Get read to laugh and learn! Mario Lopez catches up with CNN's Don Lemon in a discussion that ranges from politics to magic gummies! What was it like for Don growing up in Louisiana? What sparked his passion for journalism? Who's the most authentic presidential candidate running in 2020? Mario digs into all that with the host of CNN Tonight With Don Lemon! Don also reveals how his recent engagement went down, who he thinks has the best shot at winning the 2020 Presidential race, the news stories that get overshadowed by politics, and more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, Mario Lopez here back for another install. I'm
gonna listen to Mario, but having a lot of fun
doing this podcast because we really do have interesting people
from all walks of life stopping by. And this week
we got one of the biggest names in news from CNN,
Mr Don Lemon. Don, of course, is the host of
CNN Tonight, is not afraid to give his opinion, so
(00:20):
lots to talk about with him. Let's get into it,
Don Lemon, How are you, sir? I'm great? How are you?
I'm very excited that you're here. Every time I see
you are in better shape. I hate you, man, I
love you. Say you look great, man, thank you and
I and I asked this with respect because I I
think we're about the same age, but you you look
(00:42):
you look good like young. How old are you? I'm
way older than you? No, come on, is that right? Dan?
You look good three years old, but not that that's so,
by the way, you turn a couple of months, so
that's good. I'm gonna be right there. Yeah, ye man, really, well,
you know, we got that oily skin hopefully keeping us
(01:05):
uh looking young. I'm feeling young except in the mornings
after long nights, and then it's a little achy and stuff.
I see you and then I and then I remember
like I saved by the bell, and I was like,
wait a minute, I was older than him, per saved
by the bell. But I remember saved by the bell.
I'm like, he ain't no spring chicken, no good. Yeah,
thank you, thank you. I appreciate it. I know you're
(01:26):
interviewing me. You're taking over the world. I can't go
any I look up on my TV. You're there. Now,
you're on the radio. And then I go in my
hotel room. The first I turned the TV on and
you're right there. Do you have Mario overload? Oh my gosh,
who has more jobs? You were running secrets? Well I'm
you know, I'm I'm maybe the Latino version right there.
So we'll see on the West coast over here. But
by the way, I know you're a New Yorker, but
(01:48):
you're I want to get back to where you're from originally.
But I forgive me for not saying congratulations, because I
know you got engaged. Look at that or you blinging
out right here. I'm blowing it out. I said that
if I'm going to get married, I want some blink.
Because I grew up never thinking that I would get married.
I didn't think I could get married. Were you opposed
to it or no, I wasn't opposed to it. I
kind of thought it, that's a good question, you're good.
(02:09):
I kind of fought it for a little bit, because
you know, during the time that I came around, you
couldn't gave people couldn't get married right or if they
did later on you could have a commitment ceremony, but
it wasn't recognized, and on and on. So I never
thought I could have kids, never thought my relationship would
be public, never thought i'd be legally married. And then
once it became the law of the land, I was like, oh, well,
(02:30):
this is cool. I don't want to be that heteronormative.
I remember when gay people were cool and different and
you wouldn't have to get married. But that was one
of the benefits, to be honest, I was jealous about that.
And now we can be just as miserable as right,
gave up half your ship if it don't work out anyway.
But you know, I met someone and I'm like, all right,
this is cool, and then you know, um, well, you're
(02:51):
at that good age though, you know, like you steel,
you look young and feel at the same time, you know,
you're busy, You've got a lot on the play. It's
nice having a little um some some sort of h
complacency in that department, right, right, well, consistency, that was consistency.
But also you would know, you know, when you're in
this business, you never know why people want to be
(03:13):
in relationships with you, right, So if you met someone,
you met your wife young, so you know before you
were like, so I didn't. I didn't have all of that.
I never knew why people wanted to be in a
relationship with me. And then once I met someone who
just loved me for me, I was like, all right,
well this is cool, and it started to change. But
it was weird. We were both talking to the same
jeweler at the same time. So we had a friend
(03:36):
who's a jewel who's a Canadian. His name is Mark
lash And so I emailed Mark. I said, hey, I'm
ready for some rings. Can you give me send me
some designs, some ideas, and he's like, I didn't get
back to me. I'm like, well damn yeah, I'm like
rude security And so then I and then I emailed
him again. He goes, oh, he goes, are you sure
you're ready for that? All right, I'll be in New York.
(03:59):
You're ready for I'm like, well, shrinker, ready for rings.
I'll be in York in a couple of weeks. I'll come.
I'll stop by your office and we'll do blah blah
blah blah blah. And then once Tim came in and
made the you know, and and proposed I realized, So
he proposed, how do you do it? So? He it
(04:20):
was his birthday and he told me, like before he
had it on his calendar. He said, birthday is my day.
I said, yes, baby, it's your day. You can do
whatever you want. And he said, so, I want to
cook breakfast at home, spend time with the dogs. Then
I want us to go out and get manicures and pedicures.
I'm like, what, okay? Fine? He wanted he wanted to
(04:41):
look good for the ring. I had no idea. I
had no idea. So we did. I woke up and
I was like, you know, being me, I'm like, do
we want a cooking? The mess of the kitchen, there's
no cleaning. Later day I'll feel like cleaning i'n't do anything,
and so he said, all right, well let's go out.
So we went found a place so we could take
the dogs and sit outside, and we said we went
to breakfast, and then I went and got a man
in copedicure with him, and then we're going to a
party at night. And I said, I'm just gonna go
(05:01):
in the room a little bit and show because we
have a long night and maybe I'll take a nap
for a little bit. And so he comes in with
the dogs and I'll jump on the bend. He goes,
have you seen the new dog tags? And I'm like no.
So I look at it and it looks like I
was like, what does that? A bone? As like a ribbon?
And then on the little tag it said daddy, will
you marry Papa? And I was like what. I looked
at the other and I'm like what. And I looked
(05:22):
at him and I said, are you serious? And he
said yeah, and he goes, He's like day. And I
looked at the box and it says Mark Lash was
the jeweler. And he said, God, I love you. I
want to spend the rest of my life with you,
(05:43):
bab and his hands were trembling in his lips were quivering.
I'm like, are you serious? And then I looked at
him and I'm like, he's serious, and so I didn't laugh.
And then I just looked at him and I said, oh,
I said, of course I'll marry you, silly. So have
you have you set a date yet? Are you gonna
have long engagement? We're trying, we're trying to figure it out.
(06:04):
It's weird with schedules, and I don't know if you
have to. I don't know if you Maybe not for you,
but for me, I have to think about the news cycle.
So either I do it this year, which is probably
not gonna happen because it's too fast, right, or I
have to do it like next summer, but I got
to do it before the conventions and the debates and
all of that, and then it will be an election.
(06:24):
And then also think about it, there's like really big
breaking news. I could lose like half my wedding party
right right right the slowest time of the year. Yeah, yeah,
most likely it'll be either late this year, probably not,
but most likely early next year, maybe April or something like.
There you go, right, well, congrats, thank you. Well, thing's
going great personally as well as professionally. But I want
(06:45):
to go back to the beginning because I know you're
from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Spent a lot of time there
as a matter of fact. Yeah, I love man, I
love the food. I'm here's the thing about what. This
is my express from there, So I believe me, I
know about it. Insiana. Um love Cajun food and that's
that type of food. And always say you can always
get like good Italian, good Mexican other type food, but
(07:07):
that kind of food you can only really get in Louisiana.
So I love it. Are you not as passionate about
your kidding me? Because I'm like crazy pass I'm a
big foodie. So listen. I don't have apps because because
I like to eat, and well, I just I love
to eat. And I grew up on butter and fried
foods and lard and fried foods. Everything is fried, right,
(07:27):
Everything is from accent. Though. Um, if I go home
or if I talk, like when I talk to my family,
and it will come out on somewhere some people will
be like you realize you just said y'all or whatever,
but but then be an accent. It's kind of like, well,
and I don't know if it's it's different more from
the Lafayette area, but they kind of talk like that
they're going to stick the head of them. It's different, right,
and it's different from the rest of the southern kind
(07:48):
of it is. But also there's one area that's close
to uh to New Orleans. It's like Lucher Granny Sea Reserve,
were about my dad would hey, baby, how you doing.
We're going down there. You won't, you won't. Come on,
We're gonna have some red beans. You know. There's like
a different accent. And then there's one accent in New
Orleans that almost sounds like a Brooklyn accent. These guys
(08:11):
are actually from the city La you know, Lafayette. Lafayetta
is s forty five minutes from my hometown, which is
Port Allen, which is West Baton Route. So you Lafayette
Port Allen, which is West Bend Rouge, and you cross
the bridge and you're an East Baton Rouge, which is
the capital. So yeah, but we just kind of sound like, hey, mama,
hey mama, Yeah, I'm hungry, right right right, It's very lazy.
(08:31):
It's a lazy time. There's a lazy time, relaxed after
that right there, and you'd like to eat and drink
nothing wrong with that and drank. How how was it
going on you there? Do you like Louisiana? I love
Louisiana growing up. Um, you know Louisiana was hot and yes, smelly,
(08:55):
it's human. I mean, yeah, it's human like you. You know.
That's why that's why people say in Louisiana you got
that good skin, because it's all human. Nobody's ashy, nobody's
there's natural natural ash the ash. No. But I grew
up in you know, like I said, the whole town
(09:16):
called Port Allen, there was a sugarcane plant. Uh there.
I think it was a steams and they would make
like syrup and stuff. So you could smell that. You
could smell the tar from the road and the roof
it would get so hot. You could like smell the dirt.
It was just and grass. It's like Louisiana has a smell.
And you could smell the swamp and the sea would
like you could literally smell the water like you get
(09:36):
next to the river the lake, You're like, yeah, fishy. Yeah,
when did you leave? I left in like nine ninety
or so around nineteen ninety and when I started UM,
I had what was coming to terms with my sexuality.
But I was also house sitting for my aunt who
lived in Harlem, and so I would go and they
(09:57):
would like go to Egypt and take these long trips
to and whatever, and so they did you want to
come to houseit? So she lived in sugar Hill and Harlem,
and I would go and um, house change, yes, And
then I was like, damn, all this joint it was great,
like it, it was great, and some I would do
it in high school and it was great, and I
love it. I love it. I loved it. And then
I would like sneak out, um into the palladium. I
(10:21):
would sneak into the limelight, right. I would just be.
I would just get back to Harlem all hours and
nobody could do. And I loved it. And I was like,
I'm going to live there one day. And then, UM,
my journalism teacher, teacher at l S, you told me
I would never make it in journalism, and I said,
I gotta get out of this. Yeah, Um, were you
always interested in journalism where you became? I was interested
(10:43):
in school. I was always interested in journalism. But I thought, like,
I'm not gonna make any money I should do. My
dad was an attorney, right, and my real dad, my head,
who had died, was an attorney. So I was like,
I'm gonna go to school pre law whatever maybe and
maybe I'll study economics and then go to law school.
And I was I hated it, like the worst in numbers.
I don't know why I thought you and I both
and then uh and then if I like basic arithmetic
(11:06):
is that's my don't doubt. Don't let me have done
a gummy or like a little high whatever I came out.
Were you taking quizzes? I don like normally I'm like,
all right, right, I'll do basic math quick quick. I'm
so dumb. So I'm gonna get excited when you go
to the restaurant they put it for you, like like
(11:27):
oh yeah, I had to think. So I'm like I
always like Tim, here, take the check. How much that is? Right?
And he's like, don it's And then Neil look at me, goes, oh,
I know you did a gummy, didn't you. I'm like, yeah,
I didn't. I could get real doune, but I'm not
good at man. Okay, Oh my gosh, yeah, it makes
(11:50):
dinner much better. Yeah, it does, but it makes math
much harder. I'm already struggling. Even when they suggest the amounts,
You're like, is that right? Like it still doesn't seem right.
