Don Lemon Ready To Fight ‘Vigorously And Thoroughly’ Over Proposed Trump DOJ Charges
By Danielle Jennings on January 22, 2026 at 8:45 PM EST
Don Lemon is not backing down and ready to tackle any legal ramifications that may come his way following threats from the Trump administration’s Department of Justice.
The former CNN anchor turned thriving independent journalist is firing back after he was issued a warning from the DOJ that potential charges would be filed against him for reporting from an anti-ICE protest in a Minnesota church.
Don Lemon Issued A Statement On Possible Charges Being Filed Against Him
Per PEOPLE, Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, issued a statement on his behalf responding to the DOJ saying that the journalist was put “on notice” by the DOJ, which he then shared on social media, noting that he is ready to "fight any charges vigorously and thoroughly in court."
"The magistrate's reported actions confirm the nature of Don's First Amendment protected work this weekend in Minnesota as a reporter," the statement read, per the outlet.
"It was no different than what he has done for more than 30 years, reporting and covering newsworthy events on the ground and engaging in constitutionally protected activity as a journalist," Lowell, who was previously an attorney for Hunter Biden, continued.
"Should the Department of Justice continue with a stunning and troubling effort to silence and punish a journalist for doing his job, Don will call out their latest attack on the rule of law and fight any charges vigorously and thoroughly in court," she added.
Initial Efforts To File Charges Against Lemon Were Declined
On Thursday, January 22, a federal magistrate judge in Minnesota declined to sign a complaint charging Lemon for participating in the protest at a local church in St. Paul on January 18, according to CNN.
A source told the outlet that Attorney General Pam Bondi, who initially issued the warning to Lemon of forthcoming charges, was “enraged at the magistrate judge’s decision.” Bondi is said to have been meeting with federal prosecutors in Minnesota for several days on the matter.
Although the initial efforts to bring charges against Lemon were unsuccessful, the outlet noted that the DOJ could attempt to charge him again.
Don Lemon Previously Addressed His Involvement In The Protest
On Monday, January 19, one day after the protest, Lemon issued a statement to Fox News Digital regarding Bondi’s threats to charge him and standing by his on-the-ground reporting.
Lemon pointed out that his presence garnered the bulk of the attention and not why the protest actually occurred, saying it’s "notable that I’ve been cast as the face of a protest I was covering as a journalist — especially since I wasn’t the only reporter there. That framing is telling."
"What’s even more telling is the barrage of violent threats, along with homophobic and racist slurs, directed at me online by MAGA supporters and amplified by parts of the right-wing press," the journalist continued.
Lemon also used his statement to speak about the heartbreaking death of Renee Nicole Good by Minnesota ICE agents.
"If this much time and energy is going to be spent manufacturing outrage, it would be far better used investigating the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good — the very issue that brought people into the streets in the first place, I stand by my reporting," he said.
Lemon Has Favored On-The-Ground Reporting Since Going Independent
Since creating his daily YouTube news program, “The Don Lemon Show” a year ago, Lemon has amassed over a million subscribers who tune in twice a day to hear his perspectives on daily headlines, tune in for his man on the street interviews, and absorb his on-the-ground reporting — which is what he was doing during the anti-ICE protest.
In a 2025 interview, Lemon shared his decision to step away from traditional media following his exit from CNN after 17 years back in 2023.
“I decided that I wanted to reach the audience no matter where that audience was,” he told TheGrio. “And that audience now happens to be on social media… YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook. And so I decided that I was going to find that audience, meet them, speak to them, listen to them.”
“People doubted me,” Lemon told the outlet. “And I said, ‘I am not gonna be buried nor killed. I’m gonna do what I wanna do. This is not my last chapter.’ And I believe I have many more chapters in me.”
“I am tasked with telling the truth because what I do is protected by the First Amendment,” he said.
‘The Don Lemon Show’ Has Been Recognized For Its Reporting
Earlier this month, “The Don Lemon Show” received four NAACP Image Award nominations at the event that will be held on February 26.
Lemon and the show were nominated for Outstanding News Information (Series or Special), Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special), Outstanding Podcast - News and Information and Outstanding Podcast - Society and Culture.
