--- title: "Federal judge asked to drop charges against Don Lemon over St Paul church protest" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/federal-judge-asked-to-drop-charges-against-don-lemon-over-st-paul-church-protes" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/federal-judge-asked-to-drop-charges-against-don-lemon-over-st-paul-church-protes" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/federal-judge-asked-to-drop-charges-against-don-lemon-over-st-paul-church-protes.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/federal-judge-asked-to-drop-charges-against-don-lemon-over-st-paul-church-protes" category: "Media" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-08T16:47:00.241Z" source_reported: "2026-08-07T21:47:41.000Z" updated: "2026-08-08T16:47:00.241Z" trust_score: 68 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-08T18:00:14.425813+00:00" --- # Federal judge asked to drop charges against Don Lemon over St Paul church protest *Lemon’s lawyers argue the indictment stems from President Donald Trump’s animus toward the journalist* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 68 of 100, higher is better. Trust 68: includes named lawyer and specific arrest details, but lacks direct documents or official statements. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: explains significance, quotes lawyers, separates facts, provides dates and next steps clearly. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype 30: headline stresses Trump animus, but article remains measured and factual. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Don Lemon filed a motion on 7 August 2026 to dismiss federal charges tied to his presence at an anti-ICE protest in a St Paul church on 18 January 2026. - Lemon’s lawyers argue the indictment stems from President Donald Trump’s longstanding animus toward him and violates the First Amendment. - The charges allege Lemon violated the FACE Act, which prohibits intimidation or interference with religious practice, but Lemon maintains he was there as a journalist. - No right-rated outlet covered the story, according to the reports below. Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor, asked a federal judge to dismiss criminal civil-rights charges against him on 7 August 2026. The charges relate to his presence at an anti-ICE protest inside a St Paul, Minnesota church on 18 January 2026. Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on 29 January 2026 while covering the Grammy Awards, in connection with the earlier protest. The charges allege Lemon violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits intimidation or interference with individuals’ constitutional right to practice religion. Lemon has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers argue the indictment is motivated by President Donald Trump’s animus toward Lemon and violates the First Amendment. They claim the Justice Department acted on Trump’s hostility by filing charges against a journalist for reporting on the protest. Lemon’s legal team, led by attorney Abbe Lowell, wrote in the motion that the government’s case agent falsely claimed Lemon joined protesters by chanting and obstructing parishioners. Lemon has consistently stated he was present as a journalist covering the demonstration, which he livestreamed. The motion also describes the arrest as an effort to humiliate Lemon, noting federal agents arrested him at his Los Angeles hotel at midnight while he was covering the Grammy Awards. > The government should not be permitted to use criminal prosecutions to chill journalism disfavored by the President. > > — Don Lemon’s lawyers, as quoted by Variety ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran the story at all, according to the reports below. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned Lemon’s challenge to the constitutionality of the FACE Act, which the Minnesota Reformer’s digest highlighted as potentially having far-reaching consequences. Only Variety’s full report included Lemon’s statement that the Justice Department sought to "embarrass" and "instill fear" in him. ## Who covered it Shares of the 21 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 33% (7) - Centre: 67% (14) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 21 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-08T18:00:14.425813+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-08T18:45:19.488Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The seven left-rated digests and two full reports led on Lemon’s argument that the charges stem from Trump’s animus toward him. Variety and the Washington Post’s digests both highlighted the claim that the indictment is politically motivated. Variety’s full report quoted Lemon’s lawyers stating the Justice Department acted on Trump’s animus by filing "unprecedented charges against a journalist for doing his job." - Variety also quoted Lemon’s lawyers describing Trump’s attacks on Lemon as "well documented, stretching back over a decade." The outlet included Lemon’s statement that the Justice Department sought to "embarrass" and "instill fear" in him. The Minnesota Reformer’s digest noted Lemon’s challenge to the constitutionality of the FACE Act, framing it as potentially having "far-reaching consequences" for the law. ### Centre - The 14 centre-rated digests led on Lemon’s argument that the charges are a result of vindictive prosecution. KIFI’s full report, republished from CNN, quoted Lemon’s lawyers stating the charges violate the First Amendment and are motivated by Trump’s animus. The report described the charges as alleging Lemon was part of a "takeover-style attack" on the church, a phrase not used in the left-rated reports. - CBS News’s digest noted Trump’s animosity toward Lemon as "well documented," while UPI’s digest described the prosecution as "vindictive." The centre-rated digests uniformly carried the claim that the charges are politically motivated, but none included Lemon’s specific statements about the Justice Department’s intent to humiliate him or his challenge to the FACE Act’s constitutionality. