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Similar to the way X (formerly Twitter) offered Tucker Carlson a soapbox to broadcast from following his ouster from Fox News, the streaming platform is launching a trio of new shows built around former CNN journalist Don Lemon, ex-Representative Tulsi Gabbard, and sports radio host Jim Rome.
Today, X announced that it has tapped Lemon, Gabbard, and Rome to host three new series that will stream exclusively on the website. Per X, The Don Lemon Show will air three times a week, with each 30-minute-long episode exploring topics like “politics, culture, sports and entertainment” from Lemon’s “unique and honest” perspective. Over the course of multiple years, Rome is set to produce multiple shows as part of a content partnership with X. But Rome’s first project — which is set to premiere after this year’s Super Bowl — will air five times a week and comes as part of a deal between X and Range Media Partners, the talent agency Rome signed with last year.
Gabbard — who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and has since become a controversial figure for pushing Russia-backed conspiracy theories and switching political parties — will produce a “series of documentary style videos and broader content.”
News of the new shows comes less than a year after Elon Musk publicly reached out to Lemon via what was then Twitter encouraging the journalist to launch a new show on the website. At the time, Lemon had been recently fired from CNN after making ageist remarks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
In a statement posted to his Twitter account, Lemon described himself as being “back bigger, bolder, and freer” than ever and emphasized his belief that X has become “the biggest space for free speech in the world.”
“I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors,” Lemon said. “This is just the beginning so stay tuned.”
