Pastor blasts woke prosecutor for refusing to charge Don Lemon, comrades over church invasion
St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao — a warrior against what she calls "structural racism" — announced this week that she won't bother bringing state charges against those radicals who stormed into Cities Church in January.
Kao's apparent tolerance for militant leftist agitation has left the church's lead pastor, Rev. Jonathan Parnell, and others wondering whether the woke prosecutor's purported "commitment to protect religious people includes evangelical Christians."
A mostly peaceful church invasion?
Don Lemon — the former CNN talking head who suggested in October that "black people, brown people" should take up arms against Immigration and Customs Enforcement — apparently joined radicals from Racial Justice Network, Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and BLM Twin Cities for a so-called "ICE Out Action" in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18.
'The law will bend for those whose cause aligns with the politics of those in power.'
Rather than interfere with federal law enforcement operations, this motley crew of leftists stormed into Cities Church, doing their apparent best to drown out sounds of Sunday worship.
Nekima Levy Armstrong, founder of the Racial Justice Network and former president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, claimed responsibility for the disruption and indicated that Cities Church was targeted because "David Easterwood is a Pastor at this church and the Acting Field Director for the ICE office in St. Paul."
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The radicals refused requests from church officials to leave the premises and instead hectored churchgoers and screamed in the aisles and pews.
The Trump Justice Department took the matter seriously, securing indictments against all 39 individuals suspected of disrupting the church service, including Lemon, Armstrong, and Jamael Lydell Lundy — a radical who previously worked for Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum; has served as the right-hand man for Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County’s Soros-backed prosecutor; and is married to St. Paul City Councilwoman Anika Bowie.
Whereas the DOJ appears keen on holding the suspected church invaders accountable for federal civil rights violations, Irene Kao is evidently of a different mind.
Decision, backlash
Kao, the leftist daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, announced this week that her office will not bring state-level criminal charges against Don Lemon and his comrades.
"Our office has a legal and ethical obligation to file charges only when the available evidence establishes probable cause and supports a reasonable likelihood of conviction beyond a reasonable doubt," Kao said in a statement.
"Following a careful evaluation of the video footage, investigative reports, and other available materials, prosecutors determined that the current evidence is insufficient to meet that standard for criminal charges under Minnesota state statutes," continued the woke prosecutor.
After noting that her decision should not be read as an endorsement of illegal behavior, Kao wrote, "The right to peacefully protest is protected, as is the right to exercise one’s religious beliefs."
"Balancing these equally important rights is paramount to our decision today," continued the leftist prosecutor.
Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for Truth North Legal and representative for Cities Church, said, "The St. Paul city attorney’s decision treats the church like it's a public sidewalk — as if the sanctuary were an open forum that anyone may seize mid-service, rather than private property where a congregation has the right to worship undisturbed."
"By wrongly characterizing the invasion and takeover of a worship service as First Amendment-protected conduct, the city attorney’s office sends an unmistakable signal: The law will bend for those whose cause aligns with the politics of those in power," added Wardlow.
Rev. Jonathan Parnell said in a statement, "According to the St. Paul city attorney’s logic, it is perfectly fine for agitators to invade a mosque, a cathedral, or a temple, intimidate the families and children inside, and shut down their religious gathering. Just call it a 'protest.'"
The Cities Church pastor noted further that "City Attorney Irene Kao’s decision not to charge the agitators who invaded our church on January 18, 2026, leaves us to question whether her commitment to protect religious people includes evangelical Christians."
In addition to facing criticism for setting a dangerous precedent, Kao has been questioned over her possible self-interest in the case.
After all, Jamael Lydell Lundy, one of the radicals whom Kao let off the hook, is married to a member of city council — the very council that confirms the mayor's city attorney appointments.
KSTP-TV has doggedly — but so far unsuccessfully — pressed the offices of Kao and Democratic Mayor Kaohly Her about whether the case should have been handled externally to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
David Schultz, professor of political science and legal studies at Hamline University, told KSTP that Kao's handling of Lundy's case creates the "possible appearance of a conflict of interest."
"Send it outside City Hall, not even move it to a different attorney in City Hall, but to basically hire an outside firm, review the file, and make their own independent decision regarding whether or not to prosecute or not," said Schultz. "That way it would clearly have addressed any of the concerns about the appearance of conflict of interest, and again, assured the public that there was no favoritism going on here."