They know I'm definitely math challenged. So anyway, I decided
that that I wanted to UM. I said, I saw
(12:11):
this woman on television. Her name is Gane West and
as I think I was in freshman in college or whatever,
and she looked like my family. She's this black lady.
She's you know, she could speak articulate English. She wasn't
like JJ like that. It's not that there was anything
wrong with JJ, but those were the role models who
are on TV right or you had good times and
you know you you fool, whatever it was, or Frett Sanford,
(12:33):
which is fine. They made a living. I love those people.
But I saw someone who who was relatable, and I said,
that's what I want to do, and I never looked back.
What was your first job in media? My first job
was at uh W n y W Fox five at
two oh five Street uh in New York between uh
(12:58):
second and third. So I started there as a trainee
in the news room, making five dollars an hour, six
month program below the poverty level. Yeah, I couldn't afford
gummies in that was a probiotic. That's unfortunates. We have
a lot of math problems coming. I thought about the
(13:20):
ticket to the next level right here, so and then
and so then I started with them, um and it
was a six month program when they talked to you
just how to be do stuff in the newsroom. And
that was just really really really aggressive and like talk
to everyone. And then that became I became a production assistant,
and the desk assistant, and then a satellite bees coordinator,
and then the assignment editor, uh field producer writer, and
(13:44):
then I started put my own tape together and then
send it out and got a job and the rest
is history. And I think a lot of it. I
mean asigned from coming across articulate, good disposition, good look,
and great pipes and I really yeah, I was like
the pipes and hate my voice. Come on being humble
(14:04):
right now. I want I want to be like you
know the guys who do voiceovers like drive this show
to me, you sound like that? That must sound like
ever you ever now like the voice has changed over time?
Do you remember when it used to be like early on,
everybody sounded like this, and all the actors had this
(14:24):
fake British accent. Wellsome my love, yeah yeah, so everybody
sounded like that, and then the announcers were all kind
of like that, and then you got down the billy
d where everybody was kind of deep whatever, and now
it kind of cool. Now everyone sounds like a snarky,
like entitled like you want to drive a BMW? You
(14:46):
ever hear that? You ever hear the commercials? Yeah? Why
not drive the best car? It's like, come on, that's
like condescending And that's the kind of that is. Listened
to the voiceovers, especially around Christmas time. Listen to the
a car voiceovers, especially for like for luxury, but a
purchase the best brand. Ever, how long have you been
(15:10):
at CNN? Now? Wow? Since two thousand and six? Exactly,
very good Frasier. Um, that's all a plotting, like it
just solved the Pythagorean thirteen years. How would you say
CNN has changed during that time? We have become um
(15:31):
way more relevant. Like we started like we invented it, right,
and so I think people there was sort of this
thing like we invented and we're just you know, we're
seeing n and then um, you know, the other networks
came along, MSNBC and Fox and started giving us a
run for our money. And then we got Jeff Zucker
who said, all right, we're going to change the way
(15:51):
that we do news. News is not just on a
on a wheel over and overdoing headlines and it's about
the most important news of day. We have a big
enough organization where we can cover the world, and so
we're gonna cover domestic like a domestic network instead of
like covering domestic like it's a world network. Because we
have seen an international which covers the world. If you
(16:13):
want international news, to see an international, if you want
to see an espaniol you go to see an see
it in Espaniel, you go see an in Turk or whatever.
So we started covering seeing in domestic like we're a
domestic news organization. If it was applicable to something happening
in the world was two Americans, and we did that
and then um, I think he also reinvigorated the network
(16:35):
and and made us um a little bit more, a
lot more passionate about what we do. And I think
you see that on the air. Do you think the
mainstream media is biased? Including I think the mainstream media
is biased. I do not think the mainstream media is biased.
I think the um the mainstream media, and I can
(16:57):
speak for a scene and listen, they're biased people at networks.
I'm sure here's the thing that you that differentiates CNN
from everyone else. So, if you're at a broadcast network, right,
you have an owner, you have obligations to your owners. Right,
Your owners are usually owned by entertainment companies, so you
have to You've got to protect the entertainment part of
your company. The Waitney interview, we don't have to protect
(17:19):
interviews because we don't have to worry about a network.
Fox News will tell you we are a conservative network.
Our news is skewed to our conservatives. MSNBC will tell
you we're pretty left right when we are skewed towards
that we are not. In this day and age, if
(17:41):
the truth is not on your side, it can seem
that you're being biased. So the Trump administration likes to
say that we're biased because we have to call them
out when they don't tell the truth and when they
don't give facts. So I don't think the news network,
the news media in UM in g garrole is biased.
(18:02):
I think that that is rhetoric to deflect from what
this administration is doing and form quite frankly from the
extremes of both parties that they don't want you to
see what's happening Seeing in Tonight's your show Seeing Tonight
with Don Lemon Mario Don because it says on. If
(18:22):
someone just said your show is on, you'd be like
with Mario local exactly. I thought that your show covered it.
But when you go into work every day, what's your
goal done? M hmm, Like, what do you hope to accomplish?
Very simple? Uh, to inform the electorate, to to inform
the viewer, and two to give the truth. It's just
(18:44):
to tell the truth. I have no other agenda than
to tell the truth. What's the toughest part telling the truth? Now?
Not even not telling the truth, but pointing out the truth.
It's tough because you have to do it every day
because UM journalism is under attack. Watching your show, you
don't shy away from giving opinion. I give my point
(19:05):
of view. Is there's a difference, you know? Well, that
was my question. How do you balance it while still
reporting the facts. So I can give an opinion and say,
well my opinion is that Mario's hair is blonde. Everybody
will go what he said, Well, that's just my opinion.
Well that's not the truth. So a point of view
can be based in fact because we all come with
(19:26):
the lens, we all come from certain perspectives, so you
may see something differently from your perspective, but there is
a standard truth there. So I give my truth and
then I give the I give my point of view,
and then I give the facts to back it up.
You've been in some headlines giving your point of view. Yes,
(19:48):
how what's the feedback from zucker and and the powers
that be? Is it encouraged? Is there is there a
fine line because as a journalist you are reporting the facts,
but now only think it's sort of the rule itself
is evolved too. You want to hear people who you
you watch and respect in a point of view, because then,
(20:08):
or else, why wouldn't you just go on social media? Right?
So look, look, listen, easy answer to that when you said,
was Zuck or whatever, I'm still here right right? That
answers that question, but the other but that doesn't mean
you know that I don't have conversations with him that
he doesn't give me advice or he doesn't say I
think you know with this, maybe you went a little
(20:28):
harder with that, or but that's that's life. It is, um.
It is a I think journalism and what we do
is a living, breathing thing. The good thing that the
very good thing about cable news is that I don't
think anyone ever wins a fight on cable news, and
the conversation never ends, right. And so if you and
I get into it, we disagree, well then you just
(20:48):
come back tomorrow and then we talked about it again.
That's what people don't understand. So it is living, it
is evolving. So if I get let's just say, I
get into a disagreement with Mario and my show and
we have a fight or whatever, I can call you
up and say, you know, Mario went hard. I'm sorry,
come back on the show and let's talk about it.
And then I'll say, you know what, I went hard
on Mario yesterday. I don't think he got a chance
to stay to say his piece. So I'm going to
give it now. Have you done that? Yeah, I've done
(21:10):
that before, of course. But so that's the thing about
cable news. So if I were in a different role,
let's just say I had the you know, the nightly
news job like Lester Holt, I wouldn't do I wouldn't
conduct myself in the same way that I'm doing now
with a cable news show because that that would not
be my role. My role would be to read the
news introductions, tell people this is a format in my
(21:32):
show tonight. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah. This is nightly news. Our big story
tonight is this. This person is covering it. Thank you.
This person now onto that. That is the role of
a network news anything. That's true. It's funny because he
wi doesn't seem as fun. But so I have a
very different role, right he he um leads me in
most of the markets for right before my So I
(21:53):
see a lot of Lester brothers. Is he good or what?
But but in watching his son's role, this guy too, Yeah, yeah,
there is a different It does seem more fun and
something to look forward to. And obviously you gotta stand
on top and be topical to give these uh, but
you would have a different you have a different role.
(22:13):
Think about the morning show people think about listen I mean,
since we're just talking about listeners NBC, think about the
Today's Show. You have to have a personality and do
cooking segments. You don't do that on the nightly news.
I don't do that on Everyone has a different role.
It's all media. It's all journalism. It's just different parts.
It's like a newspaper. You open up the newspaper, you
do journalism, you do the entertainment section of the newspapers, right,
(22:33):
So it's all the same thing. We're just doing different
parts of it. Do you have a favorite guest besides
Mario Lopez? Have you been on that show yet? I
have not had the Could you please have them on
and get in an argument and then have to bring
him back? Connection be amazing? What are you passionate about?
I'm gonna think about the favorite guests, But what are
you passionate? Are you into current events? I am extremely
(22:55):
into current I'm breaking down. I'm extremely into current events.
I love politics. But growing up in this business and
being a former child actor and into an adult, I've
learned that you know what my friends, my close friends,
people that know me know how I feel, but I
never talk it and never I don't. I don't not
vocal about my my politics. I'd rather I'm just an entertainer.
(23:18):
I don't want to try to you separate them out,
I separate them out, and I don't and I don't
I understand what it's just saying the same thing I'm saying.
That's your role. That's not right. I don't want to
be out of pocket. You understand what I'm saying. I
don't mind. I don't mind talking about my faith, which
I know sometimes just sort of shot upon that, and
that's why I think it's a little bit different. But um,
(23:39):
I just I'm gonna need people business, and I want
all people to like me. So I don't want to
alienate any fans. Politics are devices so and no matter
what opinion you have, right, So I'm just like, you
know what, I just don't go there. So that's so
that's my thing there. But you want to talk, you
want to talk to other kind of pop culture. I'll
learn that your boy, because I got you. But that's
(24:01):
like Jordan, Jordan end up watching it and I up
watching it. You know what I'm saying. Yes, And it's
sort of George Jordan said, you're like, what do you
say out of conservatives by tennis shoes? So he's like,
I don't want to do that. Yeah, so he doesn't
want to do that. And you understand that if you're
a business person, or depending on what part of the
business you're in, if someone asked you, Mario, we have
this great gig for you to be a cable news anchor,
then boom, you would change and do You'd have to
(24:21):
reveal rab part of yourself or developed that part of yourself.
So I totally get that. But you know, write a book, Mario,
or maybe I can pull it out of you. Mario,
do something controversial, Mario, So you have to come on
the show. Well, thank god all that part was a
pre social media and now that's not happy Internet. Yeah,
I'm sure they're flowing around. Wait did I ever get
(24:42):
an answer to my Oh yeah, I just said me favorite,
my favorite guest, or like recurring guests, what are your
thoughts on hav Naughty right now? Because you guys had
him on a lot and then I'm like, oh, oh boy,
like he was talking about rug for president before you answer.
What's interesting is Mario and I had to go to
Seattle for something like a month and a half ago,
(25:04):
and as we're about to take off, Avanati was texting him.
That's right. He reached out. He wanted to come do
the podcast and then and then he got arrest and
the like about it later. So what do I think
about Abanati? Um? He is a force. Like we were
watching an interview with him. Tim and I were watching
(25:24):
an interview that you don't see it and just a
couple of days ago, and Tim's like he's cut from
a different cloth, Like he's like he the wires go
are different. I don't mean that in a bad way, right, Um.
