Harris Defends Lemon—Hypocrisy Alarm Blares

A woman passionately delivering a speech at an outdoor rally

Kamala Harris is now defending Don Lemon — the same journalist who once grilled her on live TV — and her “accountability” speech is raising serious questions about her credibility.

Story Snapshot

Harris publicly condemned the Trump administration’s arrest of journalist Don Lemon, calling it a violation of rights and freedoms.
The irony is hard to miss — Lemon once pressed Harris on camera about whether she would use the Justice Department to prosecute Trump.
Federal agents arrested Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort after they covered an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest inside a Minnesota church in January 2026.
The Trump administration charged both journalists with federal civil rights crimes, claiming they took part in a “coordinated takeover-style attack” on a church service.

Harris Speaks Out — But the Irony Is Glaring

Former Vice President Kamala Harris posted a sharp rebuke on social media after federal agents arrested journalist Don Lemon. “Today, Donald Trump and his administration are once again infringing upon our rights and liberties,” Harris wrote. “Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were performing their obligation to the American populace by reporting and informing, and they have been apprehended for it.” She called the arrest “yet another violation of our rights and freedoms.” ^[2]

The irony here is thick. Back in 2019, it was Don Lemon himself who put Harris on the spot during a Democratic primary debate. He asked her directly why it was acceptable for her to push the Justice Department to charge Trump, while criticizing Trump for doing the same thing with the department. Harris stumbled through an answer, insisting she would “never direct” the Justice Department — even though she had just said it would have “no choice” but to prosecute Trump. ^[1] Now she is wrapping herself in the language of rights and accountability, and many conservatives are not buying it.

What Actually Happened at the Church

On January 18, 2026, protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, to disrupt a service. An ICE official held a pastoral role at the church. Lemon and Fort were present, and both say they were there only to report on the protest. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests personally, writing on social media: “At my instruction, federal agents arrested Don Lemon” and others “in relation to the coordinated disruption” at the church. ^[10] A federal grand jury then indicted Lemon and Fort on two civil rights charges — conspiracy against freedom of religion and interfering with the exercise of religion at a place of worship. ^[12]

The government’s legal theory is unusual. The charges stem from a law originally written to protect reproductive health clinics. It bans the use of force or threats to block people from accessing those places — and the Trump administration applied it to a church. The administration says it is protecting the First Amendment rights of worshippers. Lemon and Fort say they were simply reporters doing their jobs. ^[11] Both were released from custody after their arrest.

Courts Push Back, Legal Fight Continues

The case hit a wall early on. A magistrate judge rejected the federal government’s initial push to arrest Lemon before the grand jury indictment came through. Then a federal appeals court — including two judges appointed by Trump himself — rejected the Justice Department’s emergency bid to detain Lemon and the church demonstrators. ^[17] That is a notable legal setback, and it signals that even some Trump-appointed judges are not convinced the government’s theory holds up.

Not sure if Don Lemon was aware he said to Kamala Harris, “I’m sitting here with the…First Black woman President.”

Completely understandable Don was overwhelmed interviewing Kamala and emotional towards the end of the interview. pic.twitter.com/f4UJPnbcTR

— Anne Smith (@AnneS4Justice) June 19, 2026

Press freedom groups are alarmed. The Freedom of the Press Foundation documented at least 32 cases of journalists detained by law enforcement while reporting in 2025 alone. Nearly 90 percent of those cases happened at protests, most of them tied to ICE enforcement actions. ^[19] Legal experts argue that simply being present at a protest while reporting is not a crime. The law is clear that police need probable cause to believe a journalist personally broke the law — not just that they were nearby when others did. ^[24] The case against Lemon is still moving through the courts, and the outcome will likely set a significant precedent for press freedom going forward.