In a now-viral video that has garnered widespread attention, William John, the CEO of Goluremi and popular TikToker, found himself in an unexpected confrontation with former CNN host Don Lemon. John, who rose to prominence as a former pro-soccer player and now heads his own media company, admitted that he didn’t even know who Don Lemon was before their heated exchange.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, John revealed that when he first encountered Lemon, he didn’t recognize him by name. “I didn’t know who he was originally. That’s the funny thing,” John said. “He’s one of those guys that’s just on the news, you know, for, I don’t know how long, nearly 15 years or something like this.” John further explained that his videographer pointed out Lemon, and though he recognized the face, he had little knowledge of the former CNN anchor’s identity.
The encounter took place last month when both men were conducting “man-on-the-street” interviews for their respective channels. During their interaction, Lemon raised the topic of Elon Musk’s supposed influence on President-elect Donald Trump, citing claims made by Democratic lawmakers. “Democratic lawmakers in Washington are calling Elon Musk ‘President Musk’ now, and they’re saying Donald Trump is the vice president or the head of communication,” Lemon said.
John immediately shot down the claim, stating, “What? Wait a second, no. No one said that.”
Lemon, responded, asking, “Really? Have you not paid attention—”
John, visibly frustrated, retorted, “Absolutely not. I’m paying attention to what I’m doing during my day, so I can try and get a better life and get ahead.”
As the conversation continued, John became increasingly critical of Lemon’s reliance on mainstream outlets like ABC News and The Washington Post, which John dismissed as “absurd.” He contended that the mainstream media’s disconnect from everyday Americans was at the heart of the nation’s growing distrust of traditional outlets. “I don’t watch the mainstream. And he signifies right now the problem that I think we as Americans are having with the mainstream,” John said. “You are not connected to us, and the independent media is stepping up. And the reason we are becoming so powerful and so important to the American people is because there is a massive disconnect, and we feel lied to.”
John’s critique of Lemon was not only a reflection of their personal disagreement but also a broader commentary on the shifting landscape of media. According to John, people are “waking up” to the reality that mainstream media has lost its credibility, which has opened the door for independent voices to gain traction.
While Don Lemon is technically independent since he was let go from his long-time role at CNN, his long tenure there as well as his views lead many to associate him with establishment media.
“Mainstream has already shifted,” John explained. “I think that’s part of the problem. When he’s listing off these… Axios, Business Insider, ABC News, all these things, it doesn’t carry the weight that it carried in the 80s or the 60s or then. That part is over. It’s over. And so, the shift has already happened. The future is kind of here now.”
John also spoke candidly about his concerns regarding Elon Musk’s influence on Trump, admitting that while it is difficult to measure exactly how much influence Musk might wield, it would be naive to ignore it altogether. “I think it’s fairly impossible to state that the richest man in the world doesn’t have an influence on things,” John said. “We would all be quite, quite naive to believe that. Where and how much that influence is, is very hard for us on the outside to know.”
With individuals like John and other independent content creators gaining visibility on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, there is a growing sense that media should no longer be the exclusive domain of large corporations and established figures.
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