Ana Navarro suggested on Monday that President Donald Trump and his administration had effectively cooked the books in their efforts to arrest former CNN host Don Lemon in connection with a protest that disrupted a Minneapolis church service a week earlier.
Navarro and her cohosts on ABC&#8217;s midday talk show &#8220;The View&#8221; discussed Lemon&#8217;s arrest, and their conversation covered the entire spectrum, from Navarro and Sunny Hostin insisting that the case had no merit and would be dismissed to Whoopi Goldberg wringing her hands and warning that the Trump administration could arrest anyone the president didn&#8217;t like.
Navarro began by claiming that an appellate court&#8217;s refusal to compel a lower court judge to sign off on Lemon&#8217;s arrest warrant amounted to judges laughing the DOJ out of their courtrooms. She did not mention the fact that one of the judges concerned said that he agreed there was probable cause to arrest Lemon.
&#8220;So, they basically did it themselves,&#8221; she asserted. &#8220;Make no mistake about it. This was about gaslighting, this was about going against Don lemon and other journalists. By the way, all of whom happen to be black. Happy Black History Month. And I think it&#8217;s to send a chilling message to anybody who is covering facts.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Despite the grand jury indictment, Sunny Hostin (who&#8217;s friends with Lemon) proclaims &#8220;this case will be thrown out.&#8221; While not going over any of the facts of the case, Hosting declares: &#8220;[H]e was getting the story and nothing should have gotten in the way of that. He had a… <a href="https://t.co/B3uvC56BQR">pic.twitter.com/B3uvC56BQR</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2018362490866860216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hostin, also ignoring that fact that Lemon was indicted by a federal grand jury, claimed that the former CNN host was only acting as a journalist covering the protest as it unfolded — despite video appearing to show that he was privy to the plans prior to the group storming into the church while parishioners attempted to hold a worship service.
Cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin also defended Lemon, claiming that he had acted only as a journalist.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Whoopi seems to suggests what happened with Lemon will happen to everyone on the left: 
&#8220;Listen, what I said to you before, you see what&#8217;s happening, you know what&#8217;s happening. If it&#8217;s happening like this for someone who is out and clearly doing his job, what do you think will… <a href="https://t.co/39028c42wV">pic.twitter.com/39028c42wV</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2018364076322169131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Goldberg hit the panic button, however, and fretted about how easy it might be for the Justice Department to arrest anyone if Lemon was fair game.
&#8220;Listen, what I said to you before, you see what&#8217;s happening, you know what&#8217;s happening. If it&#8217;s happening like this for someone who is out and clearly doing his job, what do you think will happen to us?&#8221;
Since the protest just over a week earlier, several disturbing reports have come out detailing the behavior of the protesters — who reportedly harassed and terrified members of the congregation — while inside the church.