But so here's what I think about Abanati. You know
what he is? You see him coming? Do you know
what he is? But he's fascinating to watch. To watch
(25:47):
someone who has that much confidence, who is that sure
of himself, who can take that many risks, who doesn't
give that many fs. It's but it's not even that,
It's just it's like, as a as a journ analist,
you want you're like, what is that all about? It's
almost like it's like Trump. It's like this guy will
(26:07):
say anything, he'll do anything, he will do anything to
win the same thing with Anadi and it and it's
fascinating to watch. And I think that that the media
was fascinating for the media to watch him, and it
was fascinating for the American public to watch him. And
that's really all. It's just that simple. Who knows. I
don't know what you're doing. I I have I come
(26:28):
in here to do this interview with you. I don't
know what you do in your personal life. I don't
know what you do in your personal life. I don't
want to do but I don't know you. I don't
know what you do in your business life. I don't
know what you and so you know every that that's
up to him. He'll have to deal with that. But
just as from that perspective, he is fascinating to watch.
I do have to say this, and he you know,
(26:51):
I think I may have said it to him the
first time he came on my show, I said to
the crew, and I think I told him afterwards. I
said that guy is fine, way too close to the
sun burn. He's gonna burn. And he crashed. Yeah, And
even even he would admit that he said, this is
gonna end really well or really badly. The person was
he exactly like what we were saying. Same thing really
(27:14):
same just off camera, same thing, same thing. That's interesting. Yeah,
just as an individual, it's it's pretty fast. You never
met him, No, no, he reached out and what he
did and I was looking forward to and then I pinched,
So you know, put put a pin in that? Do
you do? You go on social media? Because I gotta
imagine everyone's difficult with the show. If you're you know,
(27:35):
Twitter for business. Every once in a while I scroll through,
but um, and then I'm like, I've got it's so
toxic right mostly like Instagram, and I can't remember the
last time I was on Facebook. Like I know my
Instagram updates my Facebook. But if there's like the work Facebook, Um,
I'll get the Facebook people at work and I'll say
post this or they'll just post stuff from the show.
(27:55):
But it's just so toxic right now. I can't do it.
You can't do And you know, even some of the
comments that you see, like Instagram didn't used to be
that way for you. I'm sure it's like I love you,
look at those dimples. Negative for me though, from it
doesn't matter, what doesn't matter. The MAGA people have taken
(28:19):
over my timeline. The homophobes have taken over my timeline.
The races have taken over my timeline. So I'm just like,
y'all have have fun in there. You gotta talk about
President Trump for a second, do it? What do you
think his his biggest problem is going into this next election?
(28:39):
And does he does he deserve any praise up to
this point? Okay, those are two different questions. His biggest problem, first,
I think, is that he's not expanding his base. That
he keeps preaching to the choir, and he's doing it
for two reasons, which may be smarter or may not.
One is that he knows he can't lose them right.
Two is because he he needs a praise. He craves it, right,
(29:02):
It's like candy. He's like he has to have it.
It's like air. My man will not miss a rally.
What he doesn't understand is that those people are going
to be with him no matter what, even if he
you know that so called pivot, if he pivoted to
bring people in and so you can't expand by alienating people,
(29:23):
and so I think that's what he's doing. Does he
deserve any praise? You said yes? I think, well, I
mean for someone who has no political experience assist for
the big picture, or someone who had no political experience
who most people thought didn't stand a chance in how
he became the president of United States, you gotta it's
got to be some praise there. Now we can question
(29:46):
and debate how he got there, um, and whether he
you know, didn't tell the truth a lot, bragged a lot,
and did all these things. But he still became president,
So that deserves some praise. Do you think the the
whole Russian collusion scandal that dominated the airwaves when Mueller
(30:06):
came back ultimately saying that there was no collusion regardless
of the obstruction of justice, and people saying or the
questions of obstruction of justice and that he's obstructing. What
if there's no collusion, what was exactly decided? Don't people
ultimately care though? Did he do it or did he not?
And then they'll move on. Yeah, Well, I don't think
he'll get He never said no collusion. Inclusion is not
a legal term. There's no such thing as right that
in the legal system. What he said was of conspiracy, uh,
(30:30):
and coordination, But he said that they did not, Um,
what was it basically it didn't meet the legal standard, right,
it wasn't as if they didn't try, and so, um,
I think that was the thing. But if you actually
read them, if people will read the Mulla report, which
most people don't do, they get it either from a
sound bite or they get it from this thing. So
(30:51):
they're not people. He's putting out the narratives. So if
you say, well, they're they're not going to charge the
evidence of whatever. We didn't come to the evidence or
whatever whatever it is, like like my debt, is he
gonna get convicted? That's all I was like, Well, so, um,
that part is complicated, but I think you're right, it's
a simple part. Well, he's not going to jail. Mueller
(31:14):
didn't find this and that, so I think, you know,
most people are going to believe that there is no
collusion and there is no Um, what's the obstruction even
though they said yes, but we couldn't come to a
conclusion about obstruction because we're going to leave that to
the Congress. And then Barr came in and gave his
spin on it. Now here we are, and here we
(31:38):
are with twenty Democrats announced in the running, which might god,
it just continues to grow, uh grow? What are your
thoughts on the field. First of all, Ah, that's a
lot of people. It's a lot of people, right, there's
a lot where there are more Republicans. Last time, Okay,
I knew it. It was pretty close, pretty close. Um,
what do I think? It's fascinating to watch as an
(32:04):
outsider because from my I know you're very close to it.
From outside, I was like, wow, Um, Kamala Harris was
a lot of momentum. Corey Booker, who do you find
most authentic? Ah, that's a very good question. Who do
I find most authentic? Biden? Really, do you feel that
(32:28):
the whole hair sniffing a little episode, which by the way,
I think was totally blown out of proportion with is
that going to come back and haunt him you think?
I think people are trying hard for that to come back.
But I mean, quite honestly, think about think about the
where we are in this country now. If you are
going to vote for a person who you know says
(32:49):
grab him by the you know what? Right, who have
had multiple women accused him of doing that? Um, then
someone sniffing her hair? What is it? I think the
whole I think the whole controversy about Biden and um
about Biden sniffing hair and all that. I think that
that is chatter among the media and political class. What
(33:10):
about I think most people in America have more important
things to deal with. Do you think, sorry, do you
think that's the issue with most stuff? Like most things?
Like the majority of the country doesn't care about a
lot of the stuff that has just screamed about nightly
on TV. And that doesn't mean that that's not an
important issue. That women should not be made to feel uncomfortable.
But I think for the most part, most women understand
(33:30):
the difference between Matt and someone making you feel someone
making a sexual advance. Right, what about people from the
same side though in the same party is saying, well,
he's not only the different generation, but we've moved on,
and almost a cry for we don't need another old
white guy, we need a person of could use a piece.
And I'm just saying, I hear what we're saying. Okay,
(33:52):
so here, yes, all but all of that is legitimate,
But you have to be strategic and realize where you
are in the moment. Right So if so for Democrats, now,
I think the moderates and the centrist and the people
who have been around for a while realize that their
mantra has to be who can beat Trump if they
want to win at the end of the day. At
(34:13):
the end of the day, and that doesn't always seem
to be the mindset. That's what I'm so so Republicans
fall in line, Democrats eat their own and so um
so their strategy for those folks will be who can
beat Trump. All those other things are legitimate. Everything that
people are saying, fine, we should we should have a
(34:34):
president who's a minority. We should have a president who's
a woman. But is this the time? Can that woman
beat Trump? Can that minority beat Trump? Can this? You know?
Can can that person beat Trump? So all the talk
about mixing it up, We're still gonna end up with
the older wed guy who has the best chance is
essentially what you're saying, right But for for as president
of the United States, most people who participate in the
(34:54):
political process and who vote, they don't care about the
age of the person they're voting for for president of
the and I find one he would be the oldest
right in history. Right. Well, Trump is pretty there, but
I think if Biden was pretty old. Yeah, you know,
I agree. Here's the thing. It seems to me. And again,
looking at the outside, it seems like a lot of
(35:15):
the a lot of the chatter. It looks like who's
trying to out radicalize the other and they're getting more exci.
I saw you for a second talking to Kamala Harris
and when Bernie Sanders started talking about convicts being voting,
and you asked her, and I'm glad you followed up,
and she said, it's a discussion we need to have.
I'm sorry, but with all due respect, no, we don't.
(35:36):
I think if you lose the right to live in
free society, you shouldn't have the right to vote. I
don't think. I'm no, but hold on, you're pulling me in.
Damn it. Don don't slipping me gummies and no, but
like that's just what I won't go there, toy. But
that's just one example, because I'm cut you a bright guy.
Come on, come on, man, I know you greg, Come on,
(35:58):
you get locked up. You're out here murdering people. Why
are you decide? Am I crazy that? But look at listen.
But my point is, if you start going along those lines,
you're just playing in the trum playbook anyway, Right, you're
just saying what I said. Okay, so I know that
you want to so like are these people hearing them?
Because I know I don't need to. Come on, Here's
(36:19):
the thing I'm saying. I don't even that most people.
Most people will agree. If you do something, you go
to prison, you go jail. You paid your debt to society, right,
and you spent you know, and it also depends on
what you did, right, if you committed a violent crime.
It's like it's like violent crime versus like a misdemeanor
or like a drug offense or whatever. Right, if you
go if you go to jail for let's say the
(36:41):
cops back in the day caught you with some weed,
yeah you should vote. Come on, why not if you
shouldn't be in prison for what it is? Like we
were saying what Bernie said was the question, was you
mean someone like you know, the so Nay brothers were
the Boston bombers or whatever. He goes, Yeah, they may
(37:01):
be terrible people, but it's part of the whatever. So
that losing. So that's the point. So if someone you know,
if someone murdered someone I love, No, I don't want
them to vote. I agree and listens something maybe not
as controversial, but I don't lowering of the voting age
if anything to me. They should raise the voting the
(37:22):
lower thank you, right, because okay, so so sixteen year
olds don't even make their own beds, you're gonna trust
them to pick the leaders. But but you know, but
here's the thing. Male brains. Males aren't fully developed until
they're like twenty seven years old. There was some story
recently there was said, you're not fully adult until your
(37:44):
like or something. So here's the thing. Everyone. I see
people complaining and taking stances for things, um that they
weren't even alive for, and they don't know the climate
back then, Like you know, when I when I came out,
and it was a whole different time than now. If I, like,
(38:04):
if I was in the closet now and people would
be like, dude, why are you in the closet? Nobody cares, right,
But you know, in twenty six that was a big deal,
Like you just didn't You're like, oh my gosh, I'm
not gonna have a job or whatever. And so times change,
things change, people do in there in the moment um.
What is reflective of society in that moment for the
(38:25):
most part. And that's not to say it's right or wrong.
That's just the way it was back in the day. Yeah,
Hillary Clinton got a whole lot of guff about the
crime bill, the Omnibus Crime Bill. I sent a lot
of people to prison. I'm not saying it was right
or wrong, but back then, a whole lot of black
(38:45):
and brown people who wanted that crime deal because people
were dying from crack and all of that, and they
were trying to figure out a way to stop it.
The unintended consequences of it, unfortunately, were people going to
jail unnecessarily for long times, and that is awful and
people should answer for that. But that was the time.
It just took one documentary through a sort of the
(39:05):
monkey ranch in the thinking and not putting things in
perspective because there was a lot of people. I remember that,
it's my old ass, remember that there was a lot
of people calling for that. There were a lot of people.
It was it was out of control. Yeah, you mentioned that.
You know, there's a lot of people who are out
there advocating for things they weren't even alive for. Do
you think there's a problem with people actually learning history
these days. I do. I think that you know, listen,
(39:30):
that is the foundation of America, and you know, one
of the freedom of expression that you can protest, you
can peacefully protest, and you that's great, do that, but
you should understand what you're doing and what you're fighting for,
rather than just thinking it's cool to do it. And
I think a lot of young people, unfortunately for me,
I think a lot of young people think it's cool
and they think that they equate the things that we're
dealing with now to some of the things that happened
(39:52):
back then. There's some correlation, but it's not nearly as hard.
