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The news that former CNN anchor Don Lemon was taken into federal custody in Los Angeles this week is a seismic moment for anyone who believes the law should apply equally, regardless of celebrity status. Federal prosecutors say the arrest stems from Lemon’s presence and livestreaming during the January 18 disruption of a church service in St. Paul; the move follows a grand-jury indictment that revived the case after earlier procedural pushes by the Justice Department.
This episode did not come out of nowhere — the Justice Department first tried to use an emergency maneuver to force arrest warrants that a magistrate judge declined to sign, provoking a rare rebuke and a cautious appellate response. The appeals court declined to rubber-stamp the DOJ’s rush for immediate arrests, underlining that even in politically charged times the judiciary must follow proper steps and not be bullied by prosecutors.
Yet the rule of law is not optional merely because some in the establishment dislike the target; prosecutors pursued an indictment and federal agents executed arrests after the grand jury process, a reminder that organized, disruptive invasions of houses of worship will not be ignored. Local leaders who cheered on the chaos will have to answer for their part in normalizing mob tactics aimed at private citizens and congregations.
At the same time, President Trump’s decision to dispatch border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis underscores that the federal government will not abandon its mission to enforce immigration laws and protect public safety — even when the political class in blue cities objects. Homan’s arrival and the reassignment of other federal commanders came after a series of confrontations that left citizens and officers shaken; Americans deserve responsible, effective leadership in the face of rising lawlessness.
On Newsmax’s The Count, former Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek and former ICE agent Tim Miller reacted exactly as hardworking Americans would expect: with outrage at the church invasion, support for lawful enforcement, and skepticism toward those who excuse disorder when it suits their politics. Conservatives should be proud to stand with the men and women of law enforcement and with pastors who demand their sanctuaries remain places of worship, not political staging grounds.
This story is far from over, and the courts will sort the legal questions; but the bigger fight is cultural and moral. If we are to preserve our liberties — including the right to worship in peace and the right to a free press that does not cross into agitprop — then we must back officials who enforce the law fairly, reject double standards, and hold accountable those who weaponize protest into an excuse for chaos.
