Don Lemon Caught Dissing Jon Stewart

Don Lemon stepped in it again Monday, apparently making what he thought was an off-mic remark about Jon Stewart and then, after an awkward pause, backtracking big time.

Lemon tossed to a clip of Jon Stewart interviewing U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, in which Stewart challenged what he called extreme waste in the DOD's $850 billion budget. When Hicks took issue with the waste allegation, Jon shot back ... "I can't figure out how $850 billion to a department means that the rank and file still have to be on food stamps. To me, that's fucking corruption."

Watch as Lemon tries to put the toothpaste back in the tube.