CNN's Don Lemon says he lost 'liberal friends' after he predicted that Trump would win the presidency

CNN host Don Lemon claimed that he had lost "liberal" friends after he predicted that then-candidate Donald Trump would win the presidential election in 2016.

Lemon was speaking with CNN anchor Jake Tapper when he made the comments on "CNN This Morning" Tuesday.

"It's gonna be shocking to people on a different level, I don't know if you remember this Jake, I'm sure you do, that I predicted that, I said Donald Trump will probably win the election in 2016. Look, I lost a lot of liberal friends, I actually got kicked out of parties in Brooklyn," said Lemon.

"Really?" asked co-host Poppy Harlow.

"Oh my gosh, yes! I said, have you guys seen the newspaper? The newspapers? He is on every section, he's on the business section, he's on the political section, he's on the real estate section. He is on the front pages," Lemon explained.

"It was just because he knew how to manipulate and use the media," he continued, "and so it’s interesting to, you know, see Bill Maher say, ‘Hey, listen, this guy isn’t going to leave the White House.’ I think the evidence was there but people kind of ignored what’s in front of their faces."

Lemon made headlines recently when he opined that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was "past her prime" after she announced her campaign for the presidency in 2024. Lemon was excoriated on social media for the comments, and he took a brief vacation from his CNN show.

Lemon returned to the show after receiving sensitivity training according to CNN boss Chris Licht.

"I sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation. He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously," Licht wrote in a memo to CNN staff.

Here's the video of Lemon's comments: