DOJ Goes After Ex-CNN Host Over Church Protest Live Stream

Ex-CNN host and now independent journalist Don Lemon, host of The Don Lemon Show on YouTube, has drawn the wrath of the Trump administration and the MAGA movement following a livestream of a protest that disrupted a church service at St. Paul’s Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The demonstration took place inside the church as protesters alleged that David Easterwood, listed as a pastor at the congregation, appears to be David Easterwood who serves as a senior ICE official in the Twin Cities. The backlash intensified after Harmeet Dhillon, the DOJ’s civil rights chief, publicly criticized Lemon, arguing that his claim of being an «independent journalist» does not «shield» him from potential «criminal conspiracy» charges related to the livestream.

According to NBC News, Don Lemon responded to the accusations by saying he «wasn’t the only reporter there» and that he finds it «notable that I’ve been cast as the face of a protest I was covering as a journalist». He said the backlash included a «barrage of violent threats, along with homophobic and racist slurs», a category that includes an online attack by rapper Nicki Minaj. Lemon added that the abuse was «directed at me online by MAGA supporters and amplified by parts of the right-wing press», framing the reaction as politically driven rather than based on his actions as a reporter.

Lemon then told, according to NBC News, that the Justice Department’s time would be better spent «investigating the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good» rather than «manufacturing outrage», pushing back against the government’s focus on the church protest. His remarks came as DOJ civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon warned demonstrators that «the fullest force of the federal government is going to come down and prevent this from happening and put people away for a long, long time». Dhillon also said authorities were examining protesters for «potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers», signaling that federal charges remain under consideration as the administration escalates its response.

As Don Lemon repeatedly said on his livestream, he was not «part of the activists» and that he and his small team were «just reporting on them». He said he had been warned about the event in advance and began his long day of reporting in Minneapolis at the church, following an interview with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on the street where Renee Nicole Good was shot multiple times by an ICE agent a few days earlier. Lemon later continued his reporting in front of the federal building where ICE conducts operations in the Twin Cities, where he encouraged a group of protesters by bringing coffee and donuts and interviewed several of them as the demonstration continued.