Journalists Sound Alarm Over What Don Lemon’s Arrest Really Means | EUROtoday

On Jan 31, 2026

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Not surprisingly, Don Lemon’s arrest on Friday in connection together with his protection of an anti-ICE protest earlier this month aroused robust reactions from fellow members of the media.

Lemon filmed protesters who stormed a Sunday morning service at Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18. Demonstrators who selected the church alleged one among its pastors, David Easterwood, was additionally a prime ICE official within the state.

After the protest, Assistant Attorney General Mothers Dhillon referred to as Lemon’s protection of the protest “pseudo journalism” and mentioned he was “on notice.”

The DOJ then tried to cost Lemon for being on the scene, solely to be thwarted by a Justice of the Peace decide in Minnesota who refused to log off on the costs.

That modified on Friday when Attorney General Pam Bondi introduced the previous CNN anchor’s arrest on X.

CNN media analyst Brian Stelter referred to as it “a First Amendment test with multiple dimensions,” and lots of of Lemon’s different former colleagues and fellow journalists had been additionally outraged on the arrest.

Jake Tapper famous that Lemon’s arrest occurred solely after two judges beforehand rejected the efforts of the DOJ to indict the newsman.

DOJ’s authentic grievance in opposition to Don was rejected by Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko who refused to signal the prison grievance after which the DOJ appealed and that too was rejected. That chief decide, Hon. Patrick J. Schiltz— is a former Scalia clerk and George W. Bush appointee: https://t.co/TE64kt59CJ pic.twitter.com/dccCoXNc5w

— Jake Tapper 🦅 (@jaketapper) January 30, 2026

Other journalists had been additionally outraged by the assault on the First Amendment.

Attorney for my colleague and buddy Don Lemon has launched an announcement saying Don was arrested by federal brokers in LA final evening. This is outrageous and can’t stand. The First Amendment is beneath assault in America! pic.twitter.com/V4TVEK7Icy

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 30, 2026

News from the Department of Retribution, previously often called the Department of Justice.
If you do not imagine Don Lemon’s arrest was ordered from on excessive, you simply have not been paying consideration. https://t.co/2MhZBN2VUF

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) January 30, 2026

Yet one other incident the place the federal government is mendacity about what we are able to all see on video:

Lemon calmly strolling into the church and interviewing not solely protesters however the pastor and others, who had no drawback with him in any respect. https://t.co/IEsvWfMbO4

— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) January 30, 2026

They arrested Don Lemon. This is horrifying. I don’t care what your political opinions or leanings are, what journalism outlet you characterize, this positively can not stand.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 30, 2026

NABJ is outraged and deeply alarmed by the arrest of veteran journalist Don Lemon by federal brokers in Los Angeles whereas he was working, and by the federal government’s escalating effort and actions to criminalize and threaten press freedom beneath the guise of legislation enforcement. Tune in NOW pic.twitter.com/kbMNxF7eWg

— #NABJ Headquarters ✊🏾🖊️🎙️💻 📷 🎥 📝 🔈 (@NABJ) January 30, 2026

SHAMEFUL.
I do not agree with going into the church like this however Lemon had a digicam and interviewed the pastor. This arrest is a shame. https://t.co/qzl2r9lV9m

— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 30, 2026

Journalists arrested on bogus expenses; residents executed within the streets by masked secret police; election workplaces raided on the route of an intelligence company; oil executives notified of a army invasion earlier than Congress. Putin’s America is right here.

I’m assured Don will… https://t.co/WKQ3rL8ZZR

— Rep. Dan Goldman (@RepDanGoldman) January 30, 2026

Don Lemon’s arrest units a brand new, harmful precedent within the Trump administration’s continued assault on the free press and may increase alarm amongst all who imagine in defending the First Amendment. https://t.co/ed3LzseRcP

— WABJ – Washington Association of Black Journalists (@WABJDC) January 30, 2026

Hearing a second journalist was taken into custody, not simply Don Lemon.

Independent journalist Georgia Fort was additionally arrested.

Two Black journalists arrested.

— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) January 30, 2026

I see we’re now on the “arresting journalists”section of our new autocracy

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 30, 2026

But Lemon’s arrest wasn’t uniformly condemned by his fellow media members.

Many conservative journalists and podcasters appeared OK with Lemon’s arrest, freedom of speech be damned.

Don Lemon was a part of an organized mob that stormed right into a church service and prevented the parishioners from practising their religion. He can declare he was merely reporting however he was not. Even if he was, he nonetheless deliberately joined within the disruption of the church service. And…

— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) January 30, 2026

For these saying that is criminalizing journalism, journalists don’t get a move when breaking the legislation simply bc they’ve a mic. If I accompanied ppl storming an abortion clinic harassing/scaring/“traumatizing” the crying ladies whereas saying “But I’m a reporter!” I might completely…

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 30, 2026

Congrats to Don Lemon, who I do know properly and could be very excited for the content material that can come from this. Huge for the model, views, followers, subscribers. Imagine the merch prospects coming. Get prepared Lemonheads…

— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) January 30, 2026

After work as we speak, I’m going to go rob a financial institution and document it so CNN defends me as a reporter once I get arrested and insists the arrest is a violation of my First Amendment rights.

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) January 30, 2026

Don Lemon 100% deserved to be arrested.

His lawyer and the activist media will confer with him as a former longtime CNN anchor and a “veteran journalist.” They will scream that is an assault on “freedom of the press.” They’ll scream fascism!!

This is all rubbish.

That Don Lemon… https://t.co/WkUl5cln0c

— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) January 30, 2026

Two issues are true:
1) Lemon’s arrest is nearly actually unconstitutional and a violation of his First Amendment rights
2) Having watched the footage of Lemon at this protest, it is extraordinarily deceptive bordering on deceitful to explain what he was doing as “observing” pic.twitter.com/Y2CIGvyiot

— Kat Rosenfield (@katrosenfield) January 30, 2026

I’m very blissful that Don Lemon was arrested however there may be one extraordinarily essential caveat now that it’s been executed:

He HAS to be convicted and despatched to jail for an prolonged size of time. If he’s not convicted or not severely punished then this entire factor is an unequivocal win…

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshWeblog) January 30, 2026

But former Fox News journalist Gretchen Carlson warned MAGA journalists that Lemon’s arrest “has nothing to do with politics,” and requested if they’d “want the tables turned when they could all be arrested with a democratic administration.”

Arresting Don Lemon is all about politics after all — however from a journalists perspective — this has nothing to do with politics. Do MAGA journalists need the tables turned after they might all be arrested with a democratic administration? Come on

— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) January 30, 2026

CORRECTION: A earlier model of this story listed the wrong date for the anti-ICE church protest.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/don-lemon-arrest-journalists-react_n_697cdb63e4b0ead3cf961b83