HOT TOPICS | Fascism Is Here, Wake The F Up America! - October 6th, 2025

Don is back! And so is the news circus we call America. First up, Trump’s tariff “win” with China, which is actually a massive walk-back after the economy started gasping for air. He created the crisis, hit pause, and now wants a trophy for it. Spoiler: we’re not buying it. Then there’s the refugee situation. White South African farmers are being welcomed with open arms, while refugees from Black and brown countries are being rounded up, deported, and tossed into mass detention centers without due process. So much for "equal treatment under the law." Don breaks it all down, the spin, the racism, and the chaos you deserve to understand without the nonsense. Glad to be back. Let’s get into it. 🍋 This episode of The Don Lemon Show is sponsored by 120 Life. Go to https://120life.com and use the code, “D-O-N ” to save 20% This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. This episode of The Don Lemon Show is sponsored by Wild Alaskan. Go to wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is brought to you by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/LEMON and use code LEMON to get our exclusive discount of up to 40% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 Mai 20251h 38min

Tonight, we’re diving into the chaos of the day...because there’s a lot. First up: Trump’s tariff “win” that’s actually a loss. He blinked, paused the China tariffs, and now he’s trying to spin it like a masterstroke. Don’t fall for it. When the markets tank and you retreat, that’s called backing down, not “playing 4D chess.” Then we get into the deeply telling policy shift: White South African farmers are being granted refugee status, while Black and brown refugees are being thrown into mass detention centers with no due process. Tell us more about how this isn’t about race. And finally, we’ll bring you the latest in the Diddy trial. What happened in court today, what’s next, and what it means as this high-profile case unfolds.\ Joining us tonight: journalist and author Jemele Hill, and attorney and author Areva Martin...two sharp minds to help us unpack it all. Grab a drink. It’s going to be a ride. 🍋 This episode is brought to you by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to FFRF.US/Freedom or text DON to 511 511 and become a member today. This episode of The Don Lemon Show is sponsored by 120 Life. Go to https://120life.com and use the code, “D-O-N ” to save 20% This episode is brought to you by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/LEMON and use code LEMON to get our exclusive discount of up to 40% off. This episode of The Don Lemon Show is sponsored by Wild Alaskan. Go to wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Mai 20251h 15min

Trump is now calling for pharmaceutical price cuts and floating tax hikes on the rich, and suddenly long-held GOP talking points are… looking suspiciously like Democratic policies. So what’s happening here? Is this the dawn of Trumpian socialism? Or are Democratic ideas only “evil” until Trump decides to rebrand them as his own? Let's dive into the ideological blender that is MAGA in 2025. Do they have any real principles? Or is the platform now just “whatever Dear Leader said this morning on Truth Social”? It’s not left. It’s not right. It’s just chaos in a red hat. This episode is brought to you by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to FFRF.US/Freedom or text DON to 511 511 and become a member today. This episode of The Don Lemon Show is sponsored by 120 Life. Go to https://120life.com and use the code, “D-O-N ” to save 20% This episode is brought to you by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/LEMON and use code LEMON to get our exclusive discount of up to 40% off. This episode of The Don Lemon Show is sponsored by Wild Alaskan. Go to wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Mai 20251h 3min

Don sits down with journalist and author Charles Blow at Baldwin & Co. bookstore for a powerful and timely conversation about what a second Trump presidency means for Black America. What now? What’s at stake? And how should the Black community engage with an administration that has repeatedly shown hostility toward its interests? This is an unfiltered, deeply personal conversation about strategy, survival, and strength in uncertain times. Don’t miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Mai 20251h 33min

Hey there Lemon Nation! Today, Legal analyst, political commentator and Host of the Make It Make Sense Daily Digital Show, Monique Pressley brings us a new episode of The Week With Monique! We have a new pope! He is the first American to hold the title. But is he also the first black pope? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Mai 202516min

Just when you think it can’t get weirder, it does. Today, Trump is meeting with Beijing officials and signaling he might lower China tariffs to 80% (because economic chaos is apparently a feature, not a bug). Meanwhile, he’s appointed Jeanine Pirro (yes, that Jeanine Pirro from Fox News) as the new U.S. Attorney for D.C., in case you were wondering if the justice system could get more politicized. And if that weren’t enough whiplash, the country is still processing the news of a new American pope, which has sent MAGA world into a fresh meltdown over the Catholic Church not falling in line with their culture war agenda. This morning, Reecie Colbert joins us to break it all down, from courtroom cosplay to tariff tap-dancing, and what it all means for a country that can barely catch its breath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Mai 20251h 1min

The conclave has spoken and the world has a new Pope. He’s a centrist, aiming to balance tradition with modernity. But of course, that’s not sitting well with the MAGA crowd, who were apparently hoping for a pope that quoted Fox News and issued communion with a side of culture war. Now, right-wing Twitter is in meltdown mode, accusing the Vatican of “going woke” (because what isn’t woke these days?) and demanding a pope who reflects their version of morality. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at SHOPIFY. COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is brought to you by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Whether you’ve always been secular or left religion behind, if you don’t want someone else dictating the trip for you, F-F-R-F has your back. Join us. Go to FFRF.US/Freedom or text the word, “DON” to five eleven five eleven and become a member today. Text fees may apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Mai 202548min

Hey there Lemon Community! Co-Founder and CEO of The Seneca Project, Tara Setmayer brings us this week's episode of The Setmayer Sound Off! Tara dives into the corruption surrounding Trump's presidency. While MAGA leaders tell us we need to make cuts, they seem to just get richer. Join Tara as she breaks it all down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Mai 202513min