomo’s frequent invitation of Conway on to his show.

“For me it feels beneath the dignity of this network to have someone on who just constantly lies and misconstrues things,” Lemon said, adding “having someone on like that is giving them a platform they have not earned.”

Truth is that nothing sends a shiver down the spine of a Mediaite writer/editor quite like hearing Cuomo say “Tonight we have Kellyanne Conway on the show.” These interviews are often entertaining to watch unfold, but summing them up is sort of like reporting on the immovable post coming up against the unstoppable object.

Cuomo is a great litigator, but Conway is often his match as pivoter to whatever message she is remarkably disciplined to stay on.   Or as Lemon admitted of the Cuomo v Conway interviews, “I don’t get anything out of it. It’s you two guys arguing back and forth.”

Cuomo took the tough love with the grace one typically reserve for a close friend and admitted that he got the frustration. ” I deserve the criticism. I do it on purpose. I do it intentionally. I do it for what I believe is good reason. I do it the most. I understand I should get the criticism,” Cuomo offered before Lemon opened the show.

Watch above via CNN.

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