Day Two Of The 2024 Democratic National Convention

Ana Navarro Says Trump Admin Cooked The Books On Don Lemon Arrest

Ana Navarro

Don Lemon

Donald Trump

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Media

Politics

Sunny Hostin

The View

Whoopi Goldberg

As ex-CNN host Don Lemon livestreamed the storming of a Minnesota church last month, he documented several instances where he appeared to be covering the anti-ICE protesters&#8217; tracks as he accompanied them from start to finish.
Lemon&#8217;s livestream opened with him standing near the group of activists, who he said were &#8220;gearing up for resistance and protest.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
INTENT: The opening to Don Lemon’s insane livestream is an admission of foreknowledge that the group he was in contact with was going to storm a church, based on his prior communications with its leader. <a href="https://t.co/g0GVHB4871">pic.twitter.com/g0GVHB4871</a>
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) <a href="https://twitter.com/BonillaJL/status/2013219366574145723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
The group gathered in a parking lot to practice anti-ICE chants.
At that point in his video, Lemon asserted that the operation was &#8220;secret,&#8221; adding, &#8220;[I] can&#8217;t tell you what is going to happen, but you&#8217;re going to watch it live unfold here on the Don Lemon Show.&#8221;
He continued to conceal the group&#8217;s plans, saying that he &#8220;turned our camera off of them because they&#8217;re giving some critical information here.&#8221;
Lemon could also be seen thanking the members of the group, including its ringleader, Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was also later arrested for her alleged role in carrying out the disruption.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨Pam Bondi just announced the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong, the alleged organizer of last weekend&#8217;s Anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul Church.
Here&#8217;s Don Lemon giving her an awkward kiss before it went down.
Could Don be next? <a href="https://t.co/8qiNyrN3Q1">pic.twitter.com/8qiNyrN3Q1</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2014361821537272139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;How are you? Good to see you,&#8221; Lemon said to Armstrong as he leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek.
&#8220;We&#8217;re on, we&#8217;re not saying what it is, what&#8217;s going on, but thank you,&#8221; he said.
Lemon was seen entering the church and could be heard sitting in on the service.
The agitators then began their interruption.
He also acknowledged seeing the terror inflicted upon worshippers inside the church.
&#8220;I&#8217;m looking at a young man who&#8217;s in the corner. He&#8217;s frightened. He&#8217;s scared, he&#8217;s crying. People are leaving church,&#8221; he said.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/sJY801wVGQMO36wJ5eGDxQVokwToLzr32?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=ad2da589-22a5-4b28-93de-01ab31664461&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Don%20Lemon%20Stands%20Outside%20Minnesota%20Church&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2Fb6639645-345f-4255-93b9-9e952fd9e01d.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Outside, Lemon showed a father hugging his distraught child.
&#8220;You have to make people uncomfortable in these times. If you see how uncomfortable &#8230; and how harsh people are being treated on the streets, you have to be willing to go into places and disrupt and make people uncomfortable. That is what this country is about,&#8221; he later said.
He then asked Armstrong for help tracking down the pastor.
“Who is the person that we should talk to? Is there a pastor or something?” Lemon asked as Armstrong pointed toward the pastor, whom she said “might have run away.&#8221;
Lemon was also seen confronting the pastor, asserting, &#8220;Listen, we live in a — there&#8217;s a Constitution and the First Amendment to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest.&#8221;
&#8220;Don&#8217;t you think that Jesus would be understanding and love these folks?&#8221; Lemon asked the pastor.
The pastor eventually asks him to &#8220;leave.&#8221;
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/heTuMW7dZshN3QGZL1VSHXpiLgBdQ8FL?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=7ca6fb45-f31f-4b8c-84fe-8b669b6e20e4&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Don%20Lemon%20Confronts%20Minnesota%20Pastor&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F773a300c-0de7-4610-8edf-7998b8cf2794.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Lemon was also seen lecturing a worshipper, who accused the group of &#8220;trespassing.&#8221;
He then attempted to challenge another with &#8220;facts,&#8221; asking questions like, &#8220;Did you know that undocumented people and immigrants commit far less crime than American citizens?&#8221;
When the parishioner said &#8220;we&#8217;re done here,&#8221; Lemon continued to push him: &#8220;You won&#8217;t listen, I&#8217;m giving you the facts.&#8221;
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/LsTMRuPylh561O01LJPBpLPc02oxeZ6ELY?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=ef0dc23d-f4a8-4856-b2d7-f2799f3a5cc2&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Don%20Lemon%20Lectures%20Churchgoer&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F151cb151-ac22-4a0b-acdd-1e7d57ad8004.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Lemon was seen standing outside the church, where he continued to push anti-ICE beliefs on the parishioners as they fled.
&#8220;I imagine it&#8217;s uncomfortable and traumatic for the people here &#8230; but that&#8217;s what protesting is about,&#8221; Lemon said.
The man hit back at Lemon, who said the ex-CNN anchor was posing &#8220;as a journalist.&#8221;
After departing the church, Lemon acknowledged allegedly taking part in keeping the group&#8217;s plans under wraps.
&#8220;What I said was going to happen happened. We could not tell you, you know, what it was,&#8221; he said.
Federal authorities arrested Lemon Thursday evening in Los Angeles. He faces charges of conspiracy to violate the right of religious freedom at a house of worship and violations of the FACE Act, a law that, in part, prohibits the disruption of worship services, which the Biden administration infamously weaponized against peaceful anti-abortion protesters.
He has since been released from custody, but continues to fight the charges.
Lemon claimed he was covering the protest as an independent journalist, asserting that his actions are protected by the First Amendment.
During his livestream, he also told multiple parishioners that &#8220;I&#8217;m not part of the group.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m just here photographing, I&#8217;m a journalist,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;We&#8217;re here just chronicling and reporting. We&#8217;re not part of the activist, but we&#8217;re here just reporting on them,&#8221; he said at another point.

Untitled design – 2026-02-02T105537.376

All The Times Don Lemon Made The Case Against Himself In His Livestream

Department of Justice

FACE Act

Minnesota

U.S.

President Donald Trump says blue cities will only get help if they ask, two so-called &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; medical providers are found liable for malpractice, and Trump addresses the latest drop of Epstein Files and Don Lemon’s indictment.
It’s Monday, February 2, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trumps-blue-city-ultimatum-transgender-malpractice/id1576594336?i=1000747676542" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump: Blue Cities Must Say &#8216;Please&#8217; For Help</h2>
Over the weekend, President Trump warned blue cities that they are on their own to police mass protests or riots unless they politely ask the federal government for help. Trump spoke to the Democrats who essentially run all of America’s major cities, and he said that if they want federal help to stop unrest, they have to say &#8220;please&#8221; first. On <a href="http://v">Truth Social</a> on Saturday, he was careful to note that federal buildings would still be protected by ICE, Border Patrol, and, if necessary, the military. But to local and state officials, quote “you must protect your own State and Local Property. In addition, it is your obligation to also protect our Federal Property, Buildings, Parks, and everything else. We are there to protect Federal Property, only as a back up.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Transgender Malpractice Verdict</h2>
In a landmark malpractice verdict, a young woman has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detransitioner-awarded-millions-in-first-malpractice-verdict-this-is-how-it-all-ends">won</a> a $2 million judgment against the doctors who performed a double mastectomy on her when she was just 16 years old. The case is expected to have a reverberating impact across public policy. The plaintiff is Fox Varian. She just turned 22. But back in 2019, when she was 16, she had mental health issues that led her to identify as a transgender boy. She was referred to psychologist Kenneth Einhorn and plastic surgeon Simon Chin in Westchester, New York. Both doctors agreed to cut off Varian’s breasts. A jury found Einhorn and Chin liable for failing to consider other possible explanations for Varian’s mental health issues, like depression, ADHD, autism, or body dysmorphia. Instead, the jury found they rushed to approve an irreversible surgery. Varian was awarded roughly $1.6 million for past and future suffering and an additional $400,000 for future medical costs.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Epstein Files And Don Lemon</h2>
Washington has been abuzz amid a series of major developments, including the release of more Epstein files and the arrest of Don Lemon. The president reacted to many of those headlines over the weekend on Air Force One. The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-department-releases-millions-more-epstein-files">announced</a> that 3.5 million files were released on Friday, redacting every woman in the images except Ghislaine Maxwell. In terms of his own relationship with Epstein, the president said that it was, quote, “the opposite of what people were hoping.” In Congress, the Clintons could be held in contempt this week over the House Oversight Committee’s Epstein probe, as they refused to testify before Congress. In the committee-level vote, several Democrats sided with Republicans on the matter. In Lemon’s case, the former CNN host was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-aint-even-worried-about-getting-locked-up-after-arrest">released</a> without bond last week after he was indicted by a grand jury for his alleged role in the anti-ICE church disruption in Minnesota. The charges against him include violating the FACE Act, which prohibits using force or intimidation to interfere with religious freedom.

