Former CNN anchor Don Lemon is facing criticism after allowing a Chicago protester to make disturbing comments about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel Sunday.

Lemon did not challenge or interrupt the remarks, which included vulgar language and praise for Kirk’s alleged killer.

The incident occurred at an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest in Chicago that was streamed on Lemon’s personal channel.

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During the livestream, one protester went on a profanity-laced tirade attacking Kirk, his widow Erika Kirk, and expressing support for Tyler Robinson — the man accused of assassinating Kirk on September 10.

“Charlie Kirk is a piece of sh*t. I don’t give no f**k. I got a job too. I don’t give no f**k. Dox me. You better not pull up where I be at … Charlie Kirk running around saying stupid-ass racist-ass sh*t. All type of dumb-ass sh*t. And they call him a patriot,” the man said.

“And he was a piece of sh*t. He was a racist. He said if he see a black pilot, he wonder is he qualified … he the one said that a couple gun deaths is okay for the Second Amendment. He said that shit. Then when he get shot, we all ‘posed to cry? He was talking shit the minute the bullet hit his neck.”

The protester continued his remarks by attacking Erika Kirk, calling her “stupid” and accusing her of racism after Turning Point USA announced an “All American Halftime Show” to rival Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny’s scheduled 2026 Super Bowl performance.

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“I’ma be Charlie for Halloween. Put a f**king hole in my neck. And free Tyler Robinson,” the man added.

“In my eyes, that’s what a patriot is. Sh*t. Just free him and send him to the military. He a good shot. You can’t deny that.”

Throughout the exchange, Lemon did not interject or refute the man’s statements.

At the end of the interview, he thanked the protester and shook his hand before laughing.

Lemon then turned back to the camera and attempted to distance himself from the comments while continuing the broadcast.

“Look, this is live in real life. The views expressed on this program are not those of the host or this program,” Lemon said.

“But it’s live, and that’s — look, this man has a freedom of speech. He can say what he wants. That’s him. That’s on him. But anyways, that is unfiltered and that’s live.”

The exchange sparked widespread reaction online as clips circulated across social media, with viewers criticizing Lemon for not condemning the comments or cutting off the interview.

This was not the first time Lemon allowed inflammatory remarks about Kirk to go unchallenged.

On September 11, during an episode of The Don Lemon Show, comedian D.L. Hughley spoke about the conservative activist’s death, calling Kirk “a horrible human being.”

“Charlie Kirk was a horrible human being. He said horribly incendiary things … the very last words he spoke were basically putting the onus of gun violence on gangs, which is synonymous with black people,” Hughley said.

“The very way he died was lying about black people with his last breath.”

Kirk’s final words came during a speech at Utah Valley University, where he questioned an audience member who brought up gang-related violence while discussing mass shootings.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10 prompted strong reactions across the political spectrum. Supporters mourned the conservative leader’s death, while some online users posted celebratory or mocking comments.

Multiple employees were fired from companies after publicly posting messages supporting the assassination on social media platform BlueSky.

As of Monday, Lemon has not publicly addressed the backlash following the protest interview.

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