The ratings for CNN’s new morning show, CNN This Morning, have been dismal — MSNBC more than doubles the ratings of CNN’s morning show, while Fox News triples the ratings. The only time it’s covered is when something goes wrong, and something very wrong happened on the show yesterday.

Don Lemon says Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime as a politician because she’s not in her 20’s, 30’s or 40’s. Holy shit. She’s only 51! Biden’s 80! This may be the dumbest thing ever said on CNN. And I love that he cited Google as his source: pic.twitter.com/l1CzTYlkjX

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 16, 2023

Lemon is absurdly confident in his stupidity, equating one’s childbearing prime with one’s political or professional primes because that’s what Google told him. It’s a dumb thing to say, and Poppy Harlow as politely and professionally as possible, seems to be saying, “What the f**k, dude?”

Harlow reportedly left the set in anger to take a well-time bathroom break and was followed into the bathroom by co-host Kaitlan Collins, who has not had an easy time with Don Lemon, either. Lemon snapped at Collins on-air earlier this month, leaving her “visibly upset.”

It’s not working, CNN.

The latest remark has pissed off younger staffers, who were not only offended by Lemon’s statement but worry that it will make it more difficult to book older women — politicians, pundits, and newsmakers.

Lemon apologized on Twitter yesterday afternoon, calling his remark inartful, adding that “a woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.”

It may be too late. Lemon was absent from the show this morning, and CNN President Chris Licht is reportedly unhappy with the anchor and under pressure to fire him. Given the disastrous ratings, the lack of chemistry Lemon has with the other two anchors, and the on-set tension, Licht should cite the latest dust-up as justification to either fire Lemon or, at the very least, remove him from the morning show. Audie Cornish filled in for him this a.m., and I suspect she’d make a solid permanent replacement. It might help define the new morning show in contrast to the others as the only morning show hosted by only women. Given the tensions, Harlow and Collins would welcome the change and feel far more at ease behind the desk every morning.