MRN_260202_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Warns Dem Cities, A Major Trans Verdict, & Epstein Fallout

Morning Brief: Trump Warns Dem Cities, Historic Detrans Jury Award, And Epstein Files Released

Epstein Files

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Transgender

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon said that he &#8220;ain&#8217;t even worried&#8221; about the possibility that he could end up behind bars following his arrest in Los Angeles — and promised that he planned to be even more outspoken in the days to come.
Lemon, who was arrested in connection to a protest in Minneapolis that disrupted a Sunday morning church service, has maintained in the days since that he was only there in his capacity as an &#8220;independent journalist&#8221; to record what happened during the protest.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DON LEMON: &#8220;I know there are people who think I’m gonna be locked up or whatever. I ain’t worried about that. I ain’t even worried about that.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/gkFezhl2XK">pic.twitter.com/gkFezhl2XK</a>
— BensonNewsHub (@BensonNewsHub) <a href="https://twitter.com/BensonNewsHub/status/2018040532925083795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I have so many thoughts,&#8221; Lemon said on his show, apparently referencing his arrest. &#8220;And what this did was really open my eyes to a lot. So if you think that I was outspoken before this &#8230;&#8221;
Lemon trailed off and then let out an exaggerated fake laugh before adding, in ominous tones, &#8220;Just wait. Just wait.&#8221;
&#8220;So I know that there are people who think like oh, you know, do this, and I&#8217;m going to be locked up or whatever. I ain&#8217;t worried about that. You heard the truth, and the truth shall make you free. I ain&#8217;t even worried about that. Like not. Don&#8217;t even think about it,&#8221; he said.
The chyron below read, &#8220;Republicans better wake up. A dictator doesn&#8217;t need Congress.&#8221;
&#8220;So whatever — you know, whatever happens — I am — I always think that something good is going to happen,&#8221; Lemon continued. &#8220;And something good usually always happens if you have that mindset.&#8221;
Lemon was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-helped-protestors-keep-church-plans-under-wraps-blocked-congregants-from-leaving-indictment">arrested</a> after a grand jury found probable cause to indict him. The indictment stated in part that Lemon had &#8220;entered the church with the “first wave of agitators,” and &#8220;oppressed, threatened, and intimidated the Church’s congregants and pastors by physically occupying most of the main aisle and rows of chairs near the front of the Church, engaging in menacing and threatening behavior, chanting and yelling loudly at the pastor and congregants, and/or physically obstructing them as they attempted to exit and/or move about within the Church.&#8221;
President Trump weighed in on Lemon&#8217;s arrest while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, saying that he had not had any advance knowledge that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-host-and-top-trump-official-spar-over-don-lemon-arrest">Lemon</a> was going to be arrested but making it clear that he was not a fan of the ousted CNN personality.
&#8220;He’s a sleazebag! Everyone’s known that. He’s a washed up,” Trump said. “Probably from his standpoint, the best thing that could happen to him. He had no viewers. He was a failed host. And now, he’s in the news. I didn’t know anything about it.&#8221;

