Don Lemon baits Pam Bondi: ‘Make me the new Jimmy Kimmel’ after charges fall apart
After a judge tossed prosecutors’ attempt to charge Don Lemon over a livestreamed protest inside a St. Paul church, the veteran broadcaster doubled down on his reporting and dared critics to “make me the new Jimmy Kimmel.”
Don Lemon taunted Attorney General Pam Bondi after a judge dismissed efforts to bring charges stemming from an anti-immigration enforcement protest in Minnesota. The flashpoint came Sunday at Cities Church in St. Paul, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official serves as a pastor.
Lemon—working independently since his 2023 exit from CNN—was livestreaming an interview with a protest participant before the group entered the church. He followed as demonstrators chanted “ICE out” and accused a pastor of collaborating with the agency.
In an Instagram update Thursday after the ruling, Lemon said the case isn’t finished, but vowed to keep reporting.
“This is not a victory lap for me, because it’s not over. They’re gonna try again,” he told followers. “Guess what, here I am. Keep trying, that’s not gonna stop me from being a journalist. You’re not gonna diminish my voice. Go ahead, make me into the new Jimmy Kimmel, if you want.”
The Independent reported it contacted the Department of Justice for comment.
Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the judge’s action affirms that Lemon’s newsgathering is protected by the First Amendment.
Lemon’s Kimmel quip nods to recent controversies around political speech and entertainment. The late-night host drew headlines last year amid a reported suspension and subsequent return of his show following a backlash over a joke referencing the Trump administration—episodes that catalyzed a surge of public support for Kimmel.
Authorities continue to pursue others linked to the church protest. Bondi said on social media that three people were arrested Thursday in connection with the incident, underscoring her office’s focus on religious spaces.
“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” the Attorney General wrote on X.
Prominent local activist and attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, a former Minneapolis NAACP leader, defended the demonstration prior to her arrest.
“You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and inflicted fear in our communities,” she told the Associated Press. “When officials protect armed agents, repeatedly refuse meaningful investigation into killings like Renée Good’s, and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice — it is intimidation.”
The church action followed a wave of anti-ICE protests across Minnesota sparked by the fatal January 7 shooting of 37-year-old mother Renée Good by an ICE agent. President Donald Trump and members of his administration have defended the agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, saying his life was in danger and that Good “weaponized” her vehicle against him. Some Democratic lawmakers and advocates have called the killing “murder” and urged prosecution.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has echoed criticism of ICE tactics in the state, urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and said he does not support interrupting religious services.
The legal back-and-forth around Lemon highlights a mounting tension at the intersection of journalism, activism, and real-time platforms. Livestreams have become a frontline tool for documenting protests—and a frequent source of legal scrutiny when reporters embed with participants and follow events as they unfold inside sensitive venues. Thursday’s ruling suggests a high bar for charging journalists whose coverage overlaps with demonstrations, while leaving open the possibility of further attempts by prosecutors to test the limits of protected newsgathering.
For Lemon, the episode is another marker of his post-CNN trajectory and his reliance on direct-to-audience channels like Instagram Live. Whether additional charges are pursued or not, the case is likely to fuel broader debates about press freedoms, the role of social platforms in covering contentious civic moments, and the boundaries of protest inside houses of worship.
