Don Lemon Shares His Arrest Story with Jimmy Kimmel

Don Lemon Details Arrest Experience on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”

Former CNN host Don Lemon shared his arrest experience during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Monday. This incident occurred in Los Angeles when federal agents detained him related to an event from January 18 in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was livestreaming with anti-ICE protesters disrupting a church service.

Lemon explained that he was in town to cover the Grammy Awards and was heading back to his hotel when his agent approached him. “I went back to the hotel, I went in with my stolen goods bag—I was walking to my room and I pressed the elevator button,” he recounted. Suddenly, he felt a push and realized people were attempting to handcuff him. Confused, he asked, “What are you doing here?” They replied they were there to arrest him.

Initially, Lemon said the authorities didn’t show a warrant. However, someone identifying as an FBI agent did eventually display a warrant on a cell phone. During the encounter, his glasses fell, preventing him from reading the warrant until an officer retrieved them.

He expressed his confusion after viewing the warrant. “A bunch of guys took me outside. FBI guys were there,” he mentioned, suggesting that it was overkill, stating, “It probably should have been a dozen people, but that’s a waste of resources.” He conveyed he had previously notified them about his plans and wanted only the on-site personnel to be addressed, not him.

Kimmel remarked that the arrest was “more than just a waste of resources,” and Lemon agreed, asserting that the aim was to “embarrass” and “intimidate” him.

After being taken to a federal court waiting room, Lemon had his fingerprints and photo taken. He noted that he was held for roughly 12 hours and wasn’t subjected to a strip search.

Lemon, along with several co-defendants, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to deprive individuals of their rights, using force to interfere with the First Amendment rights of others. These charges relate to the Freedom of Admission to Clinics (FACE) and Ku Klux Klan laws. The indictment states they conspired to “injure, oppress, intimidate, and intimidate multiple persons in the free exercise and enjoyment of the rights and privileges guaranteed to them” under U.S. law.