Don Lemon Under Fire for Saying Nikki Haley “Isn’t in Her Prime”

In my entire adult life, there have been two occasions on which I’ve heard a man say words and immediately thought, “You would not have said that to/about a man.”

The first was at a cocktail bar in Dublin when I ordered a delicious-sounding drink (as something of a connoisseur) and the waiter said, “Are you sure? It’s really boozy, like, it’s all alcohol.”

The second was when Don Lemon said, with regards to Nikki Haley, “A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”

To the first, I say, Did I f*cking stutter?

To the second, I say, SHOVE IT UP YOUR MANHOLE-SIZED A$$HOLE, DONALD.

For context, Lemon was speaking about Nikki Haley’s bid for president and her assertions that the geriatric of our politicians should maybe hang it up.

“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable. I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians or something are not in their prime,” Lemon said on CNN’s morning program Thursday. “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”

Lemon’s quip was immediately met with pushback from co-host Poppy Harlow, who asked, “What are you talking about, wait … prime for what?”

“It depends, it’s just like prime, if you look it up,” Lemon responded. “If you Google ‘when is a woman in her prime,’ it’ll say 20s, 30s and 40s.”

Mmmmmkay, Don. And when is a man said to be “in his prime?”

In his 50’s, I’d guess, since Lemon is himself 56.

And I’d agree– being “in your prime” is when you’ve acquired the experience necessary to ascend to your highest aspirations. I don’t care if your goals are professional (becoming a world-renowned expert in your field), recreational (traveling to every country), or familial (seeing your children grow up into competent adults). These things don’t happen young, and if they do, what a shame to have so little to look forward to in the last three-quarters of your time on this planet.

So to suggest that anyone is in their prime as young as 20-something is super effed, let alone women. Because you know the only superlative affected by age in men or women in terms of achievement?

Fertility.

It’s fertility. Attractiveness. Being a hot piece of ass and squeezing out babies before it’s “too late.”

How utterly misogynistic.

Listen, if, as a 26-year-old woman, I found out twenty or thirty years from now that this was actually my “prime” all along, I might just have to lay down in traffic over it. It’s not that I’m unhappy with my life; true, I feel robbed of three years of my youth thanks to COVID and governments’ reactions, but I have a compelling day job, an incredible husband, a super fun side gig (helloooo), and about 1294 goals I’m working to achieve. In other words, I’d say I’m in the early stages of reaching my full potential.

Even if I were to put on my Progressive Hat and imagine being the most disappointing and docile thing a woman could be– that is, a stay-at-home mom– I suspect (and have confirmed with my mom) that your “prime” as a mother is far, far more than the day you give birth to your children.

If you can imagine, I wasn’t the only one to take umbrage at Lemon’s words, and he very swiftly issued an apology (I assume under duress).

Yawn.

Find someone who cares, Don. You outed yourself, and it’s too late. You’ve been on a straight shot to irrelevance, and all that comment did was push you along a little faster.

You’re past your prime, Donnie. Time to hang it up. Goodbye.