Don Lemon ‘Ain’t Even Worried’ About Getting Locked Up After Arrest

Don Lemon 'Ain't Even Worried' About Getting Locked Up In Wake Of Arrest

Protesters

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos did his best to run cover for ousted CNN anchor Don Lemon — but Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche quickly pushed back.
Stephanopoulos spoke with Blanche during Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;This Week,&#8221; where they discussed the Justice Department&#8217;s move to arrest Lemon over his participation in a protest that disrupted a Sunday service at a Minneapolis church days earlier. Despite video that appears to show him conferring with the protesters prior to their coordinated incursion, Lemon has insisted that he was simply acting as a journalist at the time and had nothing to do with the protest itself.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Deputy AG Todd Blanche just CALLED OUT Fake News ABC George Stephanopoulos to his FACE for running cover for Don Lemon storming a church
&#8220;CONVENIENTLY missing from what you just showed, George, is the appellate court and a judge on the appellate court who said just… <a href="https://t.co/xXMd06A5hm">pic.twitter.com/xXMd06A5hm</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2017972800217059798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;When do you believe that Mr. Lemon crossed the line from reporting what was going on to criminal activity?&#8221; Stephanopoulos asked.
&#8220;Conveniently missing from what you just showed, George, is the appellate court and a judge on the appellate court who said just a few days later there was clearly probable cause — and it wasn&#8217;t even a close question!&#8221; Blanche shot back.
&#8220;And by the way, a grand jury, which is what our system has set up to determine whether probable cause exists, concluded that there was probable cause!&#8221; he continued. &#8220;That indictment is now public. Everybody in this country can pull it up and read for themselves and see what the grand jury found that Mr. Lemon did. I am not going to comment on the charges specifically because that&#8217;s not appropriate.&#8221;
Blanche went on to talk about the protest as a whole, arguing that disrupting a church service and attempting to intimidate those who were just there to worship was a violation of their First Amendment rights to practice religion without being harassed while doing so.
&#8220;We talk about the First Amendment right. You have a right of freedom of religion, which is just as important as any other right that we have!&#8221; he explained. &#8220;And George, I don&#8217;t know if you&#8217;ve watched the videos or read the indictment about what it&#8217;s alleged that Mr. Lemon did, but if anybody in this country thinks that that is quote, independent journalism, I would like to have a conversation with you.&#8221;
Blanche concluded by saying that Lemon was certainly entitled to hire an attorney and raise any defense he saw fit, but that protesters should not be allowed to feel comfortable disrupting church services and intimidating those who had just come to worship.
President Donald Trump, aboard Air Force One on Saturday, minced no words when delivering his opinion of the former CNN anchor — but said that he had not known Lemon was going to be arrested.
&#8220;He’s a sleazebag! Everyone’s known that. He’s a washed up,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Probably from his standpoint, the best thing that could happen to him. He had no viewers. He was a failed host. And now, he’s in the news. I didn’t know anything about it.&#8221;

MixCollage-30-Jan-2026-03-55-PM-1994

ABC Host And Top Trump Official Spar Over Don Lemon Arrest

ABC News

George Stephanopoulos

This Week

Don Lemon has been arrested by federal agents.
The former CNN talking head, who went out on his own and formed his own podcast, either trailed or was involved with a protest that pretty clearly violated the FACE Act, which was designed to guarantee access to abortion clinics for people who didn&#8217;t want to go through protests, and also designed to protect churches in their actual attempts to perform their services.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/don-lemon-arrest-minnesota-church-protest.html">reported</a>: 
<blockquote>“The former CNN anchor Don Lemon and three other people have been arrested on charges that they violated federal law during a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn., this month, lawyers and Justice Department officials said on Friday, reviving a case that was rejected last week by a magistrate judge.”</blockquote>
Lemon was arrested late Thursday night on charges that he violated federal law. The case had been rejected last week by a magistrate judge. Lemon claims that he was simply reporting as a journalist when he entered Cities Church on January 18 to observe a demonstration against immigration crackdowns in the area. The protesters then got up and disrupted the service, where an ICE official serves as a pastor, chanting ‘ICE out!’”
The Trump administration attempted to charge eight people over the episode, including Lemon. The magistrate judge approved charges against three of the eight people and rejected the evidence against Lemon and the others as insufficient. So the DOJ petitioned the federal appellate court to force the judge to issue the additional warrants they were denied.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2358-don-lemon-arrested?elementPosition=0&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Jump+Back+In&amp;rowType=Continue+Watching+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
The claim being made by the Trump administration is that when these people invaded a church and disrupted services and started shouting at the pastor in violation of the FACE act, Lemon wasn&#8217;t just a person who followed them in there with a microphone, or even a journalist who knew beforehand that he was complicit in the organization of the event. He was involved in a conspiracy to disrupt services here for political purposes, they claim.
Lemon insists he “didn&#8217;t even know they were going to this church until we followed them there.” It appears that this is not true.
Lemon said, “Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization. That&#8217;s it. That&#8217;s called journalism.”
Again, doesn’t seem particularly true. Lemon claims that once the action started, he did not join them; he was simply reporting on it. Pretty clearly, they&#8217;re blurring the lines.
To be fair to Lemon and speaking legally, there is a fine line between a journalist doing a ride-along, even with people who are committing criminal acts, and journalists being involved in the planning and commission of the crime, which is what he’s accused of.
Naturally, people are claiming that this is a crackdown on the First Amendment. They are suggesting that this is an attempt by the Trump administration to “silence people.” That seems like a stretch to me. We&#8217;ll have to see what evidence they have, particularly in terms of prior planning from Lemon and the people involved in this.
Was he involved in recommending sites they should go to? Was he involved in organizing transportation? Was he involved in determining how they should protest? Those will be the questions that come up in court.
But it&#8217;s pretty clear that Lemon was involved in some capacity. I&#8217;m not going to prejudge this case legally, but for people to claim that the federal government has no case at all, that they&#8217;re just arresting him for being a journalist on the scene, is a stretch to me.
I&#8217;m not going to assume his guilt or innocence for the alleged crime. We&#8217;ll have to see the evidence of that.
But the attempt to treat this as a violation of the First Amendment, as an attempt to destroy journalistic capability and all the rest — that’s not accurate either.

Don Lemon Arrested. Journalist Or Co-Conspirator?

