Don Lemon railed against his arrest and “federal, criminal charges” in his first interview since his release.
The famed journalist appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Monday and shared how he was doing since he was arrested after reporting from an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota last month.
“I don’t know … I’m OK but I’m not going to let them steal my joy, but this is very serious; these are federal, criminal charges,” Lemon, 59, told host Jimmy Kimmel.
The comedian joked that Lemon has “not [been] a favorite” of President Trump since he was on CNN.
“You’re not on his Top 10 list,” Kimmel, 58, quipped.
The TV host asked Lemon if there was a difference between a protester and a “credentialed journalist” going into the church during the protest.
“What I will say is that I’m not a protester,” Lemon replied. “I went there to be a journalist. I went there to chronicle and document and record what was happening.
“I was following that one group around. … But I do think there is a difference between a protestor and a journalist,” he added.
Lemon then shared what occurred when he was arrested at a hotel by federal agents after attending the 2026 Recording Academy Honors in LA last Thursday.
“All of a sudden, I feel myself being jostled and … people trying to grab me and put me in handcuffs,” he recalled, noting that there were a “dozen” agents that came to arrest him.
However, he called the incident “a waste of resources” because he had offered to turn himself in.
“They want to embarrass you, they want to intimidate you, they want to instill fear,” the former WBRC news anchor said. “And so that’s why they did it that way.”
After his arrest, he was placed in a holding cell for about 12 hours during which he was allegedly refused his “one phone call.”
Luckily, Lemon was able to leave voicemails to his attorney and his husband, Tim Malone, by using his Apple Watch.
As Page Six previously reported, Lemon was charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and violation of the FACE Act — interfering by force of someone’s First Amendment rights — during an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn., on Jan. 18.
The former CNN anchor’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, vowed in a statement via Instagram that “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable,” the lawyer added.
The following day, Lemon was released from jail and spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now,” he said.
“The First Amendment of the Constitution protects me and countless other journalists who do what I do. I stand with all of them, and I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day in court,” he added.
Page Six exclusively reported that Lemon received a standing ovation when he attended Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala last Saturday.
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