Marjorie Taylor Greene defends arrest of Don Lemon on civil rights charges: 'That's activism'

Media

Marjorie Taylor Greene defends arrest of Don Lemon on civil rights charges: 'That's activism'

Former congresswoman argues Lemon violated federal law protecting religious exercise during anti-ICE protest coverage at Minnesota church

Stephanie Samsel Fox News

Published

January 31, 2026 4:01am EST

Video

Marjorie Taylor Greene defends Don Lemon's arrest to Bill Maher panel

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene justified former CNN host Don Lemon's arrest on Friday after he joined anti-ICE agitators in a Minnesota church.

NEW

You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene defended the arrest of former CNN host Don Lemon Friday in connection to his coverage of an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service.

"I don’t think that’s journalism. That’s not [the] First Amendment," Greene said of Lemon’s involvement Friday on "Real Time with Bill Maher."

On Friday, federal agents arrested Lemon and charged him with civil rights crimes, including conspiracy to deprive civil rights and interfering with religious freedom.

Lemon livestreamed left-wing agitators who stormed St. Paul's Cities Church on Jan. 18 under the suspicion that its pastor had collaborated with ICE.

MIKE DAVIS: DON LEMON AND HIS CHURCH-STORMING MOB MUST FACE KU KLUX KLAN, FACE ACT CHARGES

Don Lemon speaks to the media after a hearing at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles on Jan. 30, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Greene appeared to be the sole defender of Lemon’s arrest on HBO’s late-night panel.

"It’s not good to arrest [Lemon]," Maher said.

The former congresswoman pushed back on Maher’s argument, citing the federal law that protects religious exercise at places of worship.

DON LEMON WARNS TRUMP WILL 'RETROFIT' LAWS TO PROSECUTE HIM AFTER JUDGE REJECTS CHARGES

"Well, I’m going to say he violated the FACE Act," Greene countered. "He went into a church, disrupted their worship and then later in an interview compared them to White supremacists."

"That’s not journalism," Greene asserted. "That’s activism."

"But does it warrant getting arrested?" Maher asked.

Greene went on to argue Lemon joined "activists" in "harassing people" in the middle of church, provoking children to cry.

DON LEMON RELEASED FROM CUSTODY AFTER LA COURT APPEARANCE

Anti-agitators inside a Minneapolis church

Anti-ICE agitators targeted the Cities Church in St. Paul on Sunday, shouting down churchgoers in the middle of services. Cities Church pastor Jonathan Parnell condemned the agitators in a statement on Tuesday. (Facebook/DawokeFarmer2)

Meanwhile, Greene’s fellow panelist and MS NOW co-host Joe Scarborough took no fault with Lemon being "aggressive" in his reporting.

"I think there has to be sort of a differentiation between if somebody’s going in there and saying, ‘I’m not with them, can I ask you some questions?’"

DON LEMON TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN LIVESTREAMING PROTEST AT MINNESOTA CHURCH

"Because you’re going to have embeds in war, you’re going to have embeds in protests," Scarborough continued.

He went on to claim Lemon’s arrest was intended by the Trump administration to "scare" other journalists.

Don Lemon remained defiant after a federal magistrate judge on Thursday rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to bring charges against him. (The Don Lemon Show/screengrab)

On Jan. 19, Lemon offered his team’s explanation for how he became "the face" of anti-ICE protests in Minnesota.

"My producers said, ‘Don, you're a gay, Black man in America. And you have a platform, and you’re the biggest name,’" Lemon said on Jennifer Welch’s "I’ve Had It" podcast.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

He went on to blast "racist, bigoted homophobes" for singling him out after covering the protest in Cities Church.

"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 like Nicki Minaj, by the way," Lemon added.

The former CNN host was released without bond and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Minneapolis on Feb. 9.

Stephanie Samsel is a digital production assistant at Fox News Digital. She has previously written for Campus Reform and the Media Research Center, covering political bias in education and entertainment. Follow her on X @StephSamsel.

Marjorie Taylor Greene defends arrest of Don Lemon on civil rights charges: 'That's activism'