competency tests<\/a> for politicians over 75 years old, an apparent shot at her only declared opponent, 76-year-old Donald Trump, as well as President Joe Biden, who at 80 is the oldest person to hold the office.<\/p>\nLemon on Thursday morning criticized her comments \u2014 and got personal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable,\u201d Lemon said to co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins during the “CNN This Morning” show. \u201cI think it\u2019s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians are suddenly not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn\u2019t in her prime. Sorry, when a woman is in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.\u201d <\/p>\n
The comments received instant backlash on social media, and caused on-air tension. \u201cWait \u2026 prime for what?\u201d Harlow, who is 41, asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t shoot the messenger, I\u2019m just saying what the facts are,\u201d Lemon responded. \u201cGoogle it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lemon took to Twitter to apologize for those comments Thursday afternoon, calling them \u201cinartful and irrelevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reference I made to a woman\u2019s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it,\u201d Lemon wrote. \u201cA woman\u2019s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.\u201d<\/p>\n