Don Lemon Defends Actions During Church Incident

Former CNN host Don Lemon has voiced criticism regarding parishioners who expressed discontent about his attendance at a church service where disruptions occurred. He suggested they struggled to see him as a journalist rather than a protester.

This incident took place in January at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, when a group protested due to the church’s alleged ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Senior Pastor Jonathan Parnell labeled the event an “ambush,” recounting an overwhelming moment when agitators confronted him aggressively, causing him to lose track of his family and congregation amid the chaos.

Lemon is facing federal charges linked to his presence at the church but has denied any wrongdoing. He maintains that he was there strictly as a journalist, claiming First Amendment protections. He discussed this situation in a recent interview with liberal journalist and podcaster Jim Acosta, who noted his surprise that parishioners perceived Lemon as a vandal rather than someone covering the protests.

Lemon shared his confusion about the parishioners’ reaction, indicating that despite his attempts to clarify his role, they kept labeling him as part of the protest. “I told them I wasn’t a protester,” Lemon remarked, suggesting that his race may have influenced their perceptions. “I just kept saying I’m here covering the protests.” He expressed frustration that they didn’t seem to grasp his intentions.

Attempts to get a response from Cities Church regarding Lemon’s statements were unsuccessful as of now.

Acosta, during the discussion, emphasized that his own conversation with the pastor wasn’t confrontational. Lemon added that the pastor was calm and polite while asserting the unacceptability of disrupting the service. Lemon challenged the pastor, questioning if he believed Jesus would empathize with the protesters and pressed him on whether he had attempted to communicate with them as a Christian.

When Lemon was asked to leave, he began to say, “You don’t want us to—” indicating an ongoing dialogue.

Lemon and Acosta both agreed that the encounter with the pastor lacked any violent tension, with Lemon highlighting that the video evidence “speaks for itself.” He asserted that he was merely there to report, emphasizing, “I was doing journalism. That’s what I went there to do.”