I did not have to walk to school. I could
go to a you know, a white school, you know,
if my parents could have you know, my parents could
could afford to go to schools were desegregated by the
time I got there, So it was a whole different thing.
People didn't stop me from sitting at a lunch counter,
(40:12):
no one lynched me. So it's just, you know, it's
a different time. Um. But some of the things we're
still dealing with, you know, still dealing with police brutality,
We're still dealing with the third rail in our society
is race and racism. All you have to do is
look at what's going on, and people are really afraid
to address that. And unless we do that, it's not
(40:33):
going to change after Biden or your next three in order.
What well, I'm not You asked me if it was
the most authentic. I'm not rooting for anybody that's that's not.
Probably I thought it was the most authentic. No, and
I appreciate that answer. Okay, let me let me rephrase it.
Asked me why, and I hope please So Joe Biden.
(40:53):
I've forgotten that I met him because I didn't remember
that I met him, because I said on air once
said I didn't remember a meeting him. I didn't know
him from Adam. But I was at UM an event
after the White House Correspondence Center, and he was there
and and I met him. Someone reminded me I met
him with Mayor Bloomberg. But it was just in passing,
Nice to meet you. It was a funny story because
we got out of the car there was traffic. We
(41:15):
were going to this party at the it was the
Vanity Fair party for the White House course Monesty and
so everybody's in traffic and people got out and started walking.
So I got out with my friend who I was with,
and we were walking and all of a sudden, these
guys come sick. Can you just back off a little bit?
And we were like, and they had like things in there,
and we're talking. I'm like, we're like and then we looked.
I'm like, oh, it's a vice pread m. So we
(41:37):
I didn't realize, so we just kept walking and they
opened the side gate and everybody walked in. They thought
I was with the vice president. So I just walked
into the Vanity Fair party and through the side Everyone's like, welcome.
So I started calling my friends, come with Vanity Fair party.
I've been check and you can just walk in. And
my friends got there and they're like, dohn, we cannot
(41:57):
get in. And then I we realized that we got
it from So that's when I met him, but it
was a very short meeting. Anyways, my sister died. You know,
Joe Biden lost his son. So my sister died, a
couple of and a daughter I think hit by a car. So, um,
Joe Biden. I get this two or two phone on
my then I don't usually answer and I was just
(42:17):
sitting like house was. It wasn't long after my sister
died and I answered the phone, um, and they said
don Lemon. I said yes, and they said, um, this
is the vice President's office stand by one moment for
the vice president. I'm like, right, something like because Mike
pants on the phone was so I guess he goes,
and he goes Joe. I'm like, oh my god, it's
(42:38):
Vice President Joe Biden. He talked to me for an
hour about grief and UM, you know, how you how
to deal with it, what I was going to go
through if I ever needed him, here's a number to call.
He didn't. He wasn't even running then. I was like,
are you gonna run? He's like, I don't know. I
gotta figure it out. You know, I'm dealing, still dealing
with my things. No one has done that. Mary Landrew
(43:00):
did that because I'm from Louisiana of New Orleans, but
no one I know has done that. So he is
the real deal when it comes to authenticity, and he
wants you to love him and he actually cares about you.
So that's why, you know, I know when people say,
oh the hair and whatever, he's just kind of, it's
kind of that's his thing. That's a great story. So
(43:20):
that's why I think he's the most authentic. Get it
him out of the equation. Who let me ask it
this way, who has the best chance um to beat
Trump in top three in order? Okay? So okay, I
don't know, I'll tell Okay, so if I if you
were a gambling man right now him another equation, UM,
(43:49):
Kamala Hiras number one, really Buddha Edge and maybe Bernie,
I'm not sure. I don't know. I say Kamala work
has fallen out of that that he was because he
was the darling. So I'm just fascinated. Well, I say
(44:10):
Kamala Harris because Kamala Harris is formidable and she's very smart,
and I was up there on that stage with her,
and she's going to be a force in the debate.
Pete budda judge, I said, because this is all going
to come down to, and I'm judging that on not unpopularity,
not on you know who you like and all that
has nothing to do. He is a very likable guid,
incredibly sport but the experience, though, that's a whole another shows.
(44:34):
But he also seems more moderate. Okay, but no he does.
But at the same time, and then I thought, but
wait a minute, he's just the man. Here's what's gonna
Here's what's gonna matter. You know what I mean about
fast forward to the debate stage. You said, take Joe
Biden out of Yes, you got Trump on the debate stage.
Whoever the Democratic nominee is. So you have Trump on
the debate stage with Kamala Harris. Okay, him hitting her,
(44:56):
getting personal, that's gonna be a little bit. Can't become
He can't becoming a little nicknames. Okay, So that's that's
what I'm saying. And then you Pete, well, but he
will have You know, if you're in politics, you have
other people do your dirty work. You don't, you know
what I'm saying, So he'll have Mayor Pete is the
direct opposite of what this president is. So all Mayor
Pete would have to do is say, really, I'm just
(45:19):
I'm a whole lot smarter, and that answer was dumb.
It just has to sort of treat him like okay
and just move on and do his thing and give
a really smart answer. He is the perfect counter through Trump.
And then the other person is Bernie. Listen, people love
(45:40):
Bernie or hate Bernie. He's a force and he knows
how to handle a debate stage. And that's the only
reason I say that. Do you think the situation though
in Venezuela, for example, that's going on hurts his whole
socialism so his campaign? I think? I think. I think
what's happening in Venezuela is good for the people in
the party who like to point to in the Republican Party,
(46:00):
you like to point to Democrats as socialists. But again,
if you do your research, it will show that the
people who are really far left get the most um
media attention, get the most attention. The party is really
to the center. The people who really vote are in
the center. The people who really vote are not on
social media. They're not on Twitter. Maybe they're more so
(46:21):
on Facebook, but they're not the people who are yelling
at each other on Twitter. What are your thoughts on AOC.
I think she's really bright and really smart, and I
think she if she continues in this vein, then she
has a really um long career in um in politics,
and I think maybe she could be president one day.
I know that's a bowl statement. Do you think standing
on all those tables ruined bet or rocks chances. I
(46:45):
think that while people are like, okay, what is what
are you doing? Yeah? What do you what? What do
you stand for? Well, and he doesn't have much substance,
doesn't well the same thing people want. People want bootages
to show, like, what are your policy? Yeah? Well, I
think I think everyone wants to see from the Democratic candidates. Okay,
we get it, you hate Trump, but what are your policies?
What do you say? But no one is talking about
(47:06):
Trump except for Biden, not one candidate unless they guy
asked them the guy was the best chance. Biden came
out and went right there, boom, and now who's everybody
talking about? Right? Trump and Biden they're fighting. He's hitting Biden.
It's like we're in the general already and there has
(47:27):
not even try. That's the that's the tone that had Trump.
Trump slipped on his name game to sleepy Joe. He
could have done better, he could have done better, he's
losing it. Joe comes back with one for you know
the reason why I said that. Um, by the way,
Joe will too. I think he's pretty He's gonna come
(47:48):
on a nickname. But I mean it's pretty easy for
think about it. It's pretty easy for Joe or anyone.
So Joe's thing is gonna be if you know, if
he talks about um, you know, women being uncomfortable and
calling him or he calls him creepy Joe too, right,
if he talks about that, all Joe has to say
is really, you're gonna call me creepy? And you know,
(48:09):
all he has to do is say I have two
words for you, Stormy Daniels, and then boom, that's the
end of it. Can say he's gonna be like, yeah,
and what There's definitely some topics that you've got to
think Trump's gonna have a hard time bringing up, like
he doesn't do. But I don't think he cares. I'm
looking I'm looking forward to seeing the democratic field and
see if they do go after each other. I think
(48:30):
that's going to be a pretty interesting dynamic. They got to, right,
you have to go because they haven't yet. Because they
haven't yet. So before we wrap it up, obviously, because
politics have been dominating the majority of the news, what
what stories do you think are being ignored on um?
I just want did you see the latest thing in
poll it's like, uh, Joe Biden and then everybody else
(48:53):
is like close to teens or twenties, Like, um, what's
the most what? What stories do you think are being ignored?
I don't know if any stories are being ignored because
I think people think that stories are being ignored if
they don't see them on seeing in domestic right if
you turn on the TV. But if you also there
are other sites. Digital is like you know huge now
(49:15):
it's like you know that it's like slowly taking over broadcasts.
So to say that those stories aren't getting any play,
all you have to do is look for them if
you want to find them. Um. I do think that, um,
we don't cover domestic terror enough, like the problem with
domestic terror and how to figure out what to do
(49:36):
with it and how do you figure out who's more
prone to it until something big happens, like someone gets shot,
people get shot in a synagogue. I think that is
the most important story, Um, that deserves more playing. I
mean how do you do that? I mean, let's just
be honest. If someone that someone is you know, Muslim,
(49:57):
there are things that people look for like oh are
they are nicely? And the stuff at Number one, they
do it because you're a Muslim. If you're a white guy,
how do you what what? What signs do you look for?
What makes people realize? Because many times in terror people
look for physical descriptions, religious backgrounds, and those sorts of things.
(50:20):
For domestic terror, there is none of that. Social media
has had a role, wouldn't you say, as far as now,
there's so many wonderful things about it too. But at
the same time, you can now channel your energy to
like minded people of the same demonic mindset and what
have you, and cultivate a following or maybe have the
(50:40):
courage to do something horrendous. You even see people encouraging people.
That's what I'm saying. You look at the kid that
just happened with the synagogue. His parents said, we didn't
teach him these things. We don't know he must. We
don't know how where he learned. And that's what I
mean by that. So what do you How do you
do that? Because I don't want to see any more
people die. It's it's hard to figure it out and
listen and when people get it twisted. When I say
(51:02):
how do you profile that, I mean like professional profiles.
That's what profilers. Do they profile murderers, you profile terrorists,
you profile all these things, But how do you come
up with a profile for that for someone who just
looks like the guy next door. That's tough. You want kids,
I used to, but you have enough. You can spare
(51:22):
one about it. Yeah, I think I do want kids,
but you know, man, I'm old. Yeah I want so. Yes,
the short answer is yes, I do want kids. And
then I don't know if it's a luxury curse. But
you can always you know, yeah, right, yeah, right, exactly exactly.
(51:43):
I can talk to you man for another couple of hours,
but I know you're busy, and uh, I look forward
to getting together hopefully again. A you're gonna have a
last question. Are you gonna have like a banger blowout
wedding party or you're gonna like a lope because if
it's if you're going next level, I take parties to
the next level of scene. And the real question, the
real question is is heaping in fight on the spot?
(52:05):
Come on player making that this? Damn I'm a sneaking
like you did with im sek In, like you did
in the fair party. I was invited. I just share,
of course, of course, yes, maybe we'll have you performed
the ceremony. Imagine his wedding Marrio Lopez performing a shirtless
(52:29):
like we gotta get, We gotta get, by the way
I'm down, we just gotta get. We haven't decided that
I tell him. I was like, we either gotta go
like friends and family or it's got to be huge
because I can't be in between because I'll piss off
a lot of people. Yeah exactly, Okay, fair enough. Meanwhile,
check out Don weeknights on CNN tonight and make sure
(52:49):
you follow him on Instagram with god I Am so
sorry tonight with Don Lemon for God's sakes, and make
sure you follow him on Instagram at Don and then
CNN pigs A coming like It's a pleasure being on own,
(53:10):
So don't forget a new episodes and listen to Mario
Dropping every Friday all on Mario dot com to catch
up on the podcast, and please make sure you follow
listen to Mario on I Heart Radio and subscribe on
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. More fun next week.
