Marjorie Taylor Greene defends arrest of Don Lemon following Minnesota church protest: ‘That’s not journalism’

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has sparked controversy by defending the arrest of former CNN host Don Lemon in connection to his coverage of an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service. Greene appeared on “Real Time with Bill Maher” where she criticized Lemon’s involvement in the incident, stating that it was not journalism and did not fall under the protection of the First Amendment.

Federal agents arrested Lemon on charges of civil rights crimes, including conspiracy to deprive civil rights and interfering with religious freedom. The incident occurred when Lemon livestreamed left-wing agitators who stormed St. Paul’s Cities Church on suspicion that its pastor had collaborated with ICE. Greene stood alone in defending Lemon’s arrest on the late-night panel, citing the federal law that protects religious exercise at places of worship.

During the discussion on Maher’s show, Greene argued that Lemon violated the FACE Act by disrupting the worship at the church and later comparing the attendees to White supremacists. She emphasized that Lemon’s actions were activist in nature rather than journalism. Despite Maher’s question about whether Lemon’s actions warranted arrest, Greene maintained her stance.

Greene further criticized Lemon for harassing people in the church, particularly children, causing distress during the service. However, fellow panelist Joe Scarborough of MSNBC defended Lemon’s aggressive reporting style, suggesting that there should be a differentiation between asking questions respectfully and being confrontational.

Scarborough also speculated that Lemon’s arrest was a tactic by the Trump administration to intimidate other journalists. Lemon, on the other hand, explained on a podcast that he believed he was targeted by racist and bigoted individuals due to his identity as a gay, Black man with a platform. He condemned the actions of those who singled him out and emphasized the importance of standing up against such discrimination.

Following his arrest, Lemon was released without bond and is set to appear in federal court in Minneapolis on February 9. The incident has sparked a debate on the boundaries of journalism, freedom of the press, and the role of reporters in covering sensitive topics.