Don Lemon commented on when women are in their prime. It’s an almost unimaginably stupid assertion. Michele fires back.
Video Transcript
Transcript:
(00:01) welcome to sideline sanity everyone with me Michelle Tafoya sponsored by Legacy precious metals there really has never been a better time to start looking at precious metals and make that investment go to legacypminvestments.com legacypminvestments.com today is February 16 2023 and you may have heard that Nikki Haley the former ambassador to the UN the former governor of the state of South Carolina has thrown her hat into the presidential ring and when she’s been talking in the last 24 hours she she mentioned that she
(00:35) thinks there ought to be term limits and she thinks that politicians who are quote unquote past their Prime need to you know maybe leave office it’s not a new thought but she used the phrase past their Prime so what she suggested was that you know the cognitive ability test be administered and I think we can certainly agree everyone wanted that for Donald Trump Ever Wanted Trump to take a cognitive but everyone was very curious about his mental health are we curious about the health of people in other parties other political
(01:13) parties because I haven’t heard a call for that until Nikki Haley made this statement about people being passed their Prime well it gets really interesting he may be familiar with Don Lemon no it is not Don Lemon that’s sort of a a make fun name that people use Don Lemon anchor at CNN was in prime time now is in the morning show and it’s been in the news for a number of reasons lately but continues to keep his job there in spite of that what he said this morning about Nikki Haley I didn’t believe it first
(01:52) I read it and I said no no no no no no no no no no no no no and it wasn’t really just about Nikki Haley it was about women of which I am one I was blown away if you haven’t heard it stay with us because I think you’ll be blown away too that’s next for nearly three decades she’s reported the action from the sidelines she started very young she’s covered the NBA NFL Olympics and the college football and basketball national championships and now during these insane times in our world Michelle Tafoya thinks we need a
(02:31) serious dose of sanity this is sideline sanity with your host one of the sanest people on planet Earth Michelle Tafoya [Music] well let me read to you from this article in mediaite that talked about Don lemon’s unbelievable statements this morning he said medioite writes things got a little awkward on the set of CNN this morning after Don Lemon curiously suggested that Nikki Haley shouldn’t bash politicians ages because she’s passed her quote Prime as a woman the conversation today focused on Haley’s presidential campaign launch
(03:16) specifically the part of her speech where she called for mental competency tests for politicians age 75 and up as Caitlin Collins noted the dig at both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden lemon led the discussion astray by wondering if Haley is anyone to judge politicians for being older and with this let’s just play it for you let’s let’s hear my producer John Berg is going to roll the sound for us roll tape John this all will talk about age makes me uncomfortable I think that I think it’s the wrong road to go down she says
(03:53) people you know politicians are something and not in their Prime Nikki Haley is in a prime sorry when a woman is considered being a prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s that’s not according to me Prime for what it depends I mean it’s just like Prime if you look it up it’ll if you look if you Google when is a woman in a prime it’ll say 20s 30s and 40s I don’t know 40s I’m not saying I agree with that so I think she has to be careful about saying that you know politicians aren’t in their
(04:20) Prime are you talking about Prime for like child preparing or are you talking about the message the facts are Google and everybody at home when is a woman in her prime it says 20s 30s and 40s and I’m just saying Nikki Haley should be careful about saying that politicians are not in their Prime and they need to be in their Prime when they serve because she wouldn’t be in a prime according to Google Google or whatever it is um I look and you have to be careful because older people vote older people watch linear Television
(04:50) right and so she has to be careful about turning off a certain constituency who may be her strongest set of supporters by saying people vote than younger people yes that’s the point age is a fair question remember we talked about how young people and re-rack it because we’re gonna go pick this apart it’s it is remarkable in its stupidity it is remarkable in its condescension it is remarkable in its sexism it is remarkable in so many ways all right first of all I don’t even care how old Don Lemon is because I don’t
(05:29) really care how old people are I I I I don’t although I do care about when your age impacts your abilities I adore my 91 year old mom I do but even she would tell you I shouldn’t be president no there are a lot of things Mom shouldn’t be doing anymore like driving and so she doesn’t so age if you follow the science can impact your cognitive abilities your physical abilities all of those things okay so we’re gonna rack this from the start and and deconstruct this a little bit John why don’t you run it again from
(06:06) from the beginning of Don Lemon who says the whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable go ahead this whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable I think that I think it’s the wrong road to go down she says people you know politicians are something and not in their Prime Nikki Haley isn’t in a prime sorry okay stop right there it’s the wrong road to go down but he takes the road he goes there anyway and he says this talk about age makes me uncomfortable okay go ahead and resume John politicians are something and not in