Ben Shapiro

Church

Minneapolis

An <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/990030199/Don-Lemon-Indictment">unsealed indictment</a> reveals how ex-CNN host Don Lemon allegedly worked with protesters to storm a Minnesota church on Jan. 18 and keep terrified worshippers from leaving the building.
Lemon was arrested Thursday evening and charged with conspiracy to violate the right of religious freedom at a house of worship and violations of the FACE Act, a law that, in part, prohibits the disruption of worship services, which the Biden administration infamously weaponized against peaceful anti-abortion protesters, according to a copy of the indictment obtained by The Daily Wire. He was charged with eight others.
For his role, Lemon claims he was attending the protest solely to cover it as an independent journalist. The new court documents, however, suggest otherwise.
Before allegedly storming the church, Lemon attended a &#8220;pre-op briefing&#8221; where organizers &#8220;advised&#8221; him of their &#8220;target,&#8221; Cities Church in St. Paul, &#8220;and provided instruction on how the operation would be conducted once they arrived,&#8221; according to the indictment.
He then began &#8220;livestreaming&#8221; and &#8220;explained to his audience that he was in Minnesota with an organization that was gearing up for a &#8216;resistance&#8217; operation against the Federal Government&#8217;s immigration policies,&#8221; while also not giving away specific details &#8220;to maintain operation secrecy by reminding certain co-conspirators to not disclose&#8221; that they were going to the church.
Lemon then &#8220;stepped away momentarily so his mic would not accidentally divulge certain portions of the planning session,&#8221; the indictment alleged.
He also &#8220;thanked&#8221; alleged protest leader Nekima Levy Armstrong &#8220;for what she was doing and reassured her that he was &#8216;not saying &#8230; what&#8217;s going on.'&#8221;
Before he arrived at the church, Lemon informed his livestream audience, &#8220;We&#8217;re going to head to the operation. Again, we&#8217;re not going to give any, any of the information away.&#8221;
As he headed toward the church, an unnamed demonstrator told Lemon that &#8220;they had to &#8216;catch up&#8217; to the others,&#8221; to which Lemon replied: &#8220;Let&#8217;s go, catch up&#8221; as he continued to livestream, stating, &#8220;We can&#8217;t say too much. We don&#8217;t want to give it up.&#8221;
Lemon entered the church with the &#8220;first wave of agitators,&#8221; and allegedly &#8220;oppressed, threatened, and intimidated the Church&#8217;s congregants and pastors by physically occupying most of the main aisle and rows of chairs near the front of the Church, engaging in menacing and threatening behavior, chanting and yelling loudly at the pastor and congregants, and/or physically obstructing them as they attempted to exit and/or move about within the Church,&#8221; according to the indictment.
Lemon told his livestream audience that he saw a &#8220;young man&#8221; who appeared to be &#8220;frightened,&#8221; &#8220;scared,&#8221; and &#8220;crying,&#8221; acknowledging &#8220;that the congregants&#8217; reactions were understandable because the experience was &#8216;traumatic and uncomfortable,&#8217; which he said was the purpose.&#8221;
Lemon also said that &#8220;the whole point of [the operation] is to disrupt.&#8221;
He also asked Armstrong: &#8220;Who is the person that we should talk to? Is there a pastor or something?&#8221; as she pointed toward the pastor, who she said &#8220;might have run away.&#8221;
Lemon then &#8220;approached the pastor and largely surrounded him (to his front and both sides), stood in close proximity to the pastor in an attempt to oppress and intimidate him, and physically obstructed his freedom of movement while&#8221; he &#8220;peppered him with questions to promote the operation&#8217;s message.&#8221;
Lemon was standing &#8220;so close to the pastor&#8221; that he caused the religious leader&#8217;s &#8220;right hand to graze&#8221; him before he &#8220;admonished the pastor, stating &#8216;Please don&#8217;t push me.'&#8221; Lemon even tried to block fearful congregants from leaving.
&#8220;At one point, defendant Lemon posted himself at the main door of the Church, where he confronted some congregants and physically obstructed them as they tried to exit the Church building to challenge them with &#8216;facts&#8217; about U.S. immigration policy,&#8221; the indictment read.

5th Annual Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards

Don Lemon Helped Protestors Keep Church Plans Under Wraps, Blocked Congregants From Leaving: Indictment

