Don Lemon has found himself at the center of controversy after being implicated in an incident involving anti-ICE protesters at a church service in St. Paul. He criticized the congregants, labeling them as “entitled” and linking their behavior to “white supremacy.”
“I think those who belong to those religious groups exhibit that mentality. It’s not the kind of Christianity I practice, but they feel they have a right, which I believe stems from white supremacy,” he stated during a revealing conversation with podcaster Jennifer Welch on “I’ve Had It.”
He further commented, “They believe this is a Christian nation built for them.”
After the protests, which involved harassment of churchgoers that forced some onto the streets, the Justice Department indicated that Lemon was “on warning” for his involvement in what they characterized as a riot.
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, mentioned in a post on X that the department is looking into “potential violations of the federal FACE Act” for desecrating places of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers, putting Lemon under scrutiny.
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act), established in 1994, prohibits obstruction of access to individuals seeking reproductive health services or practicing their faith.
The anti-ICE mob accused the church’s pastor of having connections to ICE, which contributed to the uproar. Following the disturbance, Lemon interviewed Pastor Jonathan Parnell inside the church.
Lemon dismissed Dhillon’s warning as an “intimidation tactic” and expressed distress that his high profile had led to what he called a moment of self-importance.
“When I was a journalist, I didn’t quite grasp how I became the face of this issue. I understand now,” he remarked, seemingly unbothered.
“I’m the biggest name involved,” he asserted.
In a further remark, he claimed producers had told him, “Don, you’re a gay black man in America, you’ve got a platform, and you’re the biggest celebrity. Naturally, you’re going to be the target,” referring to media attempts to frame the situation.
He criticized the media for potentially sensationalizing the issue to cater to a demographic full of “racist, bigoted homophobes,” in reference to the backlash over the incident.
Lemon faced significant backlash for broadcasting the church disturbance and defensively referenced the First Amendment as a journalist. However, this was complicated by his own acknowledgment of being aware of the anti-ICE group’s intentions beforehand.
Messages seeking comment from Lemon went unanswered.