Thank you so much for listening
All right, Mario Lopez here back for another install. I'm
gonna listen to Mario, but having a lot of fun
doing this podcast because we really do have interesting people
from all walks of life stopping by. And this week
we got one of the biggest names in news from CNN,
Mr Don Lemon. Don, of course, is the host of
CNN Tonight, is not afraid to give his opinion, so
(00:20):
lots to talk about with him. Let's get into it,
Don Lemon, How are you, sir? I'm great? How are you?
I'm very excited that you're here. Every time I see
you are in better shape. I hate you, man, I
love you. Say you look great, man, thank you and
I and I asked this with respect because I I
think we're about the same age, but you you look
(00:42):
you look good like young. How old are you? I'm
way older than you? No, come on, is that right? Dan?
You look good three years old, but not that that's so,
by the way, you turn a couple of months, so
that's good. I'm gonna be right there. Yeah, ye man, really, well,
you know, we got that oily skin hopefully keeping us
(01:05):
uh looking young. I'm feeling young except in the mornings
after long nights, and then it's a little achy and stuff.
I see you and then I and then I remember
like I saved by the bell, and I was like,
wait a minute, I was older than him, per saved
by the bell. But I remember saved by the bell.
I'm like, he ain't no spring chicken, no good. Yeah,
thank you, thank you. I appreciate it. I know you're
(01:26):
interviewing me. You're taking over the world. I can't go
any I look up on my TV. You're there. Now,
you're on the radio. And then I go in my
hotel room. The first I turned the TV on and
you're right there. Do you have Mario overload? Oh my gosh,
who has more jobs? You were running secrets? Well I'm
you know, I'm I'm maybe the Latino version right there.
So we'll see on the West coast over here. But
by the way, I know you're a New Yorker, but
(01:48):
you're I want to get back to where you're from originally.
But I forgive me for not saying congratulations, because I
know you got engaged. Look at that or you blinging
out right here. I'm blowing it out. I said that
if I'm going to get married, I want some blink.
Because I grew up never thinking that I would get married.
I didn't think I could get married. Were you opposed
to it or no, I wasn't opposed to it. I
kind of thought it, that's a good question, you're good.
(02:09):
I kind of fought it for a little bit, because
you know, during the time that I came around, you
couldn't gave people couldn't get married right or if they
did later on you could have a commitment ceremony, but
it wasn't recognized, and on and on. So I never
thought I could have kids, never thought my relationship would
be public, never thought i'd be legally married. And then
once it became the law of the land, I was like, oh, well,
(02:30):
this is cool. I don't want to be that heteronormative.
I remember when gay people were cool and different and
you wouldn't have to get married. But that was one
of the benefits, to be honest, I was jealous about that.
And now we can be just as miserable as right,
gave up half your ship if it don't work out anyway.
But you know, I met someone and I'm like, all right,
this is cool, and then you know, um, well, you're
(02:51):
at that good age though, you know, like you steel,
you look young and feel at the same time, you know,
you're busy, You've got a lot on the play. It's
nice having a little um some some sort of h
complacency in that department, right, right, well, consistency, that was consistency.
But also you would know, you know, when you're in
this business, you never know why people want to be
(03:13):
in relationships with you, right, So if you met someone,
you met your wife young, so you know before you
were like, so I didn't. I didn't have all of that.
I never knew why people wanted to be in a
relationship with me. And then once I met someone who
just loved me for me, I was like, all right,
well this is cool, and it started to change. But
it was weird. We were both talking to the same
jeweler at the same time. So we had a friend
(03:36):
who's a jewel who's a Canadian. His name is Mark
lash And so I emailed Mark. I said, hey, I'm
ready for some rings. Can you give me send me
some designs, some ideas, and he's like, I didn't get
back to me. I'm like, well damn yeah, I'm like
rude security And so then I and then I emailed
him again. He goes, oh, he goes, are you sure
you're ready for that? All right, I'll be in New York.
(03:59):
You're ready for I'm like, well, shrinker, ready for rings.
I'll be in York in a couple of weeks. I'll come.
I'll stop by your office and we'll do blah blah
blah blah blah. And then once Tim came in and
made the you know, and and proposed I realized, So
he proposed, how do you do it? So? He it
(04:20):
was his birthday and he told me, like before he
had it on his calendar. He said, birthday is my day.
I said, yes, baby, it's your day. You can do
whatever you want. And he said, so, I want to
cook breakfast at home, spend time with the dogs. Then
I want us to go out and get manicures and pedicures.
I'm like, what, okay? Fine? He wanted he wanted to
(04:41):
look good for the ring. I had no idea. I
had no idea. So we did. I woke up and
I was like, you know, being me, I'm like, do
we want a cooking? The mess of the kitchen, there's
no cleaning. Later day I'll feel like cleaning i'n't do anything,
and so he said, all right, well let's go out.
So we went found a place so we could take
the dogs and sit outside, and we said we went
to breakfast, and then I went and got a man
in copedicure with him, and then we're going to a
party at night. And I said, I'm just gonna go
(05:01):
in the room a little bit and show because we
have a long night and maybe I'll take a nap
for a little bit. And so he comes in with
the dogs and I'll jump on the bend. He goes,
have you seen the new dog tags? And I'm like no.
So I look at it and it looks like I
was like, what does that? A bone? As like a ribbon?
And then on the little tag it said daddy, will
you marry Papa? And I was like what. I looked
at the other and I'm like what. And I looked
(05:22):
at him and I said, are you serious? And he
said yeah, and he goes, He's like day. And I
looked at the box and it says Mark Lash was
the jeweler. And he said, God, I love you. I
want to spend the rest of my life with you,
(05:43):
bab and his hands were trembling in his lips were quivering.
I'm like, are you serious? And then I looked at
him and I'm like, he's serious, and so I didn't laugh.
And then I just looked at him and I said, oh,
I said, of course I'll marry you, silly. So have
you have you set a date yet? Are you gonna
have long engagement? We're trying, we're trying to figure it out.
(06:04):
It's weird with schedules, and I don't know if you
have to. I don't know if you Maybe not for you,
but for me, I have to think about the news cycle.
So either I do it this year, which is probably
not gonna happen because it's too fast, right, or I
have to do it like next summer, but I got
to do it before the conventions and the debates and
all of that, and then it will be an election.
(06:24):
And then also think about it, there's like really big
breaking news. I could lose like half my wedding party
right right right the slowest time of the year. Yeah, yeah,
most likely it'll be either late this year, probably not,
but most likely early next year, maybe April or something like.
There you go, right, well, congrats, thank you. Well, thing's
going great personally as well as professionally. But I want
(06:45):
to go back to the beginning because I know you're
from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Spent a lot of time there
as a matter of fact. Yeah, I love man, I
love the food. I'm here's the thing about what. This
is my express from there, So I believe me, I
know about it. Insiana. Um love Cajun food and that's
that type of food. And always say you can always
get like good Italian, good Mexican other type food, but
(07:07):
that kind of food you can only really get in Louisiana.
So I love it. Are you not as passionate about
your kidding me? Because I'm like crazy pass I'm a
big foodie. So listen. I don't have apps because because
I like to eat, and well, I just I love
to eat. And I grew up on butter and fried
foods and lard and fried foods. Everything is fried, right,
(07:27):
Everything is from accent. Though. Um, if I go home
or if I talk, like when I talk to my family,
and it will come out on somewhere some people will
be like you realize you just said y'all or whatever,
but but then be an accent. It's kind of like, well,
and I don't know if it's it's different more from
the Lafayette area, but they kind of talk like that
they're going to stick the head of them. It's different, right,
and it's different from the rest of the southern kind
(07:48):
of it is. But also there's one area that's close
to uh to New Orleans. It's like Lucher Granny Sea Reserve,
were about my dad would hey, baby, how you doing.
We're going down there. You won't, you won't. Come on,
We're gonna have some red beans. You know. There's like
a different accent. And then there's one accent in New
Orleans that almost sounds like a Brooklyn accent. These guys
(08:11):
are actually from the city La you know, Lafayette. Lafayetta
is s forty five minutes from my hometown, which is
Port Allen, which is West Baton Route. So you Lafayette
Port Allen, which is West Bend Rouge, and you cross
the bridge and you're an East Baton Rouge, which is
the capital. So yeah, but we just kind of sound like, hey, mama,
hey mama, Yeah, I'm hungry, right right right, It's very lazy.
(08:31):
It's a lazy time. There's a lazy time, relaxed after
that right there, and you'd like to eat and drink
nothing wrong with that and drank. How how was it
going on you there? Do you like Louisiana? I love
Louisiana growing up. Um, you know Louisiana was hot and yes, smelly,
(08:55):
it's human. I mean, yeah, it's human like you. You know.
That's why that's why people say in Louisiana you got
that good skin, because it's all human. Nobody's ashy, nobody's
there's natural natural ash the ash. No. But I grew
up in you know, like I said, the whole town
(09:16):
called Port Allen, there was a sugarcane plant. Uh there.
I think it was a steams and they would make
like syrup and stuff. So you could smell that. You
could smell the tar from the road and the roof
it would get so hot. You could like smell the dirt.
It was just and grass. It's like Louisiana has a smell.
And you could smell the swamp and the sea would
like you could literally smell the water like you get
(09:36):
next to the river the lake, You're like, yeah, fishy. Yeah,
when did you leave? I left in like nine ninety
or so around nineteen ninety and when I started UM,
I had what was coming to terms with my sexuality.
But I was also house sitting for my aunt who
lived in Harlem, and so I would go and they
(09:57):
would like go to Egypt and take these long trips
to and whatever, and so they did you want to
come to houseit? So she lived in sugar Hill and Harlem,
and I would go and um, house change, yes, And
then I was like, damn, all this joint it was great,
like it, it was great, and some I would do
it in high school and it was great, and I
love it. I love it. I loved it. And then
I would like sneak out, um into the palladium. I
(10:21):
would sneak into the limelight, right. I would just be.
I would just get back to Harlem all hours and
nobody could do. And I loved it. And I was like,
I'm going to live there one day. And then, UM,
my journalism teacher, teacher at l S, you told me
I would never make it in journalism, and I said,
I gotta get out of this. Yeah, Um, were you
always interested in journalism where you became? I was interested
(10:43):
in school. I was always interested in journalism. But I thought, like,
I'm not gonna make any money I should do. My
dad was an attorney, right, and my real dad, my head,
who had died, was an attorney. So I was like,
I'm gonna go to school pre law whatever maybe and
maybe I'll study economics and then go to law school.
And I was I hated it, like the worst in numbers.
I don't know why I thought you and I both
and then uh and then if I like basic arithmetic
(11:06):
is that's my don't doubt. Don't let me have done
a gummy or like a little high whatever I came out.
Were you taking quizzes? I don like normally I'm like,
all right, right, I'll do basic math quick quick. I'm
so dumb. So I'm gonna get excited when you go
to the restaurant they put it for you, like like
(11:27):
oh yeah, I had to think. So I'm like I
always like Tim, here, take the check. How much that is? Right?
And he's like, don it's And then Neil look at me, goes, oh,
I know you did a gummy, didn't you. I'm like, yeah,
I didn't. I could get real doune, but I'm not
good at man. Okay, Oh my gosh, yeah, it makes
(11:50):
dinner much better. Yeah, it does, but it makes math
much harder. I'm already struggling. Even when they suggest the amounts,
You're like, is that right? Like it still doesn't seem right.
