Don Lemon rants in support of Michelle Obama's Trump snub and suggests Barack should do the same

Don Lemon has launched an impassioned rant in defense of Michelle's Obama's decision to not attend Donald Trump's inauguration.

The fired CNN star unleashed his remarks on YouTube Tuesday, shortly after the former first lady confirmed in a statement she would not be attending. 

A few days before, she had been noticeably absent from Jimmy Carter's funeral, where her husband, former president Barack Obama, found himself seated next to the president-elect.

The two appeared amiable during the event - something that spurred criticism from Lemon, 58, over the weekend.

Fresh off panning Obama for 'grinning [alongside] someone [he has] called a fascist', the progressive reacted to the new news.

First he framed Michelle's still-unexplained decision as 'a big move' before setting out on connecting the dots himself - all while asking for input from paid subscribers.

He came to the conclusion the former first lady's scheduling had been deliberate, while asking a series of leading questions to his thousands of viewers.

In one, Lemon asked those offering praise to Michelle for supposedly snubbing the next president if they felt 'the same... about Barack Obama' - again bashing the Democrat for acting cordial during the event.

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'I'm just saying,' Lemon continued, after reading out a series of comments from viewers indicating their stance.

'Because I know you know how the right, the MAGA folks, how they have treated the former first lady - what they say about the former first lady. They have no love for the former first lady.

'Do you think that it is okay for her not to go?'

'She's being real', responded one onlooker providing a donation.    

'I agree,' Lemon replied.

'Black women leading the way yet again,' added another female viewer. 'We applaud her,' said someone else under the impression the plans were an intentional slight.

'The poll answer should be, "Hell no! but you get the jist [sic],' added another, in response to another Lemon question: One asking if they believed Michelle's decision had been 'okay' and whether she and other Democrats should attend.  

'Do you think Democrats are normalizing this behavior that most sane rational people will agree is not normal behavior?' said a seemingly already decided Lemon. 'All you had to do is watch Pete [Hegsleth's] confirmation hearings today,' he went on.

The latter came in reference to the newly tapped defense secretary's dramatic confirmation hearing, and how it was riddled with interruptions from progressive protesters.

Some accused the former Fox News personality of misogyny, as similarly aligned members of the Senate aired similar allegations for all the American public to see.

Another woman watching Lemon's broadcast at this point observed: 'Michelle is not like other first ladies: she campaigned for [Kamala] Harris' - leading the journalist fired in 2023 days after making disparaging remarks about women to point out they were wrong.  

Nancy Reagan in 2008 endorsed John McCain, and in 2018, Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush - despite not offering a full endorsement - joined a chorus of criticism aimed at the Trump administration's zero-tolerance border policy.   

Also part of the movement was Michelle Obama, who went on to endorse Biden in the 2020 election - before not offering one this time around.

She told CNN in November 2022 how he was “doing a great job,” before claiming her hesitancy stemmed from her personal notions on how important the decision to run for second term is. 

'It’s a personal decision that he and his family have to make. Probably, if I hadn’t been through it, I would feel more cavalier about opining on it,' she said at the time, not long before Lemon was ousted from the network.

'But I know it’s a personal call. And I don’t want to be one of the millions of people weighing in on what he should do, he and Jill should do.'

Lemon, on Tuesday, reasoned: 'Look, a lot of other first ladies - well, I shouldn't say a lot - but a number of other first ladies have endorsed and I believe campaigned for someone.'

He went on to read off another comment, where an observer insisted "Michelle [was] not putting on airs or pretending for anyone. 

'She knows him for the snake that he is.'

That's when Lemon brought up Barack, along with some of the more fringe accusations from conservatives surrounding his wife's biology.

'How do you think this is going to play out?' he went on to add 'It's fine for her to opt out. 

'And we don't know,' the journalist-turned podcaster eventually disclaimed. 'People are just assuming it is because of [Michelle's] feelings - how she feels about the former president. She has not made a secret of that.'

Earlier on, Lemon aired a clip to illustrate that point, as he proudly presented the NBC News article that first reported on Michelle's announcement behind him.

The footage came from Michelle's speech this past August on day two of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where she offered her and her husband's endorsement of Harris - and a scathing rebuke of then-candidate Trump. 

'For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us,' she told a star-studded audience in her hometown, referring to herself and her husband. 

'See, his limited narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking and highly educated, successful people, who happen to be black.

'I want to know, who's going going to tell him, who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those black jobs.'

The comments appeared to call out the conservatives for promoting unfounded theories about her husband's birth.

The former first lady further insinuated that the public should expect the same kind of attacks toward Harris if she won - something that failed to come to fruition despite a video urging Americans to get ready to vote masterminded by Michelle herself.

At the time, the former First Lady enlisted celebrity friends Steph Curry and Kerry Washington to explain the concept's importance, along with others like Megan Rapinoe, Shonda Rhimes, and Chris Paul. 

All urged onlookers to start thinking about their preferred candidate ahead of the US election, days after Michelle and Barack declared their allegiance to Harris.

The advertisement begins with the stars receiving a sudden phone call from the former first lady, who sternly asks each one of them, 'Are you voting this year?' - to which they all respond affirmatively. 

Lemon, meanwhile, also pointed to how the seating arrangement at Carter's funeral  last week would have seen Michelle again rub shoulders with the incoming president - whom she was seen grimacing next to during his first inauguration.

'If she had gone to Jimmy Carter's funeral, she would have been seated or had to be seated next to Donald Trump,' Lemon opined.

'You know what she has said about Donald Trump - we've all seen how she reacted to Donald Trump's first inauguration - it was written all over her face. 

'And now the former First Lady, Michelle Obama, is not going [to Trump's inauguration],' he went on. 

'The whole Jimmy Carter funeral thing - this has been a big talk: she was not there, and you know, I said what I said, a lot of people said what they said - some people were side eye-in Barack Obama - others are like, "Give it a Break." 

'You know, "Don't talk about it" or what have you - but this has become a thing. 

'And it is unusual for a first lady of the United States not to attend - or a former first lady, not to attend - an inauguration,' he then noted.   

'Why do you think Dems should not go? And why do you think it's okay for the first lady - former first lady - not to go? Why do you think that?

'I think it is obvious how she feels, and I think if it if it indeed turns out that way, and there's no explanation, then we know what's up,' Lemon concluded.

At another point the former news anchor, who served CNN for some 17 years, agreed with one viewer that 'the mere fact that [the inauguration] is on Dr [Martin Luther] King [Jr.]'s holiday is disgusting.'

'Obama should not go as well,' sniped someone else - to which Lemon simply said 'wow.'

He then mentioned  the newly released Jack Smith report and how it saw the special counsel air his belief that Trump would have gone to jail were he not elected. 

'But because of the Supreme Court ruling that a sitting present should not be prosecuted, he's off the hook,' Lemon said.

'That is fodder, I believe, for the first lady to say, "Hell no! Look, this guy is a convicted felon, this guy has said horrible things about me and my family and other people I love.'

The rest of the broadcast saw Lemon go through the NBC report line-by-line, before more bashing on the looming administration.