Topline
President Donald Trump amplified calls for journalist Don Lemon to face punishment over his coverage of a Minnesota church protest, reposting a message on Truth Social suggesting prosecution under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act as the Justice Department said it would pursue charges related to the incident.
The president reposted a message urging prison time for ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon as the Justice Department weighs charges tied to a protest that disrupted services at a Minnesota church.
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Key Facts
Trump reposted a message from an account stating, “A small group of elderly ladies were protesting at an abortion clinic and were given 40 years in prison for violating the FACE Act. I would like to see the same kind of sentence of Don Lemon and the people that broke into the church and did that during services.”
This comes as calls increase for Lemon to face prosecution under the FACE Act, which prohibits interference with those seeking reproductive care or religious services.
On his YouTube channel, Lemon livestreamed from Minneapolis on Sunday as he followed anti-ICE protesters who entered the church.
Key Background
The Justice Department said it will pursue charges related to a protest that disputed services at a St. Paul, Minnesota, church on Sunday morning, with Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon singling out Lemon, a former CNN journalist, for his role in covering the event. She argued that journalism is not a “shield” from criminal liability and that Lemon knew what was taking place in the church. She did not confirm whether Lemon would face charges, but cited possible enforcement of the Enforcement Act of 1871, known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, which was passed during Reconstruction to prohibit states from discriminating against voters based on race, appearing to suggest it could be used on the grounds that he interfered with parishioners’ right to worship.
Crucial Quote
“If this much time and energy is going to be spent manufacturing outrage, it would be far better used investigating the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good — the very issue that brought people into the streets in the first place,” Lemon told NBC.
Tangent
It is not clear what abortion clinic incident the account Trump reposted was referring to, but some women in their 70s received sentences of two to nearly five years after being convicted of forcefully blocking the entry of a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic in a 2020 incident. Trump pardoned all of those convicted in the incident shortly after he took office for his second term.
