Feds Arrest Don Lemon in Church Protest

By Rob Redding

Editor & Publisher

NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2026, 8 p.m. — Federal agents today arrested former CNN anchor Don Lemon after a chaotic protest inside a Minnesota church.

Lemon, 59, was taken into custody in Los Angeles while covering the Grammys. His detention surprised Hollywood and sent shockwaves through the media. He appeared in federal court Friday with three others accused of turning a St. Paul church service into a political scene.

Prosecutors say Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort entered Cities Church on January 18 during Operation Pullup, a demonstration targeting the administration’s immigration policies.

The government alleges the group conspired to interfere with religious freedom. Defense lawyers call the charge a political stunt meant to silence dissent.

Inside the church, activists blew whistles, shouted over the pastor, who is also an ICE official, and caused chaos among the congregation. Prosecutors say some worshippers feared a mass shooting, a claim critics dismiss as exaggerated.

According to the indictment, Lemon and Fort surrounded the pastor and questioned him in an apparent attempt to intimidate him.

The arrest renewed focus on Lemon’s history with Donald Trump. During Trump’s 2015 campaign, Lemon conducted a now-remembered interview in which he pressed Trump on accusations of racism and extremism. Lemon started by noting Trump’s politeness, saying, “So, as I sit here with you, you have been very kind to me. You introduced me to your family. You have been very kind to me.” He then asked if being called racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, or compared to Hitler bothered him. That moment has resurfaced amid debates over whether Lemon’s early approach gave Trump too much benefit of the doubt before their relationship soured.

Lemon left court in a white suit and told reporters, “I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now. A free press matters when those in power want it silenced.”

Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond and travel restrictions. The judge denied both.

Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, called the case a distraction from mounting issues in Minneapolis, where federal agents recently shot and killed two protesters.

“This is an attack on the First Amendment,” Lowell said. “Don will fight these charges with everything he has.”

The Minnesota U.S. attorney’s office is in turmoil. Several prosecutors have resigned over the administration’s refusal to investigate recent police shootings.

Tensions are high. Immigration agents killed Renee Good, a mother of three, during a traffic stop earlier this month. Days later, a CBP agent shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti. Video evidence contradicts early claims that Pretti approached with a weapon.

The White House says it’s restoring order. Critics say it’s targeting protesters and journalists.

Since being fired from CNN in 2023, Lemon built an independent media platform and remains a fierce critic of the president.

Rob Redding is the author of No. 1 best selling book Black Power in the Age of Artificial Supremacy Featuring Redding-Shim Kwet Yung . He is the bestselling author of 18 books. He is the host of Redding News Review Unrestricted and creator of ReddingNewsReview.com. He is also an emerging visual artist who lives and teaches at two colleges in New York City.