‘We Told You So!’ Ex-CNN Hosts Don Lemon, Jim Acosta Dunk on Network Over Trump’s Ban

Former CNN anchors Don Lemon and Jim Acosta declared “We told you so!” Monday over CNN’s attempts to appease President Donald Trump backfiring and leading to a White House ban on that network, along with MS NOW, and Politico.

“I hate to tell them, but, we told you so!” Lemon exclaimed on his podcast, The Don Lemon Show.

“We did,” Acosta agreed. “We told them.”

“I want to feel bad for them, but it’s kind of their own making, and I don’t think that this should happen, but, hey,” Lemon added.

“Yeah, I mean, you hire Scott Jennings, you put him on the payroll, you make him basically a paid Trump spokesman, and you still get banned. I mean, that’s part of the problem here,” Acosta said, continuing:

You know, appeasement does not work. It does not work. Don, you and I know this. You have to stand tough against this guy. And we’re starting to see a little bit of it. I mean, I’m glad that they’re filing these lawsuits. I’m glad that they’re pulling the TV pool. I’m a little mystified as to why other news organizations are still sending in their teams and crews over to the White House. He’s banned three news organizations, two networks, and Politico. I feel like all of those news organizations in DC should be saying, you know, we’re not sending our teams to the White House. But, you know, this is tough.

Acosta added that Trump’s approval rating had sunk to 29% in one new poll, “So people are going to see through this.”

“Yeah, they are. And it’s just so sad, Jim. I mean, that we’ve gotten to this point,” Lemon said.

“I just want to be completely transparent here because I think now is the time. And I don’t mean to laugh, you know, I’m not spiking the football or anything, but these are the things that you and I were warning about when I asked CNN’s management, ‘What is our election denier policy? What is our insurrection denier policy? Why am I having to interview Vivek Ramaswami, who comes on and he just lies about it? Why are we making room?'” Lemon said.

Lemon claimed that when he was with CNN, management “wanted to move the network to the right” to be “more like Fox.”

“And look at what you get!” Lemon exclaimed. “And so, I say that because, the next thing happens, CBS, and you see what’s happening now, and then ABC gets sued — We, I kept saying, ‘You’re next! If you allow this to happen, you are next. But no one listened. They just kept doing it. They just kept kissing his *ss and sucking up to MAGA!”

CNN fired Lemon in 2023 after butting heads with management. Acosta left CNN in 2025 after the network eliminated his morning slot and offered him late-nights, which he declined.

Watch the podcast above via YouTube.

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