Crime

Illegal Immigration

A top aide in the Minneapolis prosecutor&#8217;s office, previously exposed by The Daily Wire for his alleged participation in an anti-ICE protest that stormed a church in St. Paul, has been arrested.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday that federal authorities arrested Jamael Lundy, along with three others, including ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, &#8220;in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-prosecutors-aide-spouse-of-city-council-member-disrupted-church-service-in-ice-protest">The Daily Wire</a> previously spotted Lundy in footage taken of the protest.
Lundy works as an intergovernmental affairs coordinator for Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, is married to St. Paul City Council member Anika Bowie, and is currently campaigning for a seat in the state legislature as a Democrat, according to his campaign website.
Lundy&#8217;s role in Moriarty&#8217;s office involves communicating with the federal government. He has done so in an existing investigation into Moriarty, boasting that she takes into account a suspect’s “racial identity” when making charging decisions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Arrested: Jamael Lundy &#8211; works for the Hennepin County Attorney’s office and a candidate for Senate. <a href="https://t.co/Iu23Rc1qx6">pic.twitter.com/Iu23Rc1qx6</a>
— 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠 (@chiIIum) <a href="https://twitter.com/chiIIum/status/2017244545528803744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote>
Lemon was also seen interviewing Lundy during the recent protest.
“People are fighting back and organizing, in large part without support from officials, local officials. There are some people who want to be involved, local officials, but they’re doing this all on their own, this is all grassroots,” Lemon said. Pulling a member of the crowd out at random, he asked: “Without giving out what the operation is, why are you out here?”
The man, who turned out to be Lundy, answered: “I’m here to support our community activists. I’m currently a candidate for Minnesota State Senate District 65. I feel like it’s important if you’re going to be representing people in office, that you’re out here with the people as well.”
Lemon seemingly ignored the remark and responded: “The people are organizing on their own, even without representatives or officials, and hoping that everyone gets involved. This is grassroots.”
Lundy replied, “We all we got. I’m actually married to an elected official; I work closely with elected officials, but direct action from the community, certainly within the lines of the law, is so important to show that we have one voice.”
Once inside the church, a man who appeared to be Lundy was seen raising his fist and chanting the name of the pastor the group accused of being an ICE agent, followed by “OUT, OUT,” as well as “Who shut this down? We shut this down.”
Lundy previously worked for Minnesota House Rep. Carlos Mariani, the Democratic House Caucus Campaign, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, and the state teachers union, according to his campaign website.
He also started “Black Operations Public Relations LLC,” and runs a company called “Homes for Homies Property Management LLC,” that provides &#8220;affordable housing for those struggling with credit and criminal backgrounds.”
The Homes for Homies website says: “He founded this company with the vision of improving housing access to all, but specifically to those with low income, criminal backgrounds, and people of color. Since it’s [sic] founding, home for homies [sic] has grown from a property management company with a goal of removing barriers to housing to a real estate development company centered around expanding housing affordability through expanding housing supply. As Home for Homies continues to expand, its founding values of making profit through making a difference remains [sic].”
Lundy suggests that his “profit” comes from federal Section 8 funds. On social media, he seemed to imply that he would rent homes to illegal immigrants by stating he was &#8220;open to all residents of all statuses.&#8221;
“It’s become increasingly apparent how much folks are hurting from the economic impact of the lawless federal occupation of the Twin Cities and as a result, I’m seeing the longest vacancy in my tenure as a landlord. For that reason, I am intentionally reducing the price by $300 a month for this 3/4 bedroom listing on the East Side of Saint Paul, far below the normal price I set based off of section 8 guidance. So if your [sic] looking for a deeply affordable 3-4 bedroom unit, without credit or criminal background barriers, open to all residents of all statuses, please contact me via DM,&#8221; Lundy wrote in a Facebook post.

Jamel Lundy

Feds Nab Minneapolis Prosecutor’s Top Aide Exposed By Daily Wire For Role In Anti-ICE Church Mob

Feds Nab Minneapolis Prosecutor’s Top Aide Exposed By Daily Wire For Taking Part In Anti-ICE Church 

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday for allegedly violating the law for his role in an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church earlier this month, his attorneys say.
A statement from Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said he was arrested by federal authorities on Thursday night while covering the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell’s statement read. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”
Lemon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-ice-activists-storm-minnesota-church-with-don-lemon-doj-launches-probe?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Anti-ICE+Activists+Storm+Minnesota+Church+With+Don+Lemon%3B+DOJ+Launches+Probe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> a group of leftist rioters for a January 18 protest organized and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DToXsEEEVk2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promoted</a> by the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota. The mob targeted Cities Church in St. Paul because one of its pastors allegedly worked with ICE. Rioters have descended on the Twin Cities since the January killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent.
The group’s leader, Nekima Levy-Armstrong, told Lemon that the protest was a “clandestine operation” to “disrupt business as usual.”
“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,&#8221; Lowell, best known for defending Hunter Biden, wrote in his statement. &#8220;This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand.&#8221;
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-minnesota-church-protesters-should-be-jailed-or-thrown-out-of-the-country?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+Minnesota+Church+Protesters+Should+Be+Jailed+Or+%E2%80%98Thrown+Out+Of+The+Country%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the &#8220;troublemakers&#8221; behind the protest &#8220;should be thrown in jail,&#8221; and his administration roundly rejected Lemon&#8217;s claim that his activities were protected under the First Amendment. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-vows-to-pursue-don-lemon-charges-to-the-ends-of-the-earth?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DOJ+Vows+To+Pursue+Don+Lemon+Charges+%E2%80%98To+The+Ends+Of+The+Earth%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Lemon was &#8220;not out of legal jeopardy&#8221; and vowed that the Justice Department would &#8220;pursue&#8221; Lemon to the ends of the Earth.&#8221;
A federal appeals court earlier this month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-finds-probable-cause-to-charge-don-lemon-but-rejects-dojs-bid-to-force-arrest-warrant?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Appeals+Court+Finds+Probable+Cause+To+Charge+Don+Lemon%2C+But+Rejects+DOJ%E2%80%99s+Bid+To+Force+Arrest+Warrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> probable cause to charge Lemon. The Justice Department will likely seek to charge Lemon under the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-law-weaponized-against-pro-lifers-could-be-used-to-prosecute-anti-ice-agitators?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+The+Law+Weaponized+Against+Pro-Lifers+Could+Be+Used+To+Prosecute+Anti-ICE+Agitators" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FACE Act</a>, a law that prohibits the disruption of worship services, which the Biden administration infamously used to prosecute peaceful anti-abortion protesters.
Lemon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-claims-trump-will-go-around-a-judge-to-prosecute-him?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Don+Lemon+Claims+Trump+Will+%E2%80%98Go+Around%E2%80%99+A+Judge+To+Prosecute+Him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> the Trump administration is going to prosecute him as punishment, suggesting that the Justice Department would even violate the law to see him locked up.
“If there’s no law to fit, they will try to fit or retrofit something or go around a judge and just do it themselves,&#8221; Lemon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-claims-trump-will-go-around-a-judge-to-prosecute-him?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Don+Lemon+Claims+Trump+Will+%E2%80%98Go+Around%E2%80%99+A+Judge+To+Prosecute+Him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> fellow former CNN personality Alisyn Camerota earlier this month. &#8220;If one doesn’t work, then they try something else and that fails, and they try something else and then they just don’t give up.&#8221;
Three of the anti-ICE agitators who organized the church storming, including Armstrong, have been arrested by the FBI. William Kelly, a prominent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/career-activist-who-disrupted-minneapolis-worship-service-also-targeted-hegseths-dc-church?author=Megan+Basham&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Career+Activist+Who+Disrupted+Minneapolis+Worship+Service+Also+Targeted+Hegseth%E2%80%99s+DC+Church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">professional protester</a> who has demonstrated outside the church of War Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington, D.C., was among those who entered the sanctuary during the Sunday morning service.
The Justice Department is expected to hold a press conference on Lemon&#8217;s arrest later Friday.
This is a developing story. Please refresh this page for updates.