(06:40) their Prime Nikki Haley isn’t in a prime sorry when a woman is considered being her Prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s and then he says according to Google all right as I’m sitting here folks I’m gonna do this I am gonna go to Google when is a woman in her prime I’m typing it in as we speak all right let’s see what I get here um first of all most of the uh responses right now or the hits that I get are all on Don Lemon so uh at what it Cora says I’d say a woman is at a prime age starting at 19
(07:20) earlier than that and she’s a child other times she’s at a prime age oh and then it lists prime numbers that’s very cute the I honestly I typed in win as a woman in her prime and 99 of the responses I get here are all about Don Lemon John what when it was creating his own news with this he’s creating his own news of course now I see what he’s doing here now I see what he’s doing that’s not uh that’s actually pretty smart I mean the obvious question here the thing that goes unstated that he won’t answer is is
(08:00) he talking about physical prime like they’re the prime of their attractiveness or is he talking about the prime of them as a woman which a woman at her core is so much more than her attractiveness and thank you I think you probably can guess where I I think you could probably guess where I stand but it’s funny how he tips those tiptoes up to the line says it drops this bomb on two female co-hosts who who he’s been in the press as what abusing the last few weeks verbally abusing yeah and he drops this drops this on him and then
(08:27) his only defense is to say well Google it well Don I mean isn’t that why people tune in so they I mean don’t trust me Google it so yes and he is defending what what it means to be in their Prime and again yeah women are fertile up until you know their late 30s and take it from me I had many challenges uh so but Prime for what yeah if it’s that she’s hot if it’s that she’s fertile if it’s that she’s sexually active I mean this is like uh unbelievable he went to Google to determine when a woman
(09:12) is in her prime all right so again he says I’m uncomfortable with this topic I don’t really want to go down this road but damn it let’s go down this road and I’m going to tell you when women are in their Prime all right let’s play the next segment John give us a little more of this to me crying for what it depends I mean it’s just like Prime if you look it up it’ll say if you look if you Google when is a woman in a prime it’ll say 20s 30s and 40s I don’t know 40. so I got it I’m not
(09:37) saying I agree with that so he first of all he says I’m not I’m not saying I agree with that they asked him in the in their Prime for what he just said she’s not in her prime too he just said Nikki Haley he goes sorry she’s not under Prime hey he wasn’t sorry kind of threw that at her like a rock right right and then he also says well it depends and then he gives an actual well 20s 30s and 40s well does it depend or does it not depend right it depends on what yeah they say what inner Prime for what well it depends but it’s
(10:07) true no it’s not me saying this this is a fact check Google it’s a fact check Google okay Google doesn’t always bring you the facts folks and the question in their Prime for what is certainly important first of all we gotta understand Don Lemon never would say this about a Democrat so he wouldn’t say it about Hillary Clinton wouldn’t say it about Dianne Feinstein wouldn’t say it about Nancy Pelosi wouldn’t say it about anyone but this is the road he’s going down with Nikki Haley now if Don Lemon wanted
(10:41) to create news as he’s done he’s he’s achieved that but damn it does he look dumb at a certain point today I was like maybe he really wants to get fired maybe he’s trying to get fired so he can get like a severance package and move on with his life because things are not going well for Don Lemon over at CNN John Berg my producer just mentioned the the the verbal abuse to a co-host and now telling women when they’re in their Prime based on a Google search it’s a fact he says check Google
(11:15) all right everything you see on Google is fact-based folks I I learned that today too um quick break and and just to tell you this before you’re out of your Prime you really should invest in Precious Metals do it quickly while you’re still in your Prime oh my goodness gracious okay on a serious note what’s your money doing for you where is it is it in the stock market which is extremely volatile do you have it in a savings account do you have it on your mattress let me respectfully recommend thinking about investing in gold and
(11:53) silver and if you’re going to do that go to the folks that I would shop with and do shop with and that’s Legacy precious metals they’re the only folks that I trust when investing in gold and silver and I think you ought to feel very good about talking to them as well you can talk to an IRA expert at Legacy precious metals get a pencil I’m going to give you the number in a minute and you want to do this soon remember 2008 well folks who invested in Gold saw significant gains others lost their retirements so I
(12:22) know which side of that you want to be on gold is a hedge against inflation which is still really high and it protects against the weakening dollar which is happening every day protect your money in gold and silver speak to an IRA expert at Legacy precious metals 866-528-1903-866-528-1903 you can also download their free Investors Guide at legacypminvestments.
