MAGA has decided Don Lemon, 59, is no longer a journalist—but a criminal suspect.
The former CNN anchor found himself in the crosshairs of GOP officials this week after covering a Minneapolis Sunday church protest tied to outrage over immigration enforcement.
Lemon was livestreaming as protesters entered a Cities Church service in Minneapolis to confront a pastor they accused of working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The city has become a flashpoint following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier this month, fueling a wave of protests and increased ICE presence.
Lemon’s on-the-ground reporting has been framed by Trump’s Justice Department lackeys as a potential federal crime—prompting threats of jail time and an escalating investigation.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon zeroed in on Lemon, accusing him on X of participating in—not merely covering—the protest. “The First Amendment doesn’t protect your pseudo-journalism of disrupting a prayer service,” she wrote, ending with a blunt warning: “You are on notice.”
Dhillon doubled down late Sunday, announcing that her office was coordinating with Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether the protest violated the federal FACE Act, which prohibits interference with religious worship. Continuing her rant, she accused demonstrators of “desecrating a house of worship” and tagged Bondi directly.
The @CivilRights is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers. @AGPamBondi https://t.co/uZBBv1iuuH
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 18, 2026
Lemon responded in a video posted Sunday night, flatly denying involvement in organizing the protest. “I have no affiliations with that organization,” he said, insisting he did not have prior knowledge of the protesters’ plans to enter the church. He described his actions as “chronicling” events—“an act of journalism”—and said his reporting was protected by the First Amendment.
That explanation did little to slow Dhillon’s momentum.
Appearing on Newsmax the following morning, she escalated the rhetoric, claiming that two federal prosecutors from her office were already en route to Minneapolis and that an FBI team had been assembled. She described the church incident as a “heinous act” receiving the “highest level of attention” from the Justice Department.
Dhillon later suggested the potential legal exposure could go well beyond misdemeanor charges under the FACE Act. In an appearance on the MAGA mouthpiece Benny Johnson’s show, she floated the possibility of felony prosecution under the Ku Klux Klan Act, arguing that the law could apply if authorities determine there was a conspiracy to intimidate worshippers or violate civil rights.
“Journalism is not a badge or a shield,” Dhillon said, dismissing Lemon’s claims of press protection. She mocked his career trajectory, adding, “He was a journalist—I don’t know what he is now,” and argued that video footage showed Lemon was “embedded” with protesters and “clearly knew what was going to happen.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Department of Justice, the White House and Lemon for comment.
Attorney General Bondi echoed the hard line, warning on X that “attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.” The White House also weighed in with Karoline Leavitt, condemning what she called the “harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship” and insisting President Trump “will not tolerate” such actions.
Even outside political circles, Lemon has come under fire. Nicki Minaj—who has increasingly aligned herself with MAGA rhetoric—joined the pile-on, blasting Lemon on X and demanding he be jailed.
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