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President Don Lemon? Former CNN anchor says he’s open if ‘the right opportunity’ comes
Don Lemon is in the headlines again — this time for floating the idea of running for president. On the March 29 episode of the “Pod Save America” podcast with former MSNBC host Alex Wagner, the former CNN anchor admitted that he’s open to running if the right opportunity presents itself.
BlazeTV host Pat Gray played and reacted to the clip on a recent episode of “Pat Gray Unleashed.”
Wagner asked Lemon if he was considering running for office. After a tangent about how he’s disadvantaged because he’s “not a white man” so the “rules are different” for him, Lemon said that he was open to the idea.
“Do I ever think about it? Yes. Could it happen? Yeah, it could happen if the opportunity presented itself — the right opportunity presented itself. ... I think I could be president of the United States. I could definitely run this country better than Donald Trump,” he said.
“A towel roll could. You would be a marked improvement,” Wagner replied.
“As an independent though, there would be a hard time for me to run for anything because, you know, the way the system is set up. I'd have to choose a side. And so, you know, I probably would have to become a Democrat,” Lemon added.
“You know what else I think that I could run better than most people? ... A news organization because I was there. I've been in the game for so long, and I'm not interested in being, you know, the anchor out front. I could come in and fix the bulk of their problems and lickety-split in no time flat,” he continued, noting that he’s currently “building his own channel.”
Pat says the only thing Don Lemon could run well is “maybe a gay bar.”
“What do you want to bet there'll be over five people there watching?” he asks, referencing Lemon’s new channel.
Between Meryl Streep’s warning to women about the dangers of the SAVE Act and Lemon’s presidential aspirations, Pat “[loves] what’s happening with the left.”
“They’re all so brilliant,” he laughs sarcastically.
To see Lemon’s clip and hear more of Pat’s commentary, watch the video above.
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WATCH: Liberals are completely losing their minds
BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales didn’t previously have high hopes for liberals like Don Lemon, Nancy Pelosi, or Leslie Jones — but recent comments the three have made have set her expectations even lower.
“The other thing that the internet is really good for are videos of liberal losers,” Gonzales says before playing a clip of Lemon “hinting at a potential run for president.”
“I think I could be president of the United States,” Lemon said. “I could definitely run this country better than Donald Trump.”
“As an independent, though, there would be a hard time for me to run for anything because, you know, the way the system is set up, I’d have to choose a side. And so, you know, I probably would have to become a Democrat,” Lemon concluded.
Gonzales is amused.
“He would have to become a Democrat. That is hilarious. ... This criminal, whose only accomplishment is terrorizing churchgoers, thinks for one second that he could be president,” she says.
And Pelosi’s comments weren’t much better.
“We always have concerns, but with this president and these Republicans who have no commitment to the rule of law and doing things the appropriate way, we’re ready. We have to be on guard as to what they may try to do to the technology,” Pelosi said in an interview on MS NOW.
“They may try to creep into the technology and create a false count,” she added.
“Oh, interesting, because back in my day, if you even mentioned that voting machines could be hacked, you would be sued into oblivion. So, it’s a very interesting turn of events to hear Nancy Pelosi admit that that was possible,” Gonzales comments, before turning her attention to former SNL cast member Leslie Jones.
“She, in all her brilliance, decided that marriage is slavery,” she says, playing a clip of Jones on Ziwe’s podcast.
“I think marriage is legalized slavery,” Jones stated.
“If he’s expecting you to be a trad wife, he might as well pull out a whip and a chain,” she continued.
Jones went on to advise the young audience not to get married.
“Obviously, trad wives, the trade-off is that their husbands are out working, and they get to stay home. It’s actually a total blessing. Women love that if they are in a position where they are able to do that,” Gonzales comments.
“But I’m not even convinced that Leslie Jones is a woman after hearing her speak. So, maybe that’s why she doesn’t quite get it,” she adds.
'Outstanding': Harmeet Dhillon brings down the hammer on remainder of Minnesota church-storming suspects
Weeks after Don Lemon and dozens more agitators allegedly stormed a church service in Minnesota, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon made a much-anticipated announcement.
On Wednesday, Dhillon announced that all 39 individuals suspected of disrupting the church service had been arrested as of Monday, adding an intriguing detail about a couple of the arrests.
