Don Lemon Says Feds Wanted To 'Embarrass And Intimidate' Him With High-Profile Arrest

Don Lemon believes federal authorities arrested him in late January in an effort to “embarrass and intimidate” him.

The former CNN journalist was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles after reporting on an anti-ICE protest that took place at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18.

He was released without bond after one day behind bars, following a federal judge’s denial of the warrants sought against him.

Lemon later addressed the arrest during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” where he said he believes the operation was specifically designed to shame him publicly.

While welcoming Lemon for the interview on his ABC show, Jimmy Kimmel joked that the veteran news anchor had been arrested for “committing journalism.”

Lemon went on to revisit the events that led up to his arrest, starting with the day he went to cover a protest at a church in St. Paul.

He told Kimmel that there were many elements of the active case he could not discuss, but insisted there was a clear difference between his presence at the church and that of the protesters.

“I do believe there’s a difference between a protester and a journalist,” Lemon said. “I went there to be a journalist… to chronicle, document, and record what was happening.”

Lemon also expressed a firm opinion on the motive behind his arrest, telling Kimmel’s audience that he believed the goal was to embarrass him publicly and intimidate him from doing his job.

Recounting how the arrest unfolded, Lemon said there were roughly a dozen FBI officers present.

He lamented this show of force as “a waste of resources,” but explained his belief that it was a deliberate tactic designed to drive fear into him.

“It’s more than just a waste of resources,” Lemon said. “They want that. They want to embarrass you. They want to intimidate you. They want to instill fear.”

Despite the dramatic nature of events, Lemon said he remained unaware that he was being arrested until he actually saw confirmation on CNN.

“I had a little bit of an idea when I asked to use the restroom,” he said. “They open the door to the room where the agents are housed and there’s CNN on a monitor. And on the thing I could see, ‘former CNN anchor Don Lemon arrested in Los Angeles.’”

The Emmy-winning journalist claimed that his legal team had pre-emptively reached out to the Department of Justice and offered to turn himself in.

Lemon explained. “[We told them] that I could just go in,” Lemon said. “It would have to be the folks who were just working there that day, and they wouldn’t have to have all these people following me around.”

Lemon said the arresting officers ambushed him at the Los Angeles hotel where he was staying while preparing to cover the Grammy Awards.

One of the things that Lemon emphasized during his interview on “Jimmy Kimmel” was that he would not allow his would-be tormentors to “steal his joy.”

Accordingly, the journalist attended the ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena, where he was photographed on the red carpet alongside his husband, Timothy Malone, per ABC News.

Following his release from custody, Lemon also addressed reporters outside the courthouse.

“I’ve spent my entire career covering the news,” he said. “I will not stop now.”

Ahead of his red-carpet appearance at the Grammys, Lemon attended a pre-event party hosted by veteran producer and record executive Clive Davis.

According to Page Six, Davis acknowledged Lemon over the microphone following the media personality’s release from jail.

Those in attendance subsequently gave Lemon a standing ovation, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly telling him that he had become “the face of the First Amendment.”

Pelosi and Lemon are also said to have briefly discussed the state of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections in 2026.