CNN Condemns Federal Arrest of Former CNN Anchor Don Lemon as Attack on Press Freedom
(FILES) US journalist Don Lemon attends the world premiere of HBO Documentary Films "Very Ralph" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on October 23, 2019 in New York City. The Trump administration said on January 30, 2026 that it had ordered the arrest of a prominent journalist over coverage of immigration protests in Minneapolis, as the president branded a nurse shot dead by federal agents in the city an "agitator." (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP)
By Theodore Bunker | Friday, 30 January 2026 11:38 AM EST
CNN condemned the federal arrest of former network anchor Don Lemon, calling it “profoundly concerning.” The outlet warned that it raises questions about press freedom and First Amendment protections.
In a statement Friday, CNN said: “The FBI’s arrest of our former CNN colleague Don Lemon raises profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment. The Department of Justice already failed twice to get an arrest warrant for Don and several other journalists in Minnesota, where a chief judge of the Minnesota federal district court found there was ‘no evidence’ that there was any criminal behavior involved in their work.”
The network stated: “The First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfold, ensuring they can report freely in the public interest, and the DOJ’s attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable. We will be following this case closely.”
Lemon, 59, was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles, where his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said he was covering the Grammys. It remains unclear what charge or charges Lemon and three others face in connection with a January 18 protest that disrupted services at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrests on social media, describing the incident as a “coordinated attack” on the church where an official from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as pastor.
Lemon has maintained he was present as a journalist during the event, not as an activist. Lowell said Lemon “has been a journalist for 30 years” and called the arrest an assault on constitutionally protected reporting.
