CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter pointed out on Friday that former CNN host Don Lemon knew the protesters at the church in St. Paul, Minnesota, had something planned before they disrupted a religious service.
Federal agents arrested Lemon on Thursday night in Los Angeles, California, in connection with the disruption of Cities Church on Jan. 18, which had been organized by anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters to demonstrate against the pastor for being an ICE official. While Stelter defended Lemon’s coverage of the incident, he stated that Lemon clearly knew that the protesters had planned to disrupt the service ahead of time.
“Don Lemon has said all along that he was there not as an activist but as a journalist,” Stelter said. “In fact, he was saying those words and repeating that out loud when he was inside the church. But he clearly knew something was taking place that day with the protesters. He told his viewers on YouTube to stay tuned because there was something about to happen. He was careful not to have his camera crew walk into the church until there was a disruption. And I would urge people to go online, actually watch the YouTube videos, see how it all went down.”
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Lemon has maintained that he committed an act of journalism by entering the church with the protesters. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said on “The Benny Johnson Show” on Jan. 19 that Lemon’s prior knowledge of the protesters’ plans could implicate him in criminal activity, particularly on civil rights violation charges.
Three other individuals — Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort and Jamael Lydell Lundy — in connection to the church disruption, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday. Federal agents also arrested Chauntyll Louisa Allen, Nekima Levy Armstrong and William Kelly on Jan. 22.
The DOJ has looked into whether the protesters violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act, which prohibits the obstruction of houses of worship and religious services and criminalizes conspiring against a person’s civil rights.
A magistrate judge previously rejected the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) attempt to charge Lemon, though federal officials strived to find other ways to arrest Lemon. Lemon challenged the government to “keep trying” to get him behind bars in a video posted to X on Jan. 22.
“Look, I stand proud and I stand tall,” Lemon said. “This is not a victory lap for me because it’s not over. They’re going to try again, and they’re going to try again, and guess what? Here I am. Keep trying.”
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