Transcript: How Elon Musk Blew Up a Rare Chance for X Success

In January, former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced he had found a new patron who promised not to rein him in: Elon Musk. The new Don Lemon Show would air on X, Musk’s social media network. Lemon described the app formerly known as Twitter as “the biggest space for free speech in the world.” He promised “a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors.”

The partnership, which X Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino had enthusiastically touted, didn’t survive the first episode. It featured an extremely awkward interview with Lemon’s would-be patron—Musk. The relationship died.