Trump Amplifies Demands for Don Lemon's Imprisonment Following Church Protest Livestream
Former President Donald Trump has cosigned a controversial call for former CNN anchor Don Lemon to face 40 years in prison for livestreaming an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota. The 79-year-old took to his Truth Social platform to reshare an error-ridden post from an account named 'MoniFunGirl' that demanded the severe sentence.
Confused Social Media Reference and Trump's History with the FACE Act
The original poster pointed to an unspecified instance where, they claimed, a "small group of elderly ladies were protesting at an abortion clinic and were given 40 years in prison for violating the FACE Act." While the exact incident referenced remains unclear, Trump last year pardoned several anti-abortion activists convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. This legislation prohibits interference with individuals seeking reproductive care or religious services.
In a notable 2020 case, multiple women in their 70s received sentences ranging from two to nearly five years after being convicted of forcefully blocking the entrance to a Washington, DC abortion clinic. The social media user later acknowledged they meant "months" and not "years," but Trump reposted the message without any clarifying comment.
Justice Department Threatens Prosecution and Cites Historic Legislation
The protest itself occurred on Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Lemon, 59, livestreamed as anti-ICE demonstrators stormed a Cities Church. The Justice Department has stated it will pursue charges against all participants, with Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon specifically singling out the former journalist.
"Well, look, we have a presumption of innocence in this country, so I want to preserve my ethical duties here," Dhillon told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. "But let me just say that, you know, he's a journalist - he was a journalist, I don't know he is now, but journalism is not a badge or a shield that protects you from criminal consequences when you are part of a crime. And I think the videos show how close he was to these folks."
Dhillon suggested prosecutors might employ the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, a Reconstruction-era law originally passed to combat intimidation tactics during elections and restore federal authority. She argued it could apply on grounds that Lemon interfered with parishioners' right to worship. In a subsequent post on X, Dhillon wrote that Lemon is "on notice" and during an interview told him to "lawyer up."
Lemon's Response and the Political Context
Lemon, who was pushed out of CNN in 2023 after making a controversial remark about women, has addressed the growing backlash. Speaking to podcaster Jennifer Welch, he suggested he is being deliberately targeted.
"I was on with my producers this morning... My producers were saying, I said, 'How did I become the face of this?', and my producers said Don, you're a gay, black man in America," Lemon stated. "And you have a platform, and you're the biggest name. Of course you're going to be the person that they single out, and they're gonna make the headline because it plays to their base, and their base is full of racist, bigoted homophobes."
Lemon maintains his participation was protected by the First Amendment as journalistic activity. His husband, Tim Malone, declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail. Notably, one of the pastors at the affected church leads the local field office for ICE, adding another layer to the incident's context. Trump pardoned all those convicted in the 2020 abortion clinic case after taking office early last year, drawing a direct line between these separate applications of the FACE Act.
