Staff Reports
On January 18, 2026 a livestreamed episode of left-wing activism turned into a full-blown disruption of a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, when anti-ICE protesters streamed into Cities Church and worshippers were forced to leave. Footage shows Don Lemon interviewing participants and then following the group as they entered the sanctuary, leaving parishioners visibly shaken and police standing by outside. This was not a spontaneous act of reporting — it was a deliberate provocation dressed up as journalism.
The Trump Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division immediately flagged the incident and said it is investigating potential violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances statute, signaling that federal authorities are taking the desecration of houses of worship seriously. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon publicly noted the inquiry, and the DOJ’s involvement makes clear this is not merely a social-media pile-on. Conservatives have been arguing for years that religious liberty deserves real enforcement; this investigation is a step in that direction.
Americans on the right reacted the way decent people should: outraged. Influencers and grassroots activists called for accountability, saying that anyone who leads or amplifies a mob into a church should face consequences, and social media erupted with demands that the DOJ “do its job.” This isn’t partisan grandstanding so much as a public insistence that law and order apply equally to activists and celebrities.
Let’s be clear about the law: the FACE Act makes it a federal crime to use force, threats, or obstruction to interfere with religious worship, and the Justice Department has the authority to investigate and pursue charges where the facts support it. An investigation is not a conviction, but neither should it be dismissed as political theater when videos show clear interference with a service. If the evidence supports prosecution, federal law provides a pathway to hold wrongdoers to account.
Don Lemon’s presence at the scene undercuts his self-styled “journalist” defense; the footage undermines the claim that this was detached reporting rather than active participation in a disruptive stunt. Conservatives have long argued that the mainstream media’s elite class treats objectivity as optional when it serves a narrative, and this episode looks like another example of that dangerous double standard. The public has a right to expect reporters to observe the news, not become the story by leading an intrusion on worship.
This particular episode also reminds Americans that Lemon’s public record is not spotless — he was dismissed from CNN amid controversy and criticism over his conduct, making his sudden role as an on-the-ground agitator even more troubling to many. Journalists who have burned bridges with their audiences should not be surprised when scrutiny follows their actions outside the safety of cable studios. Accountability applies to personalities as much as it does to ordinary citizens.
If the Trump DOJ follows the facts rather than politics, this investigation can be a welcome restoration of equal application of the law — protecting the sanctity of worship and deterring performative mob tactics. Conservatives aren’t calling for censorship; we are demanding that laws meant to protect churches be enforced against anyone who violates them, regardless of their platform or political connections. That’s how a free society preserves both religion and peaceful protest.
Finally, let this moment be a warning to the media class: you cannot hide behind a press badge while leading mobs into sanctuaries and expect to be immune from legal consequences. The American people are tired of two systems of justice — one for elite activists and another for everyone else — and they deserve to see the law applied fairly. If the evidence warrants prosecution, the DOJ should proceed without fear or favor; if not, the public deserves a straightforward explanation.