They know I'm definitely math challenged. So anyway, I decided
that that I wanted to UM. I said, I saw
(12:11):
this woman on television. Her name is Gane West and
as I think I was in freshman in college or whatever,
and she looked like my family. She's this black lady.
She's you know, she could speak articulate English. She wasn't
like JJ like that. It's not that there was anything
wrong with JJ, but those were the role models who
are on TV right or you had good times and
you know you you fool, whatever it was, or Frett Sanford,
(12:33):
which is fine. They made a living. I love those people.
But I saw someone who who was relatable, and I said,
that's what I want to do, and I never looked back.
What was your first job in media? My first job
was at uh W n y W Fox five at
two oh five Street uh in New York between uh
(12:58):
second and third. So I started there as a trainee
in the news room, making five dollars an hour, six
month program below the poverty level. Yeah, I couldn't afford
gummies in that was a probiotic. That's unfortunates. We have
a lot of math problems coming. I thought about the
(13:20):
ticket to the next level right here, so and then
and so then I started with them, um and it
was a six month program when they talked to you
just how to be do stuff in the newsroom. And
that was just really really really aggressive and like talk
to everyone. And then that became I became a production assistant,
and the desk assistant, and then a satellite bees coordinator,
and then the assignment editor, uh field producer writer, and
(13:44):
then I started put my own tape together and then
send it out and got a job and the rest
is history. And I think a lot of it. I
mean asigned from coming across articulate, good disposition, good look,
and great pipes and I really yeah, I was like
the pipes and hate my voice. Come on being humble
(14:04):
right now. I want I want to be like you
know the guys who do voiceovers like drive this show
to me, you sound like that? That must sound like
ever you ever now like the voice has changed over time?
Do you remember when it used to be like early on,
everybody sounded like this, and all the actors had this
(14:24):
fake British accent. Wellsome my love, yeah yeah, so everybody
sounded like that, and then the announcers were all kind
of like that, and then you got down the billy
d where everybody was kind of deep whatever, and now
it kind of cool. Now everyone sounds like a snarky,
like entitled like you want to drive a BMW? You
(14:46):
ever hear that? You ever hear the commercials? Yeah? Why
not drive the best car? It's like, come on, that's
like condescending And that's the kind of that is. Listened
to the voiceovers, especially around Christmas time. Listen to the
a car voiceovers, especially for like for luxury, but a
purchase the best brand. Ever, how long have you been
(15:10):
at CNN? Now? Wow? Since two thousand and six? Exactly,
very good Frasier. Um, that's all a plotting, like it
just solved the Pythagorean thirteen years. How would you say
CNN has changed during that time? We have become um
(15:31):
way more relevant. Like we started like we invented it, right,
and so I think people there was sort of this
thing like we invented and we're just you know, we're
seeing n and then um, you know, the other networks
came along, MSNBC and Fox and started giving us a
run for our money. And then we got Jeff Zucker
who said, all right, we're going to change the way
(15:51):
that we do news. News is not just on a
on a wheel over and overdoing headlines and it's about
the most important news of day. We have a big
enough organization where we can cover the world, and so
we're gonna cover domestic like a domestic network instead of
like covering domestic like it's a world network. Because we
have seen an international which covers the world. If you
(16:13):
want international news, to see an international, if you want
to see an espaniol you go to see an see
it in Espaniel, you go see an in Turk or whatever.
So we started covering seeing in domestic like we're a
domestic news organization. If it was applicable to something happening
in the world was two Americans, and we did that
and then um, I think he also reinvigorated the network
(16:35):
and and made us um a little bit more, a
lot more passionate about what we do. And I think
you see that on the air. Do you think the
mainstream media is biased? Including I think the mainstream media
is biased. I do not think the mainstream media is biased.
I think the um the mainstream media, and I can
(16:57):
speak for a scene and listen, they're biased people at networks.
I'm sure here's the thing that you that differentiates CNN
from everyone else. So, if you're at a broadcast network, right,
you have an owner, you have obligations to your owners. Right,
Your owners are usually owned by entertainment companies, so you
have to You've got to protect the entertainment part of
your company. The Waitney interview, we don't have to protect
(17:19):
interviews because we don't have to worry about a network.
Fox News will tell you we are a conservative network.
Our news is skewed to our conservatives. MSNBC will tell
you we're pretty left right when we are skewed towards
that we are not. In this day and age, if
(17:41):
the truth is not on your side, it can seem
that you're being biased. So the Trump administration likes to
say that we're biased because we have to call them
out when they don't tell the truth and when they
don't give facts. So I don't think the news network,
the news media in UM in g garrole is biased.
(18:02):
I think that that is rhetoric to deflect from what
this administration is doing and form quite frankly from the
extremes of both parties that they don't want you to
see what's happening Seeing in Tonight's your show Seeing Tonight
with Don Lemon Mario Don because it says on. If
(18:22):
someone just said your show is on, you'd be like
with Mario local exactly. I thought that your show covered it.
But when you go into work every day, what's your
goal done? M hmm, Like, what do you hope to accomplish?
Very simple? Uh, to inform the electorate, to to inform
the viewer, and two to give the truth. It's just
(18:44):
to tell the truth. I have no other agenda than
to tell the truth. What's the toughest part telling the truth? Now?
Not even not telling the truth, but pointing out the truth.
It's tough because you have to do it every day
because UM journalism is under attack. Watching your show, you
don't shy away from giving opinion. I give my point
(19:05):
of view. Is there's a difference, you know? Well, that
was my question. How do you balance it while still
reporting the facts. So I can give an opinion and say,
well my opinion is that Mario's hair is blonde. Everybody
will go what he said, Well, that's just my opinion.
Well that's not the truth. So a point of view
can be based in fact because we all come with
(19:26):
the lens, we all come from certain perspectives, so you
may see something differently from your perspective, but there is
a standard truth there. So I give my truth and
then I give the I give my point of view,
and then I give the facts to back it up.
You've been in some headlines giving your point of view. Yes,
(19:48):
how what's the feedback from zucker and and the powers
that be? Is it encouraged? Is there is there a
fine line because as a journalist you are reporting the facts,
but now only think it's sort of the rule itself
is evolved too. You want to hear people who you
you watch and respect in a point of view, because then,
(20:08):
or else, why wouldn't you just go on social media? Right?
So look, look, listen, easy answer to that when you said,
was Zuck or whatever, I'm still here right right? That
answers that question, but the other but that doesn't mean
you know that I don't have conversations with him that
he doesn't give me advice or he doesn't say I
think you know with this, maybe you went a little
(20:28):
harder with that, or but that's that's life. It is, um.
It is a I think journalism and what we do
is a living, breathing thing. The good thing that the
very good thing about cable news is that I don't
think anyone ever wins a fight on cable news, and
the conversation never ends, right. And so if you and
I get into it, we disagree, well then you just
(20:48):
come back tomorrow and then we talked about it again.
That's what people don't understand. So it is living, it
is evolving. So if I get let's just say, I
get into a disagreement with Mario and my show and
we have a fight or whatever, I can call you
up and say, you know, Mario went hard. I'm sorry,
come back on the show and let's talk about it.
And then I'll say, you know what, I went hard
on Mario yesterday. I don't think he got a chance
to stay to say his piece. So I'm going to
give it now. Have you done that? Yeah, I've done
(21:10):
that before, of course. But so that's the thing about
cable news. So if I were in a different role,
let's just say I had the you know, the nightly
news job like Lester Holt, I wouldn't do I wouldn't
conduct myself in the same way that I'm doing now
with a cable news show because that that would not
be my role. My role would be to read the
news introductions, tell people this is a format in my
(21:32):
show tonight. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah. This is nightly news. Our big story
tonight is this. This person is covering it. Thank you.
This person now onto that. That is the role of
a network news anything. That's true. It's funny because he
wi doesn't seem as fun. But so I have a
very different role, right he he um leads me in
most of the markets for right before my So I
(21:53):
see a lot of Lester brothers. Is he good or what?
But but in watching his son's role, this guy too, Yeah, yeah,
there is a different It does seem more fun and
something to look forward to. And obviously you gotta stand
on top and be topical to give these uh, but
you would have a different you have a different role.
(22:13):
Think about the morning show people think about listen I mean,
since we're just talking about listeners NBC, think about the
Today's Show. You have to have a personality and do
cooking segments. You don't do that on the nightly news.
I don't do that on Everyone has a different role.
It's all media. It's all journalism. It's just different parts.
It's like a newspaper. You open up the newspaper, you
do journalism, you do the entertainment section of the newspapers, right,
(22:33):
So it's all the same thing. We're just doing different
parts of it. Do you have a favorite guest besides
Mario Lopez? Have you been on that show yet? I
have not had the Could you please have them on
and get in an argument and then have to bring
him back? Connection be amazing? What are you passionate about?
I'm gonna think about the favorite guests, But what are
you passionate? Are you into current events? I am extremely
(22:55):
into current I'm breaking down. I'm extremely into current events.
I love politics. But growing up in this business and
being a former child actor and into an adult, I've
learned that you know what my friends, my close friends,
people that know me know how I feel, but I
never talk it and never I don't. I don't not
vocal about my my politics. I'd rather I'm just an entertainer.
(23:18):
I don't want to try to you separate them out,
I separate them out, and I don't and I don't
I understand what it's just saying the same thing I'm saying.
That's your role. That's not right. I don't want to
be out of pocket. You understand what I'm saying. I
don't mind. I don't mind talking about my faith, which
I know sometimes just sort of shot upon that, and
that's why I think it's a little bit different. But um,
(23:39):
I just I'm gonna need people business, and I want
all people to like me. So I don't want to
alienate any fans. Politics are devices so and no matter
what opinion you have, right, So I'm just like, you
know what, I just don't go there. So that's so
that's my thing there. But you want to talk, you
want to talk to other kind of pop culture. I'll
learn that your boy, because I got you. But that's
(24:01):
like Jordan, Jordan end up watching it and I up
watching it. You know what I'm saying. Yes, And it's
sort of George Jordan said, you're like, what do you
say out of conservatives by tennis shoes? So he's like,
I don't want to do that. Yeah, so he doesn't
want to do that. And you understand that if you're
a business person, or depending on what part of the
business you're in, if someone asked you, Mario, we have
this great gig for you to be a cable news anchor,
then boom, you would change and do You'd have to
(24:21):
reveal rab part of yourself or developed that part of yourself.
So I totally get that. But you know, write a book, Mario,
or maybe I can pull it out of you. Mario,
do something controversial, Mario, So you have to come on
the show. Well, thank god all that part was a
pre social media and now that's not happy Internet. Yeah,
I'm sure they're flowing around. Wait did I ever get
(24:42):
an answer to my Oh yeah, I just said me favorite,
my favorite guest, or like recurring guests, what are your
thoughts on hav Naughty right now? Because you guys had
him on a lot and then I'm like, oh, oh boy,
like he was talking about rug for president before you answer.
What's interesting is Mario and I had to go to
Seattle for something like a month and a half ago,
(25:04):
and as we're about to take off, Avanati was texting him.
That's right. He reached out. He wanted to come do
the podcast and then and then he got arrest and
the like about it later. So what do I think
about Abanati? Um? He is a force. Like we were
watching an interview with him. Tim and I were watching
(25:24):
an interview that you don't see it and just a
couple of days ago, and Tim's like he's cut from
a different cloth, Like he's like he the wires go
are different. I don't mean that in a bad way, right, Um.
