BREAKING: Federal Agents Arrest Don Lemon & Georgia Fort | democracyish LIVE
Fri Jan 30 2026
Today, federal agents arrested journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in connection with their coverage of a protest inside a church in St. Paul, Minnesota — reigniting a nationwide debate over press freedom and the First Amendment.
Lemon — a longtime national news anchor — and Fort — an independent journalist — were taken into federal custody after covering a demonstration that disrupted services at Cities Church, where protesters confronted a pastor alleged to be affiliated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Federal prosecutors have alleged violations related to the disturbance, but critics and civil rights advocates argue these arrests represent an unprecedented crackdown on journalists simply doing their jobs.
At the same time, federal agents executed a court-authorized raid on the Fulton County, Georgia Election Hub, seizing 2020 ballots and election records — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from election officials and democracy watchdogs alike.
In this podcast:
🔹 What reporters were doing at the church — and why the DOJ pursued arrests.
🔹 How this intersects with broader federal action on election materials.
🔹 Legal and constitutional implications for journalism and democratic norms.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Today, federal agents arrested journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in connection with their coverage of a protest inside a church in St. Paul, Minnesota — reigniting a nationwide debate over press freedom and the First Amendment. Lemon — a longtime national news anchor — and Fort — an independent journalist — were taken into federal custody after covering a demonstration that disrupted services at Cities Church, where protesters confronted a pastor alleged to be affiliated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Federal prosecutors have alleged violations related to the disturbance, but critics and civil rights advocates argue these arrests represent an unprecedented crackdown on journalists simply doing their jobs. At the same time, federal agents executed a court-authorized raid on the Fulton County, Georgia Election Hub, seizing 2020 ballots and election records — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from election officials and democracy watchdogs alike. In this podcast: 🔹 What reporters were doing at the church — and why the DOJ pursued arrests. 🔹 How this intersects with broader federal action on election materials. 🔹 Legal and constitutional implications for journalism and democratic norms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.