(12:50) com legacypm Investments dot com do it while you’re still in your promise this is this is going to be a talking point this this stuff about being in one’s Prime forevermore uh thank you Don Lemon um okay so we’re talking about the fact that he says I’m uncomfortable going talking about age well no you’re not because you’re doing it for for people who may not know Don Lemon is gay he’s African-American um so maybe he gets a pass about talking about things that if a straight white male said this on the air
(13:27) oh would there be hell to pay I mean John do you think that I’m correct in saying that I’m reminded of Mitt Romney’s binder full of women comment you remember that right 2012. I mean they just dragged the guy through the mud like he was just the worst person on Earth for showing a genuine interest in in vetting female candidates for cabinet positions yeah so I you know the same people that the fact they aren’t ringing their hands the fact Don lemon’s still on the air it doesn’t surprise me but
(13:53) you know it doesn’t go much towards consistency this is obviously one-sided a one-sided critique yep absolutely I won’t say that about it and it makes me wonder if Don actually knows many women when he tells you you have to Google it Google it to find out when a woman’s Enterprise I don’t really have to do that you know I know lots of women I know plenty of them and the idea that they’re only in their Prime when they’re in their 20s 30s and 40s like like we said earlier it just misses the essence
(14:18) of the woman he’s clearly I mean Margaret Thatcher think of it oh my gosh you can think of a number of Democrats I mean Pelosi is just wrapping up as the Speaker of the House you just wrap that up would you call what the 70s for Prime I don’t think I would probably at least not professionally uh who else uh Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor look at look at the woman’s career post post uh presidency Eleanor Roosevelt would be a great way to it he you know apparently Don though he’s just he’s thinking a TNA that’s all well
(14:47) which isn’t it’s was just shocking also um but it’s it’s again I couldn’t believe that this was real like I said no no no this didn’t happen but yes it did all right so we’re going to continue playing another snippet of this tape because if you look it up if you Google when as a woman in her prime it’ll say 20s 30s 40s and then he says I’m not saying I agree with that he’s saying I’m not saying I agree with that but Nikki Haley is no longer in her prime so he doesn’t agree with what Google
(15:20) says but he’s really willing to throw it at Nikki Haley oh my goodness okay play some more John to be careful about saying that you know politicians aren’t in their privacy they’re qualifier you’re talking about Prime for like child support or are you talking about did you just say she needs to be careful for doing what he just did absolutely be careful about saying that you know politicians aren’t in their privacy we need to qualify are you talking about Prime for like child support or are you
(15:49) talking about they don’t shoot the messenger I’m just saying what Google told me to say I’m just saying what I read in Google just finding a way to hammer Nikki Haley because my politics don’t align with hers and and by the way Nikki Haley said politicians in their Prime she did not specify male or female he went down that road he went down that road he said politicians and she called for a cognitive test after the age of 75.
(16:20) he went down the road of when is a woman in her prime so in other words maybe um you know what let me Google something I’m going to Google when as a man in his prime hang on and I’m going to Google you know the same source that he went to so that we know that we’re comparing Apples to Apples here because he didn’t talk about when a male is in his prime he did not do that so I’m going to look it up because Don Lemon may not be in his prime when is it is a man in his prime okay here we go drum roll please at what age are men
(16:57) considered to be in their Prime physically early to mid 20s intellectually and emotionally Men start to fully mature about age 40. and if you take good care of yourself physical abilities can remain intact far longer than many suppose oh my gosh so again I think and now here’s another one manscaped the 60s is the prime age for men because work is on its way out and happy peaceful retirement is on its way in okay this is according to Google I’m just what Google said it’s a fact Google said it so the that term Prime
(17:38) Nikki’s got to be careful but you don’t Don you’re a journalist you’re an anchor you’re a news anchor and you’re calling a woman past her prime because of something you found on Google Lord Almighty have we fallen in this country all right let’s keep playing um when is a woman in her prime it says 20s 30s and 40s and I’m just saying Nikki Haley should be careful about saying that politicians are not in their Prime and they need to be in their Prime when they serve because she wouldn’t be
(18:06) in a prime according to Google Google or whatever it is um look and you have to be careful because older people vote okay stop right there that is not Insight no that’s not Insight we have to be careful because older people vote yeah my mom votes she’s 91 she knows that she’s not uh capable of being a politician running the country or running a city let alone running her house at this point she knows that she cognitively gets that but that doesn’t mean she’s not gonna vote for Nikki Haley because Nikki Haley
(18:38) said people over 75 should get a cognitive test John this is insane the the the he assumes such a Fickle shallow uh uh uh voter I mean he just presumes that you know like I’m gonna see an old person and while they’re old so I’m gonna that just does not especially not old people that that’s what he’s missing here in this whole thing women and men as they age yes they’re you know uh maybe maybe a woman uh you know uh uh you know for for magazine covers or whatever yeah you’re gonna find 20 and 30 year olds
