Don Lemon Says There’s 65-70% Chance He’ll Run for President

Don Lemon said claims he’s pretty serious about running for the White House — claiming in a recent podcast appearance he’s “65, 70” percent sure he’ll do it.

Appearing this week on Spencer Macnaughton’s UNCLOSETED podcast, Macnaughton asked the former CNN anchor how serious he was about talk that he wanted a turn being commander in chief.

The now independent journalist — who also recently claimed he’s not a liberal — didn’t back down:

DON LEMON: Look, I never say never. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now doing what I’m doing. This is not easy to do every day, but I have to be, I’m, I am very aware of the importance of what I’m doing, what it means to the culture and society.

I shouldn’t say very, sometimes I’m too close to it, but when I’m out there, people are like, “Thank you for what you’re doing.”

So it, and it’s very humbling, but I, when I’m out there, they’re not only saying thank you for what I’m doing, they say, “Did you ever would you ever consider running for office?”

And I say, “Well, you know, I thought about it and this. Would you ever run for president?”

And I said, “Oh, well, definitely. I think I could be a better president than Donald Trump.”

So, that’s where that came from.

How serious is it? If the people want me, I’ll do it. But it is a daunting undertaking to run for president in this country because you’d have to be devoted to it full-time. And I would like to devote much of my time to journalism.

But if that’s the best way for me to help the American people, then sure, I’ll do it. And maybe, you know, maybe I can do them at the same time. And maybe that, maybe that’s a way of running that has not been mined.

MACNAUGHTON: Let me try and get a headline out of you. What percentage chance, before you leave this Earth, do you think you will run for president?

LEMON: Oh, what percentage chance that I think I’ll run? 65, 70.

MACNAUGHTON: Wow. 65, 70. More than half that you will run for president of the United States. Wow. All right.

LEMON: Sure. When I’m out there, I’m out there and I cover the candidates and I look at what they do and they’re very good. I mean, they’re very good. There are many very good people who are running and they’re great with the people and I often find that when I’m out there with them, the people are also talking to me in similar ways as they’re talking to them.

And so it just sort of you know, it makes me wonder if my best way of being and operating in this society, whether it is through journalism or if it is through becoming the president of the United States.

Watch above via YouTube.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!