'Outstanding work by DOJ. You don't get to terrorize churchgoers in America.'
"As of Monday, all 39 individuals indicted in the attack on Cities Church in MN had been arrested, two of them while abroad," Dhillon wrote on X.
"We @CivilRights look forward to bringing justice to the victims of this attack and demonstrating our commitment to justice for all!" she continued.
RELATED: Don Lemon enters plea following January arrest in connection with Minnesota church disruption
Activists stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18.
Apparently among them was ex-CNN talking head Don Lemon, who previously pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to violate someone's constitutional rights and violating the FACE Act.
Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) praised the DOJ's persistence in this case: "Outstanding work by DOJ. You don't get to terrorize churchgoers in America."
Likewise, BlazeTV host Auron MacIntyre lauded the arrests, noting how easily the case could have disappeared in the news cycle.
"I appreciate the follow-through on this. Many people predicted that the administration would do nothing and with all of the other news it would have been easy to let this quietly drop out of the cycle. But they didn't, they charged them all," MacIntyre said.
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Pam Bondi drops hammer on 30 more anti-ICE agitators accused of storming Minnesota church
The Department of Justice unsealed an indictment on Friday charging 30 more people who allegedly stormed Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, last month.
The arrests are related to an incident that occurred on January 18, when anti-immigration enforcement protesters entered the church, disrupting its Sunday service and intimidating the attendees.
'The First Amendment does not give anyone — regardless of profession, prominence, or politics — license to storm a church.'
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that she instructed federal agents to apprehend 25 of the newly indicted individuals, vowing that more arrests would follow.
"YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you," Bondi wrote in a post on social media. "This Department of Justice STANDS for Christians and all Americans of faith."
FBI Director Kash Patel revealed additional details about the indictment, stating that the individuals had been charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, commonly known as the FACE Act.
RELATED: Anti-ICE radical who took credit for the invasion of Minnesota church ARRESTED by feds
Patel explained that the FBI had carried out a joint operation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations to arrest the suspects. He also noted that there would be additional arrests.
"This makes 39 indictments in the Cities Church case total so far, including the arrest of Don Lemon and multiple alleged leaders of the riot last month," Patel stated. "Let it be known: This FBI will never tolerate anyone who targets, intimidates, or attacks Americans peacefully exercising their right to worship freely."
Lemon was arrested on January 29 and released the following day. He pleaded not guilty to violations of the FACE Act and conspiracy to violate another's constitutional rights. The other original eight defendants in the case also pleaded not guilty.
True North Legal, the law firm representing Cities Church, responded to the superseding indictment and additional arrests in a Friday statement.
"The indictment of 30 additional people for their involvement in the invasion of Cities Church sends a clear message: Houses of worship are off limits for those who would use chaos and intimidation to advance a political agenda," Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for True North Legal, stated. "The invasion of Cities Church was a planned, coordinated effort to disrupt a worship service and interfere with religious exercise that placed congregants, including children, in fear for their lives. The First Amendment does not give anyone — regardless of profession, prominence, or politics — license to storm a church and intimidate, threaten, and terrorize families and children worshipping inside."
"Cities Church is grateful for the Department of Justice's continued commitment to enforcing federal law to protect churches and other places of worship. The Department's aggressive prosecution of this case affirms a foundational principle: In the United States, the sanctuary remains a sanctuary," Wardlow added.
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Don Lemon enters plea following January arrest in connection with Minnesota church disruption
After former CNN anchor Don Lemon allegedly joined a group of protesters who stormed a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a service last month, he finally appeared for his arraignment on Friday.
The incident allegedly involving Lemon and several other protesters occurred on January 18. Lemon was arrested on January 29 and released the following day, according to a CNN report.
Lemon is charged with conspiring to violate someone's constitutional rights and violating the FACE Act.
Lemon, as expected, pleaded not guilty to the two charges brought against him. Lemon is charged with conspiring to violate someone's constitutional rights and violating the FACE Act.
Lemon has reportedly hired former Minnesota federal prosecutor Joseph H. Thompson to represent him.
RELATED: Don Lemon ARRESTED over apparent involvement in church invasion; Jim Acosta whines
Upon his release from custody late last month, Lemon said, "I have spent my entire career covering the news — I will not stop now. In fact, 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 in power accountable."
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