Don Lemon’s acidic behavior has turned the stomach of one other co-anchor.
A furious Poppy Harlow stormed off the “CNN This Morning” set Thursday following a tense exchange with Lemon after he said GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley was “not in her prime,” The Post has learned.
In accordance with sources with knowledge of the situation, Harlow took a “well-timed” bathroom break and was followed into the restroom by co-host Kaitlan Collins — who recently had her own run-in with Lemon.
The tense relationship between Lemon, Collins and Harlow has “been smoldering for months,” the source said.
Nonetheless, CNN boss Chris Licht seems content to maintain rolling out the troubled trio.
“Licht isn’t doing anything about it,” the source said.
CNN didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment.
“As a lady in her prime, Poppy Harlow does use the toilet, including on Thursday mornings,” a source near the veteran talking head said.
Collins didn’t return requests for comment.
Poppy Harlow took a well-timed bathroom break after an intense exchange with Don lemon.
Harlow, 40, got here back to complete Thursday’s program but had looked stunned on the air when Lemon went on his head-scratching diatribe over Haley calling for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75.
“This whole speak about age makes me uncomfortable,” the 56-year-old Lemon began. “I believe it’s the improper road to go down. She says people, you realize, politicians are suddenly not of their prime. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime.”
To the bewilderment of Harlow and Collins, Lemon then said: “A lady is taken into account to be of their prime in [their] 20s and 30s and perhaps 40s.”
Harlow immediately called out the failed primetime host: “What are you talking about, wait … Prime for what?”
Lemon quickly tried to save lots of himself by claiming he wasn’t stating his personal beliefs.
“That’s not in accordance with me,” he said. “It’s like, prime. In the event you look it up. In the event you Google when is a lady in her prime, it’ll say 20s, 30s and 40s.”
Lemon boldly claimed on live television Thursday that a lady is in her “prime” in her 20s, 30s and 40s.
He continued: “I’m just saying Nikki Haley needs to be careful about saying that politicians should not of their prime they usually should be of their prime after they serve. Because she wouldn’t be in her prime in accordance with, you realize, Google.”
After receiving widespread backlash internally and via Twitter, Lemon issued a public apology.
“The reference I made to a lady’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and family members have identified, and I regret it,” Lemon tweeted. “A lady’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I even have countless women in my life who prove that daily.”
“This ongoing situation is frustrating,” a source with knowledge said, referring to Lemon’s attitude on set. “His comments were misogynistic and sexist.”
Poppy Harlow (left) and Kaitlan Collins (right) were bewildered by Don Lemon’s comments on women and age.
In December, Lemon had screamed at Collins after she interrupted him on the air. The 2 have rarely appeared on set since, though the 30-year-old Collins was there Thursday.
A CNN producer had asked Lemon to take a day without work after he reamed out Collins in December for interrupting him during a broadcast, a source told The Post on the time.