(19:10) that that isn’t everything that’s not everything with men either their physical appearance the wisdom you gain I mean amen Haley’s 51. Nikki Haley is 51 I think there’s an argument to be made that she is literally entering her prime right now yeah it really depends how you Define prime so I have to Define prime I went to Google The Authority on everything of first importance Maine of the best possible quality excellent Nikki Haley just by throwing your hat in here is telling everybody she’s entering her
(19:42) prime she is taking a step up I don’t know if anybody paid close attention during her tenure in the in the uh as the ambassador to the U.N I thought she did an outstanding job stayed Above The Fray represented the United States values and and had a spine that’s the thing that stuck out she had a freaking spine yeah it’s more than we can say for Don Lemon no you get a spine more when you’re in your Prime as someone who is well into my 50s I can say that I feel wiser than I ever did in my in my 20s
(20:12) I I might have been you know better looking and I might have been more fertile if that’s how Don Lemon is going to say I’m in my Prime I was hell no ready for public office in my 30s gaining some wisdom 40s really starting to launch now everyone’s different that’s the other part of this it does not allow for individuality right jersey see he’s he’s ticked off this morning he is so sick of Don Lemon and the bark the bark collar isn’t working so there’s another aspect to that all right he’s he’s implicating to
(20:48) me that I need to wrap this up and I will Don Lemon once said and I was driving in my car and I heard this it was after Richard Sherman did an interview with a reporter that really the reporter bristled at and Don Lemon criticized the sports reporter who I won’t name and said you know who would have handled this better Michelle Tafoya she is my favorite sports reporter Don Lemon said this this was years ago and I’m driving in my car listening to CNN on SiriusXM or whatever and I hear him say this and I go wow gosh that’s so
(21:18) flattering Don that was flattering anyone who calls me their favorite I I don’t think I am anymore that I could pretty much count on and I’m no longer in my Prime so you know that makes me irrelevant at this point but now it’s just honestly I feel as though Don Lemon might be trying to get fired because of everything that’s going on and and this is a massive embarrassment I mean I can’t even believe this conversation happened on National Television although not many people watch CNN in the morning so but this is
(21:53) getting them news this is getting them news I wonder when he’s gonna do his Maya culpa tour I wonder who he’s going to do his interview with first that says I it didn’t mean to you know categorize women he never spoke about when men are in their Prime and what men should or shouldn’t be running for office based on that this is this is so wrong-headed and stupid on so many levels I I almost can’t believe we’re talking about it but I’ve got to call it out John well Don Lemon is the one who’s always
(22:23) crowing about how concerned he is about you know our democracy if if Don Lemon you know if you if you took him at his word thinks Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are existential threats to our American you know our uh Democratic Republic you would think he would welcome somebody like Nikki Haley I don’t I don’t care what your opinion of Nikki Haley is we can all agree she would be more mainstream she would be more of a return to Norm she’s not a radical person and you would think a more moderate Force entering The Fray here
(22:53) when you have Trump and DeSantis sparring over this you’d think he would welcome that it sort of undercuts his great concern he has for our democracy someone I think everybody can go everybody I think everybody can say you know Nikki Haley’s not a radical you know you might disagree with her but I don’t think Nikki Haley is a radical I don’t think she wants to upend every Norm we have in this country I think everybody can agree on that you would think if Don and CNN was so concerned about the the Peril we
(23:18) find ourselves in with DeSantis and with Trump they would welcome and and talk up somebody like Nikki Haley Nikki Haley is the kind of person where if the left was smart if the Democrats were smart they would think how can we find positive ways to work with somebody like this and actually do something productive instead no there’s always got to be a casual dude and there he found the cudgel and it’s the one yeah maybe I’m naive keep dreaming I mean it’s disgusting how anyone from either side and I will point
(23:45) at both sides for this will find ways to drive wedges between the two sides and thus driving a wedge in this country and Don Lemon doesn’t care he’s not afraid for the future of democracy not as long as there are Democrats in the white house he thinks all Republicans are bad and evil and that’s what he thinks and that’s what a lot of Democrats think and that’s really unfortunate but let’s not forget that Nikki Haley oversaw the removal of the Confederate flag over the capital of South Carolina she does have a spine she
(24:17) doesn’t take crap I’m not sure she’s going to be president of the United States but this was one of the most absurd stupid moves I’ve ever seen and if you go after her because she’s called Nikki [Laughter] and as Sunny hoston did and Sonny said well that’s because people aren’t educated enough to say my full name I know your full name it’s Asuncion I can say it I’ve said TJ hushman Zara I’ve said lots of complicated names Sonny and I can say Asuncion so I think a lot of people could
(24:54) probably say osuncion we’re not stupid and we’re not stupid enough to fall for this notion that Nikki Haley is reverting to a quote-unquote Americanized name to be more mainstream oh Lord some days folks I wake up and I say really am I still asleep am I having a nightmare because I feel like Alice in Wonderland don’t forget to subscribe to sideline sanity wherever you get your podcast subscribe review do all the things that people ask you to do when they want you to go to their podcast I’d love it if
(25:30) you would in the meantime thanks for listening don’t forget to be brave man and woman in or out of your Prime and do good thanks for listening