But so here's what I think about Abanati. You know
what he is? You see him coming? Do you know
what he is? But he's fascinating to watch. To watch
(25:47):
someone who has that much confidence, who is that sure
of himself, who can take that many risks, who doesn't
give that many fs. It's but it's not even that,
It's just it's like, as a as a journ analist,
you want you're like, what is that all about? It's
almost like it's like Trump. It's like this guy will
(26:07):
say anything, he'll do anything, he will do anything to
win the same thing with Anadi and it and it's
fascinating to watch. And I think that that the media
was fascinating for the media to watch him, and it
was fascinating for the American public to watch him. And
that's really all. It's just that simple. Who knows. I
don't know what you're doing. I I have I come
(26:28):
in here to do this interview with you. I don't
know what you do in your personal life. I don't
know what you do in your personal life. I don't
want to do but I don't know you. I don't
know what you do in your business life. I don't
know what you and so you know every that that's
up to him. He'll have to deal with that. But
just as from that perspective, he is fascinating to watch.
I do have to say this, and he you know,
(26:51):
I think I may have said it to him the
first time he came on my show, I said to
the crew, and I think I told him afterwards. I
said that guy is fine, way too close to the
sun burn. He's gonna burn. And he crashed. Yeah, And
even even he would admit that he said, this is
gonna end really well or really badly. The person was
he exactly like what we were saying. Same thing really
(27:14):
same just off camera, same thing, same thing. That's interesting. Yeah,
just as an individual, it's it's pretty fast. You never
met him, No, no, he reached out and what he
did and I was looking forward to and then I pinched,
So you know, put put a pin in that? Do
you do? You go on social media? Because I gotta
imagine everyone's difficult with the show. If you're you know,
(27:35):
Twitter for business. Every once in a while I scroll through,
but um, and then I'm like, I've got it's so
toxic right mostly like Instagram, and I can't remember the
last time I was on Facebook. Like I know my
Instagram updates my Facebook. But if there's like the work Facebook, Um,
I'll get the Facebook people at work and I'll say
post this or they'll just post stuff from the show.
(27:55):
But it's just so toxic right now. I can't do it.
You can't do And you know, even some of the
comments that you see, like Instagram didn't used to be
that way for you. I'm sure it's like I love you,
look at those dimples. Negative for me though, from it
doesn't matter, what doesn't matter. The MAGA people have taken
(28:19):
over my timeline. The homophobes have taken over my timeline.
The races have taken over my timeline. So I'm just like,
y'all have have fun in there. You gotta talk about
President Trump for a second, do it? What do you
think his his biggest problem is going into this next election?
(28:39):
And does he does he deserve any praise up to
this point? Okay, those are two different questions. His biggest problem, first,
I think, is that he's not expanding his base. That
he keeps preaching to the choir, and he's doing it
for two reasons, which may be smarter or may not.
One is that he knows he can't lose them right.
Two is because he he needs a praise. He craves it, right,
(29:02):
It's like candy. He's like he has to have it.
It's like air. My man will not miss a rally.
What he doesn't understand is that those people are going
to be with him no matter what, even if he
you know that so called pivot, if he pivoted to
bring people in and so you can't expand by alienating people,
(29:23):
and so I think that's what he's doing. Does he
deserve any praise? You said yes? I think, well, I
mean for someone who has no political experience assist for
the big picture, or someone who had no political experience
who most people thought didn't stand a chance in how
he became the president of United States, you gotta it's
got to be some praise there. Now we can question
(29:46):
and debate how he got there, um, and whether he
you know, didn't tell the truth a lot, bragged a lot,
and did all these things. But he still became president,
So that deserves some praise. Do you think the the
whole Russian collusion scandal that dominated the airwaves when Mueller
(30:06):
came back ultimately saying that there was no collusion regardless
of the obstruction of justice, and people saying or the
questions of obstruction of justice and that he's obstructing. What
if there's no collusion, what was exactly decided? Don't people
ultimately care though? Did he do it or did he not?
And then they'll move on. Yeah, Well, I don't think
he'll get He never said no collusion. Inclusion is not
a legal term. There's no such thing as right that
in the legal system. What he said was of conspiracy, uh,
(30:30):
and coordination, But he said that they did not, Um,
what was it basically it didn't meet the legal standard, right,
it wasn't as if they didn't try, and so, um,
I think that was the thing. But if you actually
read them, if people will read the Mulla report, which
most people don't do, they get it either from a
sound bite or they get it from this thing. So
(30:51):
they're not people. He's putting out the narratives. So if
you say, well, they're they're not going to charge the
evidence of whatever. We didn't come to the evidence or
whatever whatever it is, like like my debt, is he
gonna get convicted? That's all I was like, Well, so, um,
that part is complicated, but I think you're right, it's
a simple part. Well, he's not going to jail. Mueller
(31:14):
didn't find this and that, so I think, you know,
most people are going to believe that there is no
collusion and there is no Um, what's the obstruction even
though they said yes, but we couldn't come to a
conclusion about obstruction because we're going to leave that to
the Congress. And then Barr came in and gave his
spin on it. Now here we are, and here we
(31:38):
are with twenty Democrats announced in the running, which might god,
it just continues to grow, uh grow? What are your
thoughts on the field. First of all, Ah, that's a
lot of people. It's a lot of people, right, there's
a lot where there are more Republicans. Last time, Okay,
I knew it. It was pretty close, pretty close. Um,
what do I think? It's fascinating to watch as an
(32:04):
outsider because from my I know you're very close to it.
From outside, I was like, wow, Um, Kamala Harris was
a lot of momentum. Corey Booker, who do you find
most authentic? Ah, that's a very good question. Who do
I find most authentic? Biden? Really, do you feel that
(32:28):
the whole hair sniffing a little episode, which by the way,
I think was totally blown out of proportion with is
that going to come back and haunt him you think?
I think people are trying hard for that to come back.
But I mean, quite honestly, think about think about the
where we are in this country now. If you are
going to vote for a person who you know says
(32:49):
grab him by the you know what? Right, who have
had multiple women accused him of doing that? Um, then
someone sniffing her hair? What is it? I think the
whole I think the whole controversy about Biden and um
about Biden sniffing hair and all that. I think that
that is chatter among the media and political class. What
(33:10):
about I think most people in America have more important
things to deal with. Do you think, sorry, do you
think that's the issue with most stuff? Like most things?
Like the majority of the country doesn't care about a
lot of the stuff that has just screamed about nightly
on TV. And that doesn't mean that that's not an
important issue. That women should not be made to feel uncomfortable.
But I think for the most part, most women understand
(33:30):
the difference between Matt and someone making you feel someone
making a sexual advance. Right, what about people from the
same side though in the same party is saying, well,
he's not only the different generation, but we've moved on,
and almost a cry for we don't need another old
white guy, we need a person of could use a piece.
And I'm just saying, I hear what we're saying. Okay,
(33:52):
so here, yes, all but all of that is legitimate,
But you have to be strategic and realize where you
are in the moment. Right So if so for Democrats, now,
I think the moderates and the centrist and the people
who have been around for a while realize that their
mantra has to be who can beat Trump if they
want to win at the end of the day. At
(34:13):
the end of the day, and that doesn't always seem
to be the mindset. That's what I'm so so Republicans
fall in line, Democrats eat their own and so um
so their strategy for those folks will be who can
beat Trump. All those other things are legitimate. Everything that
people are saying, fine, we should we should have a
(34:34):
president who's a minority. We should have a president who's
a woman. But is this the time? Can that woman
beat Trump? Can that minority beat Trump? Can this? You know?
Can can that person beat Trump? So all the talk
about mixing it up, We're still gonna end up with
the older wed guy who has the best chance is
essentially what you're saying, right But for for as president
of the United States, most people who participate in the
(34:54):
political process and who vote, they don't care about the
age of the person they're voting for for president of
the and I find one he would be the oldest
right in history. Right. Well, Trump is pretty there, but
I think if Biden was pretty old. Yeah, you know,
I agree. Here's the thing. It seems to me. And again,
looking at the outside, it seems like a lot of
(35:15):
the a lot of the chatter. It looks like who's
trying to out radicalize the other and they're getting more exci.
I saw you for a second talking to Kamala Harris
and when Bernie Sanders started talking about convicts being voting,
and you asked her, and I'm glad you followed up,
and she said, it's a discussion we need to have.
I'm sorry, but with all due respect, no, we don't.
(35:36):
I think if you lose the right to live in
free society, you shouldn't have the right to vote. I
don't think. I'm no, but hold on, you're pulling me in.
Damn it. Don don't slipping me gummies and no, but
like that's just what I won't go there, toy. But
that's just one example, because I'm cut you a bright guy.
Come on, come on, man, I know you greg, Come on,
(35:58):
you get locked up. You're out here murdering people. Why
are you decide? Am I crazy that? But look at listen.
But my point is, if you start going along those lines,
you're just playing in the trum playbook anyway, Right, you're
just saying what I said. Okay, so I know that
you want to so like are these people hearing them?
Because I know I don't need to. Come on, Here's
(36:19):
the thing I'm saying. I don't even that most people.
Most people will agree. If you do something, you go
to prison, you go jail. You paid your debt to society, right,
and you spent you know, and it also depends on
what you did, right, if you committed a violent crime.
It's like it's like violent crime versus like a misdemeanor
or like a drug offense or whatever. Right, if you
go if you go to jail for let's say the
(36:41):
cops back in the day caught you with some weed,
yeah you should vote. Come on, why not if you
shouldn't be in prison for what it is? Like we
were saying what Bernie said was the question, was you
mean someone like you know, the so Nay brothers were
the Boston bombers or whatever. He goes, Yeah, they may
(37:01):
be terrible people, but it's part of the whatever. So
that losing. So that's the point. So if someone you know,
if someone murdered someone I love, No, I don't want
them to vote. I agree and listens something maybe not
as controversial, but I don't lowering of the voting age
if anything to me. They should raise the voting the
(37:22):
lower thank you, right, because okay, so so sixteen year
olds don't even make their own beds, you're gonna trust
them to pick the leaders. But but you know, but
here's the thing. Male brains. Males aren't fully developed until
they're like twenty seven years old. There was some story
recently there was said, you're not fully adult until your
(37:44):
like or something. So here's the thing. Everyone. I see
people complaining and taking stances for things, um that they
weren't even alive for, and they don't know the climate
back then, Like you know, when I when I came out,
and it was a whole different time than now. If I, like,
(38:04):
if I was in the closet now and people would
be like, dude, why are you in the closet? Nobody cares, right,
But you know, in twenty six that was a big deal,
Like you just didn't You're like, oh my gosh, I'm
not gonna have a job or whatever. And so times change,
things change, people do in there in the moment um.
What is reflective of society in that moment for the
(38:25):
most part. And that's not to say it's right or wrong.
That's just the way it was back in the day. Yeah,
Hillary Clinton got a whole lot of guff about the
crime bill, the Omnibus Crime Bill. I sent a lot
of people to prison. I'm not saying it was right
or wrong, but back then, a whole lot of black
(38:45):
and brown people who wanted that crime deal because people
were dying from crack and all of that, and they
were trying to figure out a way to stop it.
The unintended consequences of it, unfortunately, were people going to
jail unnecessarily for long times, and that is awful and
people should answer for that. But that was the time.
It just took one documentary through a sort of the
(39:05):
monkey ranch in the thinking and not putting things in
perspective because there was a lot of people. I remember that,
it's my old ass, remember that there was a lot
of people calling for that. There were a lot of people.
It was it was out of control. Yeah, you mentioned that.
You know, there's a lot of people who are out
there advocating for things they weren't even alive for. Do
you think there's a problem with people actually learning history
these days. I do. I think that you know, listen,
(39:30):
that is the foundation of America, and you know, one
of the freedom of expression that you can protest, you
can peacefully protest, and you that's great, do that, but
you should understand what you're doing and what you're fighting for,
rather than just thinking it's cool to do it. And
I think a lot of young people, unfortunately for me,
I think a lot of young people think it's cool
and they think that they equate the things that we're
dealing with now to some of the things that happened
(39:52):
back then. There's some correlation, but it's not nearly as hard.
