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I imagine a lot of folks this morning have seen the news: my friend and Wednesday co-host, independent journalist Don Lemon, was arrested by the Trump administration. Let me be blunt—this is a blatant, disturbing abuse of power. Donald Trump is targeting one of the most prominent, fastest-growing independent voices speaking out against what he’s doing in this country.
Why? Because Don was covering a protest at a church in Minnesota. Protesters went inside, Don reported on it—live. He interviewed people on both sides. He was there as a journalist. That’s it. And yet, for the past two weeks, the Trump administration has been trying to pin the whole protest on him, even though he had nothing to do with planning it. He was observing, reporting, and documenting. Don was exercising his rights under the First Amendment. That coverage constitutes protected journalism carried out through lawful newsgathering.
Let’s be clear: the right-wing media machine is celebrating Don’s arrest. They’re blaming him for something he didn’t do. But the real reason Trump’s DOJ went after Don Lemon? Because he’s effective. He’s cutting through the noise. He’s holding them accountable—not just in Minnesota, but across the board: economic justice, corruption, immigration, all of it.
Don has built a platform that matters. Over a million subscribers on YouTube alone. His Substack? Killer. His socials? Relentless. And I’ve been lucky to have him as a friend as I’ve started my own journey into this space. Don’s a good dude. He’s sharp, funny, warm, honest—and that’s why they’re targeting him. They want to make an example out of him. This isn’t about lawbreaking. It’s about silencing critics. It’s about sending a message to people like Don, to people like me, to people like you: if you speak up, they’ll come for you.
It’s no different from how ICE has been brutalizing peaceful protesters in Minneapolis. Just last night, Trump went after Alex Pretti again—a man who was murdered by ICE agents in broad daylight. Executed in the street for the world to see, for being an “agitator.”
And where are all the so-called “free speech absolutists”? The ones always yelling about the First Amendment? Silent. Where are the “Second Amendment defenders” now that Trump’s gone after a man who legally owned a gun, didn’t brandish it, didn’t fire it, and still ended up dead at the hands of his own government? Silent. The hypocrisy is staggering. These people don’t care about your rights. They care about power—and using that power to crush anyone who refuses to be complicit.
This administration has consistently reshaped the law to benefit its own corruption, and we are witnessing it in real time. Over and over again. That’s what this is. It’s not about the law. It’s about raw, vengeful, authoritarian power. Trump has gutted the federal government of anyone who might stand up to him, anyone who might say, “this is wrong.” And that’s why we’re sliding—fast—into fascism. This is what authoritarianism looks like.
Even now, Republicans are scrambling on immigration, supposedly their strongest issue. The murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good have rocked that narrative. But don’t kid yourself—this will get worse before it gets better. The more Trump tears down the guardrails, the more brazen the abuse will get. The more he replaces competent public servants with sycophants, the more dangerous things become—for everyone.
They’ve been trying to arrest Don Lemon for two weeks. Judges have already said this case has no merit. They can’t prove he did anything wrong—because he didn’t. But that doesn’t stop them. It’s the same playbook they used against James Comey, against Letitia James, against anyone they think has slighted them or stands in their way. It’s all about intimidation, distraction, and wasting your taxpayer dollars in the process.
Meanwhile, federal agencies are being pulled off real threats—terrorists, traffickers, violent criminals—to chase down journalists. To silence critics. To serve Trump’s ego. That’s not justice. That’s not safety. That’s not America.
So what do we do? We don’t go quiet. We get louder. We show up. We speak out. We make our corner of the world better, however we can. Because—yeah, I know I’m a broken record—it’s a million small acts of resistance that beat this guy. Some you’ll hear about, most you won’t. But they all matter.
So find your fight. Use your voice. And when Don walks free—and I believe that’ll happen soon—we make sure they regret coming after him. We make sure his voice is louder, his platform bigger, and his resistance stronger than ever.
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