Don Lemon, Nekima Levy-Armstrong

Don Lemon Arrested By Feds For Role In Minnesota Church Protest

Former CNN host Don Lemon said on Sunday that he believed the Trump administration would &#8220;go around a judge&#8221; if necessary to prosecute him for disrupting a Minneapolis church service alongside radical protesters.
Speaking to fellow former CNN host Alisyn Camerota — now a special events anchor for Scripps News — Lemon repeatedly professed his innocence, claiming he was only observing the protest as a journalist. Lemon claimed that the Trump administration would prosecute him by any means necessary, even if it meant having to &#8220;retrofit&#8221; laws or circumventing a judge.
A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-finds-probable-cause-to-charge-don-lemon-but-rejects-dojs-bid-to-force-arrest-warrant?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Appeals+Court+Finds+Probable+Cause+To+Charge+Don+Lemon%2C+But+Rejects+DOJ%E2%80%99s+Bid+To+Force+Arrest+Warrant">established</a> probable cause to charge former CNN host Don Lemon and four others over the anti-ICE church storming in Minneapolis last weekend. The appeals court, however, declined to force a lower court judge to sign arrest warrants.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sUnJbFxdv0k?si=BNZH4J6vTt7IXq0B" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Camerota described Lemon as &#8220;calm,&#8221; &#8220;resolute,&#8221; and &#8220;unapologetic&#8221; — and said that he truly believes his actions were protected under the First Amendment because he was acting solely as a journalist at the time.
Noting that one judge had already denied the Justice Department’s request to charge Lemon for his role in the protest — a protest that has resulted in three arrests thus far — Camerota asked Lemon what he thought might happen in the coming weeks.
“I’m not naive. I think they’re probably going to try again and again as they did with Tish James and Comey and everyone. If one doesn’t work, then they try something else and that fails, and they try something else and then they just don’t give up because they, you know, they want to save face, but I don’t know what’s next,” Lemon said. “I think what’s next is that I have to be in it for the long haul and to, you know, and just to be strong, as always, and keep calm and carry on.”
Lemon went on to say that he fully expected the Trump administration to step outside the law if that was the only way to get him, claiming that they were targeting him specifically because he was the “biggest name” involved.
“If there’s no law to fit, they will try to fit or retrofit something or go around a judge and just do it themselves. And it doesn’t matter and everything that they say pertains to protesters. I was not a protester. It’s very clear about that. If you look at all the evidence, I’m not a protester. And so I think Alisyn — not that I think I know — I was the biggest name. And so if they get a Don Lemon, woohoo, that’s a victory and also I’m the one who put the information out there.”
Lemon joined a large group of anti-ICE protesters who stormed Cities Church in Minneapolis last Sunday during a worship service because one of the church’s pastors is believed to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Three of the anti-ICE agitators who organized the church storming have been arrested by the FBI, including Black Lives Matter activist Nekima Levy Armstrong.