I did not have to walk to school. I could
go to a you know, a white school, you know,
if my parents could have you know, my parents could
could afford to go to schools were desegregated by the
time I got there, So it was a whole different thing.
People didn't stop me from sitting at a lunch counter,
(40:12):
no one lynched me. So it's just, you know, it's
a different time. Um. But some of the things we're
still dealing with, you know, still dealing with police brutality,
We're still dealing with the third rail in our society
is race and racism. All you have to do is
look at what's going on, and people are really afraid
to address that. And unless we do that, it's not
(40:33):
going to change after Biden or your next three in order.
What well, I'm not You asked me if it was
the most authentic. I'm not rooting for anybody that's that's not.
Probably I thought it was the most authentic. No, and
I appreciate that answer. Okay, let me let me rephrase it.
Asked me why, and I hope please So Joe Biden.
(40:53):
I've forgotten that I met him because I didn't remember
that I met him, because I said on air once
said I didn't remember a meeting him. I didn't know
him from Adam. But I was at UM an event
after the White House Correspondence Center, and he was there
and and I met him. Someone reminded me I met
him with Mayor Bloomberg. But it was just in passing,
Nice to meet you. It was a funny story because
we got out of the car there was traffic. We
(41:15):
were going to this party at the it was the
Vanity Fair party for the White House course Monesty and
so everybody's in traffic and people got out and started walking.
So I got out with my friend who I was with,
and we were walking and all of a sudden, these
guys come sick. Can you just back off a little bit?
And we were like, and they had like things in there,
and we're talking. I'm like, we're like and then we looked.
I'm like, oh, it's a vice pread m. So we
(41:37):
I didn't realize, so we just kept walking and they
opened the side gate and everybody walked in. They thought
I was with the vice president. So I just walked
into the Vanity Fair party and through the side Everyone's like, welcome.
So I started calling my friends, come with Vanity Fair party.
I've been check and you can just walk in. And
my friends got there and they're like, dohn, we cannot
(41:57):
get in. And then I we realized that we got
it from So that's when I met him, but it
was a very short meeting. Anyways, my sister died. You know,
Joe Biden lost his son. So my sister died, a
couple of and a daughter I think hit by a car. So, um,
Joe Biden. I get this two or two phone on
my then I don't usually answer and I was just
(42:17):
sitting like house was. It wasn't long after my sister
died and I answered the phone, um, and they said
don Lemon. I said yes, and they said, um, this
is the vice President's office stand by one moment for
the vice president. I'm like, right, something like because Mike
pants on the phone was so I guess he goes,
and he goes Joe. I'm like, oh my god, it's
(42:38):
Vice President Joe Biden. He talked to me for an
hour about grief and UM, you know, how you how
to deal with it, what I was going to go
through if I ever needed him, here's a number to call.
He didn't. He wasn't even running then. I was like,
are you gonna run? He's like, I don't know. I
gotta figure it out. You know, I'm dealing, still dealing
with my things. No one has done that. Mary Landrew
(43:00):
did that because I'm from Louisiana of New Orleans, but
no one I know has done that. So he is
the real deal when it comes to authenticity, and he
wants you to love him and he actually cares about you.
So that's why, you know, I know when people say,
oh the hair and whatever, he's just kind of, it's
kind of that's his thing. That's a great story. So
(43:20):
that's why I think he's the most authentic. Get it
him out of the equation. Who let me ask it
this way, who has the best chance um to beat
Trump in top three in order? Okay? So okay, I
don't know, I'll tell Okay, so if I if you
were a gambling man right now him another equation, UM,
(43:49):
Kamala Hiras number one, really Buddha Edge and maybe Bernie,
I'm not sure. I don't know. I say Kamala work
has fallen out of that that he was because he
was the darling. So I'm just fascinated. Well, I say
(44:10):
Kamala Harris because Kamala Harris is formidable and she's very smart,
and I was up there on that stage with her,
and she's going to be a force in the debate.
Pete budda judge, I said, because this is all going
to come down to, and I'm judging that on not unpopularity,
not on you know who you like and all that
has nothing to do. He is a very likable guid,
incredibly sport but the experience, though, that's a whole another shows.
(44:34):
But he also seems more moderate. Okay, but no he does.
But at the same time, and then I thought, but
wait a minute, he's just the man. Here's what's gonna
Here's what's gonna matter. You know what I mean about
fast forward to the debate stage. You said, take Joe
Biden out of Yes, you got Trump on the debate stage.
Whoever the Democratic nominee is. So you have Trump on
the debate stage with Kamala Harris. Okay, him hitting her,
(44:56):
getting personal, that's gonna be a little bit. Can't become
He can't becoming a little nicknames. Okay, So that's that's
what I'm saying. And then you Pete, well, but he
will have You know, if you're in politics, you have
other people do your dirty work. You don't, you know
what I'm saying, So he'll have Mayor Pete is the
direct opposite of what this president is. So all Mayor
Pete would have to do is say, really, I'm just
(45:19):
I'm a whole lot smarter, and that answer was dumb.
It just has to sort of treat him like okay
and just move on and do his thing and give
a really smart answer. He is the perfect counter through Trump.
And then the other person is Bernie. Listen, people love
(45:40):
Bernie or hate Bernie. He's a force and he knows
how to handle a debate stage. And that's the only
reason I say that. Do you think the situation though
in Venezuela, for example, that's going on hurts his whole
socialism so his campaign? I think? I think. I think
what's happening in Venezuela is good for the people in
the party who like to point to in the Republican Party,
(46:00):
you like to point to Democrats as socialists. But again,
if you do your research, it will show that the
people who are really far left get the most um
media attention, get the most attention. The party is really
to the center. The people who really vote are in
the center. The people who really vote are not on
social media. They're not on Twitter. Maybe they're more so
(46:21):
on Facebook, but they're not the people who are yelling
at each other on Twitter. What are your thoughts on AOC.
I think she's really bright and really smart, and I
think she if she continues in this vein, then she
has a really um long career in um in politics,
and I think maybe she could be president one day.
I know that's a bowl statement. Do you think standing
on all those tables ruined bet or rocks chances. I
(46:45):
think that while people are like, okay, what is what
are you doing? Yeah? What do you what? What do
you stand for? Well, and he doesn't have much substance,
doesn't well the same thing people want. People want bootages
to show, like, what are your policy? Yeah? Well, I
think I think everyone wants to see from the Democratic candidates. Okay,
we get it, you hate Trump, but what are your policies?
What do you say? But no one is talking about
(47:06):
Trump except for Biden, not one candidate unless they guy
asked them the guy was the best chance. Biden came
out and went right there, boom, and now who's everybody
talking about? Right? Trump and Biden they're fighting. He's hitting Biden.
It's like we're in the general already and there has
(47:27):
not even try. That's the that's the tone that had Trump.
Trump slipped on his name game to sleepy Joe. He
could have done better, he could have done better, he's
losing it. Joe comes back with one for you know
the reason why I said that. Um, by the way,
Joe will too. I think he's pretty He's gonna come
(47:48):
on a nickname. But I mean it's pretty easy for
think about it. It's pretty easy for Joe or anyone.
So Joe's thing is gonna be if you know, if
he talks about um, you know, women being uncomfortable and
calling him or he calls him creepy Joe too, right,
if he talks about that, all Joe has to say
is really, you're gonna call me creepy? And you know,
(48:09):
all he has to do is say I have two
words for you, Stormy Daniels, and then boom, that's the
end of it. Can say he's gonna be like, yeah,
and what There's definitely some topics that you've got to
think Trump's gonna have a hard time bringing up, like
he doesn't do. But I don't think he cares. I'm
looking I'm looking forward to seeing the democratic field and
see if they do go after each other. I think
(48:30):
that's going to be a pretty interesting dynamic. They got to, right,
you have to go because they haven't yet. Because they
haven't yet. So before we wrap it up, obviously, because
politics have been dominating the majority of the news, what
what stories do you think are being ignored on um?
I just want did you see the latest thing in
poll it's like, uh, Joe Biden and then everybody else
(48:53):
is like close to teens or twenties, Like, um, what's
the most what? What stories do you think are being ignored?
I don't know if any stories are being ignored because
I think people think that stories are being ignored if
they don't see them on seeing in domestic right if
you turn on the TV. But if you also there
are other sites. Digital is like you know huge now
(49:15):
it's like you know that it's like slowly taking over broadcasts.
So to say that those stories aren't getting any play,
all you have to do is look for them if
you want to find them. Um. I do think that, um,
we don't cover domestic terror enough, like the problem with
domestic terror and how to figure out what to do
(49:36):
with it and how do you figure out who's more
prone to it until something big happens, like someone gets shot,
people get shot in a synagogue. I think that is
the most important story, Um, that deserves more playing. I
mean how do you do that? I mean, let's just
be honest. If someone that someone is you know, Muslim,
(49:57):
there are things that people look for like oh are
they are nicely? And the stuff at Number one, they
do it because you're a Muslim. If you're a white guy,
how do you what what? What signs do you look for?
What makes people realize? Because many times in terror people
look for physical descriptions, religious backgrounds, and those sorts of things.
(50:20):
For domestic terror, there is none of that. Social media
has had a role, wouldn't you say, as far as now,
there's so many wonderful things about it too. But at
the same time, you can now channel your energy to
like minded people of the same demonic mindset and what
have you, and cultivate a following or maybe have the
(50:40):
courage to do something horrendous. You even see people encouraging people.
That's what I'm saying. You look at the kid that
just happened with the synagogue. His parents said, we didn't
teach him these things. We don't know he must. We
don't know how where he learned. And that's what I
mean by that. So what do you How do you
do that? Because I don't want to see any more
people die. It's it's hard to figure it out and
listen and when people get it twisted. When I say
(51:02):
how do you profile that, I mean like professional profiles.
That's what profilers. Do they profile murderers, you profile terrorists,
you profile all these things, But how do you come
up with a profile for that for someone who just
looks like the guy next door. That's tough. You want kids,
I used to, but you have enough. You can spare
(51:22):
one about it. Yeah, I think I do want kids,
but you know, man, I'm old. Yeah I want so. Yes,
the short answer is yes, I do want kids. And
then I don't know if it's a luxury curse. But
you can always you know, yeah, right, yeah, right, exactly exactly.
(51:43):
I can talk to you man for another couple of hours,
but I know you're busy, and uh, I look forward
to getting together hopefully again. A you're gonna have a
last question. Are you gonna have like a banger blowout
wedding party or you're gonna like a lope because if
it's if you're going next level, I take parties to
the next level of scene. And the real question, the
real question is is heaping in fight on the spot?
(52:05):
Come on player making that this? Damn I'm a sneaking
like you did with im sek In, like you did
in the fair party. I was invited. I just share,
of course, of course, yes, maybe we'll have you performed
the ceremony. Imagine his wedding Marrio Lopez performing a shirtless
(52:29):
like we gotta get, We gotta get, by the way
I'm down, we just gotta get. We haven't decided that
I tell him. I was like, we either gotta go
like friends and family or it's got to be huge
because I can't be in between because I'll piss off
a lot of people. Yeah exactly, Okay, fair enough. Meanwhile,
check out Don weeknights on CNN tonight and make sure
(52:49):
you follow him on Instagram with god I Am so
sorry tonight with Don Lemon for God's sakes, and make
sure you follow him on Instagram at Don and then
CNN pigs A coming like It's a pleasure being on own,
(53:10):
So don't forget a new episodes and listen to Mario
Dropping every Friday all on Mario dot com to catch
up on the podcast, and please make sure you follow
listen to Mario on I Heart Radio and subscribe on
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. More fun next week.
Thank you so much for listening
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