Attorney General Pam Bondi laid out new details Monday about arrests tied to the storming of a Minnesota church by anti-ICE protesters — and she didn’t waste the opportunity to dismantle Don Lemon’s claim that his role in the chaos was somehow “journalism.”
Speaking on Hannity, Bondi blasted Lemon for defending what she called illegal conduct during the protest. She said under Lemon’s logic, anyone holding a camera would suddenly have permission to rush into a church and riot on a Sunday morning.
“That’s not how this country works,” Bondi said, making it clear the actions were illegal and would be prosecuted. She added that it doesn’t matter if someone is a “failed journalist with a camera in your hand” — breaking the law is still breaking the law. Shocking concept, apparently.
Bondi’s comments followed the arrest of two more people connected to the invasion of the St. Paul church, bringing the total number charged to nine. She said the individuals violated the FACE Act and will be held accountable, stressing, “You will not do this in our country.”
The incident happened Jan. 18, when anti-ICE demonstrators disrupted a church service to protest a pastor they accused of helping the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota. Bondi described the scene as an “attack-style” bombardment of a house of worship.
She detailed the chaos inside: children crying, parents blocked from reaching Sunday school, people slipping on ice while trying to escape, and one woman seriously injuring her arm and being taken to the hospital. Parishioners feared they were about to be shot.
Bondi said the group planned the disruption by meeting in a parking lot miles away and caravanning to the church for what she called an organized infiltration of a worship service. She also accused Lemon of physically blocking a parishioner from leaving the church.
According to the indictment, all nine defendants are charged with interfering with the freedom to worship under the FACE Act, which protects people’s right to worship freely.
Lemon has pushed back hard, claiming his presence was strictly an “act of journalism” and that he was simply covering the event. On Instagram, he lashed out at critics, insisting no one was going to stop him from reporting.
Bondi made it clear that excuses won’t erase what happened inside that church. Her message was simple: attacking a place of worship is not journalism, it’s a crime — and under this administration, it won’t be ignored. And in a country built on faith and freedom, protecting people at prayer is still something worth standing up for.
