Attorney General Warns Against Attacks on Worship Spaces

On Saturday, Attorney General Pam Bondi responded to criticism surrounding the First Amendment, stating that assaults on places of worship will be met with strict consequences. This comes after the Trump administration’s recent arrest of journalist Don Lemon and other protesters for their actions against a church in Minnesota.

“When we say God bless America, we truly mean it. We’re committed to protecting our country, and any actions in a house of worship aimed at disrupting that will not go unchecked. We’re going to find you and we will prosecute you,” she declared during a segment on “My View with Lara Trump.”

Her remarks arose in the context of backlash claiming that these arrests infringed on the First Amendment rights of the individuals involved. Bondi countered this by referencing Title 18, the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996, to argue that the law supports her stance.

“There’s also a First Amendment right to worship freely and without fear. Last Sunday, many of us feared for our parishioners’ safety, thinking that a mass shooting could occur at any moment,” she added.

Bondi emphasized the right of individuals to feel secure while attending religious services in their respective places of worship—be it a church, synagogue, or mosque. Under the current administration, she asserted, that right will be upheld.

According to Bondi, the situation unfolded as families were arriving for the church service. The protesters arrived in a caravan, entered the church, and blended in with worshippers. “They didn’t realize the church had already been infiltrated. Some of the intruders sat right beside them,” she explained.

She described how the protesters disrupted the service, chanting loudly, causing panic among worshippers who scrambled for safety.

Parents lost contact with their children during Sunday school as chaos erupted within the sanctuary. Bondi remarked, “Some individuals managed to escape through a side door but not without risking injury. One woman hurt her arm severely and needed hospital care.”

She also claimed that Lemon obstructed parishioners trying to leave, asserting that his actions were illegal. Lemon, a former CNN anchor, was recently indicted in Los Angeles on charges relating to violations of constitutional rights and the FACE Act.

On his part, Lemon maintained that he was simply present as a journalist to document the events, insisting he was not part of the protesting group. “I’m just here taking pictures,” he stated in a video posted to his YouTube channel.

He and his legal team are defending his arrest as a violation of his First Amendment rights.