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 11 - veryHigh: 9 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/08/07/don-lemon-challenges-constitutionality-of-face-act-in-legal-defense-of-church-protest-charges) — Don Lemon challenges constitutionality of FACE Act in legal defense of church protest charges - [MPR News](https://mprnews.org/story/2026/08/07/don-lemon-georgia-fort-seek-dismissal-of-charges-tied-to-st-paul-church-protest) — Don Lemon, Georgia Fort seek dismissal of charges tied to St. Paul church protest - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/07/don-lemon-alleges-vindictive-prosecution-cites-years-trumps-derisive-comments) — Don Lemon alleges vindictive prosecution, cites years of Trump’s derisive comments - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6016890-don-lemon-charges-motion-vindictive-prosecution) — Don Lemon asks judge to dismiss ‘vindictive’ charges tied to Minnesota church protest - [Star Tribune](https://startribune.com/don-lemon-dismiss-charges-church-protest/601876285) — Don Lemon claims free speech violations and vindictive prosecution in bid to toss charges - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/don-lemon-2677672072) — 'Decade' of Trump attacks recoil on Todd Blanche as Don Lemon case faces dismissal - [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/don-lemon-criminal-charges-minnesota-ice-protest-donald-trump-animus-1236829969) — Don Lemon Wants Criminal Charges Against Him Related to Minnesota ICE Protest Dropped, Citing Donald Trump’s Chronic ‘Animus’ Toward Journalist - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/us/don-lemon-moves-to-dismiss-criminal-civil-rights-charges) — Don Lemon Moves to Dismiss Criminal Civil Rights Charges - [KRDO](https://krdo.com/news/2026/08/07/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to-drop-criminal-case) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [KEYT](https://keyt.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/07/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to-drop-criminal-case) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [KESQ](https://kesq.com/news/national-politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/07/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to-drop-criminal-case) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/news/don-lemon-dismissal-criminal-civil-rights-charges-vindictive-prosecution) — Don Lemon seeks dismissal of criminal civil rights charges, claiming vindictive prosecution - [CNN](https://cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/don-lemon-target-trump-before-indictment-ask-drop-criminal-case) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [KIFI](https://localnews8.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/07/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to-drop-criminal-case) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [KVIA](https://kvia.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/07/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to-drop-criminal-case) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [KMIZ](https://abc17news.com/politics/national-politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/07/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to-drop-criminal-case) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [kioncentralcoast.com](https://kioncentralcoast.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/07/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to-drop-criminal-case) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [WAOW](https://waow.com/news/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to/article_05e27ae2-8ff6-57ee-80a0-9778b4fea01d.html) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [WKOW](https://wkow.com/news/national/don-lemon-tells-judge-he-was-a-target-of-trump-before-indictment-in-ask-to/article_fac896f3-5084-5af0-8ac7-b5ab162eed86.html) — Don Lemon tells judge he was a target of Trump before indictment in ask to drop criminal case - [UPI](https://upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/08/07/don-lemon-minnesota/1781786114433) — Don Lemon seeks dismissal of charges, claiming vindictive prosecution - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/07/don-lemon-seeks-dismissal-of-criminal-charges) — Don Lemon Seeks Dismissal of Criminal Charges ## Questions **What charges does Don Lemon face?** Don Lemon faces federal criminal civil-rights charges under the FACE Act, which prohibits intimidation or interference with religious practice. The charges relate to his presence at an anti-ICE protest inside a St Paul church on 18 January 2026. Lemon has pleaded not guilty and argues the charges violate the First Amendment. **Why does Don Lemon say the charges are politically motivated?** Don Lemon’s lawyers argue the indictment stems from President Donald Trump’s longstanding animus toward Lemon. They claim the Justice Department acted on Trump’s hostility by filing charges against a journalist for reporting on the protest, which they describe as an effort to chill journalism disfavored by the President. **Which outlets covered the story and which did not?** Seven left-rated outlets and 14 centre-rated outlets ran the story, according to the reports below. No right-rated outlet covered it. The left emphasised Lemon’s challenge to the FACE Act’s constitutionality, while the centre led on the claim of vindictive prosecution. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/federal-judge-asked-to-drop-charges-against-don-lemon-over-st-paul-church-protes. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Federal judge asked to drop charges against Don Lemon over St Paul church protest", https://mediabias.news/media/federal-judge-asked-to-drop-charges-against-don-lemon-over-st-paul-church-protes