Michael Kors Collection Fall/Winter 2023 Runway Show – Front Row

Don Lemon Claims Trump Will ‘Go Around’ A Judge To Prosecute Him

Protests

A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the Justice Department established probable cause to charge former CNN host Don Lemon and four others over the anti-ICE church storming in Minneapolis last weekend. The appeals court, however, declined to force a lower court judge to sign arrest warrants.
The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth District was unsealed on Saturday after the Justice Department asked the appeals court to force a lower district court in Minnesota to sign the five arrest warrants. The ruling did not make the names of the five defendants public, but CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/appeals-court-don-lemon-protest-minnesota-probable-cause/">reported</a> that its sources confirmed one of the defendants is Lemon. The Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-vows-to-pursue-don-lemon-charges-to-the-ends-of-the-earth?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DOJ+Vows+To+Pursue+Don+Lemon+Charges+%E2%80%98To+The+Ends+Of+The+Earth%E2%80%99">vowed</a> on Friday to pursue charges against Lemon &#8220;to the ends of the Earth.&#8221;
While Friday&#8217;s ruling supported the Trump administration&#8217;s pursuit of charging Lemon on paper, it did not solve the Justice Department&#8217;s request. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon responded to the ruling, <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/2015140496344314364">writing</a> on X, &#8220;Stay tuned 🤨.&#8221; The Justice Department could now seek a grand jury indictment or represent the charges to a magistrate judge.&#8221;
Lemon joined a large group of anti-ICE protesters who stormed Cities Church in Minneapolis last Sunday during the worship service because one of the church&#8217;s pastors is believed to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Three of the anti-ICE agitators who organized the church storming have been arrested by the FBI, including Black Lives Matter activist Nekima Levy Armstrong.
Lemon&#8217;s attorney argued that he is protected under the First Amendment since he was with the anti-ICE agitators to cover the church storming as an independent journalist. The Justice Department, however, argues that Lemon was coordinating with leaders of the anti-ICE group before the church storming.
“Freedom of the press extends to a lot of different areas,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier this week. “It does not extend to somebody just trespassing and being embedded with a group of rioters and being part of the group that storms inside of a church.&#8221;
Magistrate Judge Doug Micko refused to sign the arrest warrant for Lemon, saying that federal prosecutors failed to present enough evidence to justify his arrest.
The Trump administration is pursuing charges against Lemon and others who participated in the storming of Cities Church through the FACE Act, which penalizes people for interfering with Americans who are exercising their right to religious freedom. The FACE act was used by the Biden administration to go after pro-lifers who were accused of blocking access to abortion clinics.
News of the appeals court ruling broke as Minneapolis erupts into chaos again after an armed man was shot and killed by federal agents on Saturday morning. Video showed federal officers attempting to detain a man on the street during what the Department of Homeland Security said was a &#8220;targeted operation&#8221; for an illegal immigrant &#8220;wanted for violent assault.&#8221; The man was armed with a loaded &#8220;semi-automatic handgun&#8221; and was shot and killed by a federal agent who was fearing for his life and the lives of his fellow agents, according to Homeland Security.

Appeals Court Finds Probable Cause To Charge Don Lemon, But Rejects DOJ’s Bid To Force Arrest Warrant

Courts

Trump Administration

The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1897-jd-vance-destroys-reporter-did-ice-arrest-a-5-year-old?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show.</a>
* * *
Since getting canned from CNN, Don Lemon has apparently decided to reinvent himself. Not as a journalist, but as some kind of YouTuber or “man on the street” troll. Whatever this is supposed to be, it’s Don Lemon wandering around with a microphone.
After conspiring with a Left-wing mob to violate the FACE Act and interrupt a church service in Minneapolis, Lemon is now suddenly popping up on sidewalks questioning random people about illegal immigration. And he’s armed with the most childish, recycled Left-wing talking points imaginable.
You’ve heard these lines before. Probably from your lesbian cousin or your purple-haired roommate, whichever liberal you love and tolerate in your own life. And Don Lemon delivers the greatest hit right on cue: crossing the border illegally is not a crime.
Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don Lemon: &#8220;Being here illegally is not a crime, it&#8217;s a misdemeanor.&#8221;
Ordinary Citizen: &#8220;Isn&#8217;t a misdemeanor a crime?&#8221;
😂😂😂<a href="https://t.co/LTfDiHrTqH">pic.twitter.com/LTfDiHrTqH</a>
— Verbal Riot (@verbalriotshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/verbalriotshow/status/2013758084791898115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @verbalriotshow/X.com
I love it. This woman Lemon is talking to is clearly not originally from here, she has a slight accent, and she seems to be taking Don Lemon at his word. Lemon keeps insisting that a misdemeanor is not a crime, which is already an insane thing to say. Then a guy off camera finally jumps in and says the obvious: “Yes it is. Ask him. Is a misdemeanor a crime?”
Don Lemon scrambles. “It’s not a criminal act, no. If you get charged with a misdemeanor, it’s not a criminal act.”
The woman then pauses and asks the most basic question imaginable: “So why charge them at all then, if it’s not a criminal act?”
Now he’s backpedaling hard. “Because we have different levels of crime. Everything is not the same.” And that’s when she nails him. She calmly points out that if there are different levels of crime, then it is a crime—just a lesser one than a felony.
Which means he just admitted the whole thing.
Cue the nervous laughter.
And that’s it. She completely humiliates him. It’s painful to watch.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1897-jd-vance-destroys-reporter-did-ice-arrest-a-5-year-old?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
This is the standard liberal script. They’ll say illegal immigration isn’t a felony, which also isn’t even always true, especially for repeat offenders. But let’s pretend it isn’t. They say it’s just a misdemeanor. The obvious response, which this woman delivered effortlessly, is that misdemeanors are crimes.
Then comes the next dodge: well, lots of things are misdemeanors. Speeding really fast can be a misdemeanor. Certain drug offenses can be misdemeanors. Property crimes, vehicle crimes, whatever.
Fine. Don’t even argue the comparison. Just ask the follow-up question.
What’s the punishment?
Different misdemeanors have different punishments, right? Okay. What’s the punishment for the misdemeanor of illegal immigration?
Deportation.
That’s it. That’s the punishment. And that’s exactly what’s happening.
“But they’re not getting due process!”
Yes, they are. The first step in due process is getting arrested. Then you get processed based on the offense. Then there’s adjudication — guilty, not guilty, released, or removed. That’s the system.
So credit where it’s due. I don’t know this woman’s name, but she did a great job. She didn’t yell. She didn’t posture. She just followed the logic to its conclusion and Don Lemon couldn’t survive his own talking points.

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