Breaking — Federal Agents Arrest Don Lemon for Being a Journalist
A court refused to sign the warrants. DOJ empaneled a grand jury anyway. They came for him at the Grammys.
While others stenograph, grift, or chase the next distraction
this is the news that matters and how it’s connected.
They came for him at the Grammys.
Federal agents arrested journalist Don Lemon Thursday night in Los Angeles—while he was covering the Grammy Awards—for covering a Minnesota church protest earlier this month.1 2 3
A grand jury was empaneled just yesterday.¹ FBI and Homeland Security Investigations agents made the arrest.¹ The charge? Civil rights violations—for allegedly interfering with churchgoers’ “constitutional-protected freedom to practice religion.”¹
Read that again. The Trump administration is charging a journalist with civil rights violations. For being present at a protest. The DOJ has discovered civil rights—but only to arrest journalists, not to investigate the ICE officers who shot and left to bleed out a mother of three.
“I’m Just Here Photographing”
On January 18th, protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.”³ They’d discovered that one of the church’s pastors is reportedly the acting field director of the St. Paul ICE field office.² ³
Don Lemon was there—and he live-streamed his coverage for nearly seven hours.4 The Washington Post reviewed the footage. Here’s what it shows: 45 minutes inside the church. Four parishioners interviewed. Five protesters interviewed.⁴ No chanting. No disruption. Just a camera and questions.
In other words, he did what journalists do. He got both sides.
He approached the lead pastor and asked what he thought of the protest. “This is unacceptable, it’s shameful,” the pastor responded. “It’s shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.”⁴ Lemon asked if the pastor had tried to talk to the protesters. “No one is willing to talk,” the pastor said. “I have to take care of my church and my family, so I ask that you actually would also leave this building, unless you’re here to worship.”⁴
Lemon left.⁴
He told his viewers: “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group… I’m a journalist.”² “We’re here just chronicling and reporting. We’re not part of the activists, but we’re here just reporting on them.”⁴
It didn’t matter. Senior Justice Department officials immediately declared he would face charges.² Attorney General Pam Bondi called the protest “horrific” during a Fox News interview.²
The Courts Said No. DOJ Did It Anyway.
Here’s what makes this arrest even more brazen: DOJ asked an appellate court to force a magistrate judge to sign the arrest warrants—and the court refused. Two of three judges found no probable cause.¹
So the Justice Department went around them. They empaneled a grand jury. And they came for him.
This is what happens when the rule of law becomes an obstacle. You find another path. You arrest him anyway.
The Real Indictment
His attorney, Abbe Lowell, named it:
“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.”²
The agents who killed Renee Good—a 37-year-old mother of three, shot in the head while sitting in her car—have not been charged. The agents who killed Alex Pretti have not been charged. No grand jury. No arrest. Nothing.
The journalist who documented protests against those killings? Grand jury. Federal arrest. Custody—2,000 miles away, while he was covering an awards show.
“Unprecedented Attack on the First Amendment”
Lowell called the arrest “unprecedented” and vowed Lemon “will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”¹ ² ³
“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 said. “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.”¹
Thirty years of journalism ended with handcuffs at the Grammys. Document the regime, and the First Amendment won't save you. Journalism is now a crime.
The Call
This isn’t an isolated incident. We track stories like this using the fascism syndrome—ten indicators that a democracy is sliding into fascism—so you don’t lose the thread in the daily chaos:
Weaponized justice: The agents who killed American citizens walk free. The journalist who covered the protests is in federal custody on civil rights charges. The courts refused to sign the warrants. DOJ did it anyway.
War on reality: A journalist says “I’m just here photographing, I’m a journalist.” DOJ responds: you’re a criminal.
Erosion of due process: Courts said no. DOJ went around them. When the judiciary becomes an obstacle, they find another path.
Kill citizens. Protect the killers. Arrest the journalists. Bypass the courts. That’s not dysfunction. That’s fascism.
But we’re not here just to tell you the house is on fire.
We built this publication to equip you with the tools to fight back—the frameworks, the messaging, the strategies that actually work. See the links below. But we can only keep doing this with your help. If this matters to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. You keep the fight alive.
Fighting Fascism: How We Push Back and Win — The strategic playbook for reclaiming power
The Trump Regime Messaging Guide — How to talk to people who’ve been captured by the machine
The Freedom Illusion — How we got here, and the counter-ideology that gets us out
Lilia Luciano and Jacob Rosen, “Former CNN anchor Don Lemon taken into custody, sources say“, CBS News, January 30, 2026.
Breaking news coverage confirming Lemon was arrested by FBI and HSI agents Thursday night in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards. Documents that a grand jury was empaneled on January 29th. Critically reports that a federal appellate court declined to order a lower court judge to sign arrest warrants for Lemon and four others last week—one of three judges felt there was probable cause, but two did not. Notes charges are civil rights violations for allegedly “unlawfully interfering with the churchgoers’ constitutional-protected freedom to practice religion.” Includes Lowell calling DOJ’s focus on Lemon instead of investigating the agents who killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti “the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case.”
Kara Scannell and Hannah Rabinowitz, “Journalist Don Lemon taken into custody after Minnesota church protest“, CNN, January 30, 2026.
Coverage emphasizing that Lemon identified himself as a journalist, not a protester. Documents his YouTube video statement: “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group… I’m a journalist.” Reports that senior DOJ officials immediately and publicly asserted Lemon would face charges. Notes AG Pam Bondi called the protest “horrific” on Fox News. Includes DOJ’s argument that Lemon had no right to be on private property and may have impeded churchgoers’ constitutional rights.
Pierre Thomas, Katherine Faulders, and Luke Barr, “Former CNN journalist Don Lemon arrested in connection with Minnesota protest: Sources“, ABC News, January 30, 2026.
Coverage establishing that the January 18th protest targeted Cities Church because one of the pastors is reportedly the acting field director of the St. Paul ICE field office. Documents protesters chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.” Includes Lowell’s full statement calling the arrest “an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment” and “an attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration.”
Jarrett Ley and Samuel Oakford, “Federal authorities wanted to charge Don Lemon. Here’s what happened.“, The Washington Post, January 23, 2026.
Investigative analysis of Lemon’s nearly seven-hour livestream from the protest. Documents that he spent approximately 45 minutes inside the church and spoke with four parishioners and five protesters. Critically, the footage did not show him participating in the chants that disrupted the service. Details his interview with the lead pastor, who called the protest “unacceptable” and “shameful”—and asked Lemon to leave. Lemon left. Includes his statements to viewers: “We’re here just chronicling and reporting. We’re not part of the activists, but we’re here just reporting on them.”
Don't be absurd--he was arrested for being a prominent & credible gay guy. And the "freedom of religion" Amendment applies to the government, not private citizens! This is just plain old harassment.
They’ll lose. No jury in the world would convict and no judge would allow it. The law is completely on his side. The question is whether other journalists will be intimidated, which is what the government wants.