Democrats Who Condemned Lemon’s Arrest Silent on the Invasion of Cities Church

Democrats loudly condemned the arrest of former CNN host Don Lemon on Friday, but they have not condemned the invasion of a Minnesota church in... Read More

The post Democrats Who Condemned Lemon’s Arrest Silent on the Invasion of Cities Church appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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Democrats loudly condemned the arrest of former CNN host Don Lemon on Friday, but they have not condemned the invasion of a Minnesota church in the middle of a service—the incident for which Lemon faces charges.

Lemon, now an independent journalist, has claimed that he covered the invasion of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18 as a journalist, and therefore is protected by the First Amendment guarenteeing freedom of the press. Democrats have taken up his cause, suggesting that President Donald Trump targeted Lemon for his political leanings.

Yet the indictment against Lemon focuses on his alleged conduct before, during, and after the invasion, not his political leanings.

The Daily Signal reached out for comment to the Democrats (listed below) who condemned Lemon’s arrest, seeing if thy would also condemn the church invasion and whether they would respond to concerns that Lemon’s conduct might warrant charges.

None of the Democrats responded to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by publication time.

Lemon’s Alleged Actions

According to the indictment, between 20 and 40 agitators interrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church, shouting, “Justice for Renee Good!” and surrounding and intimidating members of the congregation, which included children. The agitators, who claimed to be opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement because one of the church’s pastors worked for ICE, refused to leave when asked and shouted, “Who shut this down? We shut this down!”

The indictment also mentions that agitators screamed at crying children, blocked parents from getting to their children in Sunday School, and that one agitator told a child that his parents were Nazis and going to hell.

The indictment states that Lemon strategized with the group’s leaders Nekima Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen before the invasion, and notes that Lemon said the group planned to “disrupt business as usual” at the church. Lemon appeared to hide the target location before the attack.

?HORRIFYING NEW DETAILS

The invasion of Cities Church was even worse than we thought.

Agitators blocked stairs so "parents were unable to get to their children" at Sunday School.?

One told a kid, "Do you know your parents are Nazis, they're going to burn in hell?"

?1/7 pic.twitter.com/DUNPRdECGa
— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 25, 2026

During the incident, Lemon and other defendants allegedly “oppressed, threatened, and intimidated” worshippers, blocking congregants in, restricting their movement, and “engaging in menacing and threatening behavior.”

Lemon allegedly confronted the pastor, while other agitators blocked him in, and asked him questions to further the agitators’ narrative. When people finally exited the church, Lemon observed that they were “frightened,” “scared,” and “crying,” and he said that was understandable because the experience was “traumatic and uncomfortable,” which he said was the purpose of the incident.

Lemon also allegedly prevented some people from leaving, challenging them with “facts” about U.S. immigration policy.

?WHY LEMON WAS CHARGED

Can we please stop lying around here? Here's the grand jury indictment laying out why Don Lemon was charged.

At the pre-op briefing Chauntyll Louisa Allen briefed Lemon and the other conspirators about where and what they were doing.

On camera, Nekima… pic.twitter.com/gHuN6Q4ZM9
— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 31, 2026

A federal grand jury indicted Lemon, Levy-Armstrong, Allen, and six others for allegedly violating the Ku Klux Klan Act and the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act by depriving congregants of their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion and blocking their access to the church.

Senate Democrats Stand With Don Lemon

Leading Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives condemned Lemon’s arrest but did not condemn the church invasion.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claimed the administration “arrested a journalist for the crime of doing his job.”

Once again, the administration is behaving no differently from the police states and authoritarian regimes across history—they’ve arrested a journalist for the crime of doing his job.

Let’s be very clear—this arrest is not just about one journalist in once incident. This is a… https://t.co/wA6IwFQMrI
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 30, 2026

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats, claimed authorities arrested Lemon “for covering what ICE is doing.”

ICE is occupying communities and shooting Americans.

Now, former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested for covering what ICE is doing.

Arresting journalists is what happens in tin-pot dictatorships.

We must fight back against authoritarianism.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 30, 2026

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called the arrest a “spine-chilling assault on press freedom.”

Journalism is not a crime.

The Justice Department should investigate the federal agents who killed US citizens in broad daylight, not arrest reporters like Don Lemon. He should be released.

It's a spine-chilling assault on press freedom and threatens the public's right to know.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) January 30, 2026

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., called the arrest “a blatant attempt to intimidate.”

Arresting a journalist is a blatant attempt to intimidate and a further indicator of Trump’s authoritarianism. It goes against the most fundamental American values outlined in the First Amendment.

Don Lemon has been on the ground in Minnesota like hundreds of others doing the…
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 30, 2026

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also framed the arrest as a personal vendetta for Trump.

The Justice Department continues to pursue prosecutions in the name of Donald Trump—not in the name of justice. https://t.co/V4BgDrVCWb
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) January 30, 2026

“In what world is it acceptable for a journalist to be arrested by the government? The only world that is acceptable is a world that is trying to move closer and closer to fascism,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ill., said on Lemon’s show. He went on to say that authorities shouldn’t “arrest journalists for telling the truth.”

Just joined the Don Lemon show live from the Capitol to stand with him and every journalist putting themselves on the front lines.

This is not normal. In America, we don’t arrest journalists for telling the truth. pic.twitter.com/p9myKzuDeg
— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) January 30, 2026

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said the arrest demonstrated a “hostility to the First Amendment.”

This is nuts. This administration’s hostility to the First Amendment knows no bounds.https://t.co/sWw1fNDRYy
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) January 30, 2026

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., framed the arrest as part of a crackdown on dissent.

They're seizing ballots.
Raiding homes without warrants.
Gunning down protestors in the streets.
And now, arresting journalists.

They’re coming for our freedoms. America, stand up while you still can.
— Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock) January 30, 2026

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., claimed that authorities arrested Lemon for “covering a protest.”

The arrest of journalists for covering a protest is a grave attack on the first amendment and freedom of the press.

And proof the Trump Administration is not deescalating.

There will be accountability for these abuses of power. https://t.co/NcOGlHscxf
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) January 30, 2026

House Democrats Back Don Lemon

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called Lemon’s arrest a “disgraceful affront to the First Amendment and a corrupt weaponization of the criminal justice system.” He said that “there is zero basis to arrest Don Lemon, and he should be freed immediately.”

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, stated that “Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were taken into custody by federal agents for doing exactly what journalists are supposed to do: report the truth.”

“Let me be clear: this is not law enforcement,” she added. “This is censorship by an authoritarian government.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., also mentioned independent journalist Georgia Fort (who faces the same charges as Lemon) and called the arrests “a clear violation of the Constitution.”

The arrests of Don Lemon, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lundy are unacceptable and a clear violation of the Constitution.

This is a dangerous abuse of power that threatens the rights of every single American.

They must be released immediately.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) Jan