Don Lemon Talks About Arrest on Jimmy Kimmel, Claims DOJ Wanted to Him Embarrassed [WATCH]

Former CNN host Don Lemon publicly detailed his late-night arrest in Los Angeles during an interview Monday with ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, alleging the Justice Department under President Donald Trump deliberately orchestrated the arrest to embarrass and intimidate him, as reported by The New York Post.

Speaking on Kimmel’s program, Lemon described events leading up to his arrest late Thursday night, which stemmed from his alleged involvement in an anti-ICE protest that disrupted Sunday services at a Minnesota church.

Lemon said his attorney, Abbe Lowell, had previously contacted the Justice Department to discuss arranging a voluntary surrender, as senior DOJ officials were openly discussing potential charges.

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According to Lemon, Lowell “never heard back.”

Lemon said he had spent the evening attending pre-Grammy events in Los Angeles and only encountered federal agents after returning to his hotel.

“I press the elevator button and then all of a sudden, I feel myself being jostled and people trying to grab me and put me in handcuffs,” Lemon said.

“And I said, ‘What are you doing here?’ They said, ‘We came to arrest you.’ I said, ‘Who are you?’ And then they, like, finally identify themselves.”

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Lemon told Kimmel that he demanded to see a warrant, but the agents who initially detained him did not have one. He said they had to wait for an FBI agent outside to display the warrant on a cellphone.

“It had to be maybe a dozen people, which is a waste, Jimmy, of resources,” Lemon said.

“Because I had told them weeks before, maybe once or twice… that I could just go in and they didn’t have to be — the folks that were just working there that day, and they didn’t have to have all of these people following me around.”

“It’s more than just a waste of resources,” Kimmel replied.

“You’re right about more than just a waste of resources,” Lemon responded. “They want that. They want to embarrass you. They want to intimidate you. They want to instill fear, and so that’s why they did it that way.”

LAST NIGHT : Don Lemon on Jimmy Kimmel, opening up about his arrest: ‘They want to embarrass you. They want to instill fear. That’s why they did it that way.’ Powerful words on the public spectacle of it all. pic.twitter.com/9V6NCuswUN

— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) February 3, 2026

Lemon was arrested and charged on Friday with conspiracy to deprive rights and violation of the FACE Act. The charges are tied to an anti-ICE protest that disrupted services at a Minnesota church.

Lemon went viral last month for livestreaming left-wing agitators as they stormed St. Paul’s Cities Church during Sunday services. Lemon has maintained he was present in a journalistic capacity, not as a protester.

WATCH: Jimmy Kimmel sets up Don Lemon with the now-standard media strategy- pretend the conspiracy doesn’t exist and no one saw parking lot video, fall back on “I’m just a journalist.”

JIMMY KIMMEL: And on January 18th- is that correct? You were covering a protest —

DON LEMON:… pic.twitter.com/dT91NLUsEa

— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) February 3, 2026

However, according to the indictment, the Justice Department alleges Lemon coordinated with protest organizers before they arrived at the church.

Outside the courthouse following his arrest, Lemon addressed reporters and defended his actions.

“I’ve spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now,” Lemon said.

“There is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those accountable. And I will not stop now. I will not stop ever.

“Last night, the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night for something that I’ve been doing for the last 30 years. And that is covering the news. The First Amendment of the Constitution protects that work for me and for countless other journalists who do what I do. I stand with all of them, and I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day in court.”

A federal magistrate judge previously rejected the Justice Department’s initial attempt to bring charges against Lemon, prompting prosecutors to seek an indictment from a Minnesota grand jury.

Prior to his arrest, Lemon publicly dared the Trump administration to turn him “into the new Jimmy Kimmel.”

Kimmel, a longtime Trump critic, was briefly suspended by ABC last year following remarks about the alleged killer of Charlie Kirk that drew scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission.

Lemon has since drawn support from liberal activists critical of the Trump administration.

Lemon’s next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 9 in Minneapolis.

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