CBS’s Stephen Colbert did not adequately do his pre-show research on Thursday. During his monologue, The Late Show host hyped Italian politicians demanding ICE “thugs” not be let into the country for security purposes during the Olympics. However, Colbert did not mention the politician using the “thug” label is basically a communist. Later, Colbert would welcome MS NOW’s Jacob Soboroff to continue lamenting all things immigration enforcement. Amid booing from the audience, Colbert began his Olympic lament by reporting, “It’s time for ICE to get out of there and go to Milan. Because it was just announced that the U.S. will send ICE agents to the Winter Olympics. No! Yes, I agree with all that noise. That's a terrible idea. The only ice I want to see at the Olympics is ice dancing.”   Stephen Colbert celebrates certain clueless Italian politicians not knowing ICE does more than deportations, "It’s time for ICE to get out of there and go to Milan. Because it was just announced that the U.S. will send ICE Agents to the Winter Olympics...Technically, DHS is… pic.twitter.com/cJMUvEvbSy — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) January 30, 2026   However, Colbert was forced to concede that ICE does more than deportations, “Technically, DHS is sending a division of ICE Called Homeland Security Investigations. Allegedly, these agents will be there in what they're calling ‘a security role with no patrolling or enforcement.’" Additionally, ICE has done this at previous Olympics, but Colbert still did not care, “In response to the ICE plan, Italian lawmakers have demanded that their government deny Trump's ‘thugs’ entry to Italy. Well, I'm not surprised. Good for you. Good for you, Italia. I’m not surprised at all. This is America's greatest insult to Italy since Olive Garden's steak gorgonzola Alfredo. Olive Garden. When you're here, the word ‘Sirloin’ has an asterisk. As The Daily Beast article Colbert cited says, the man who called ICE “thugs” is Nicola Fratoianni. However, neither Colbert nor The Daily Beast reported that he is the secretary for Italian Left, a party that merged with the communist party in 2017. Fratoianni himself joined the Communist Refoundation Party in 1992 after the fall of the Soviet Union and his wife was the former national spokeswoman for Young Communists. Earlier this year, Colbert himself had nice things to say about the Soviet Union. Later, Colbert asked Soboroff, “We've heard a lot this week about some talk of de-escalation and changing of—some changing of leadership policy there. What's the reality on the ground? What were things like this week?” Soboroff, who somehow is able to get away with calling himself a journalist, lamented, “The first thing everyone needs to understand is when they say they are going after the worst of the worst, they are doing anything but and frankly it's depraved when I have seen, not just in Minneapolis but in Los Angeles, in Charlotte, in Chicago, in the hallway of 26 Federal Plaza here in New York City.”   Later, MS NOW's Jacob Soboroff laments "These are people who want to come here for a better life and you've got people like Greg Bovino going around in military costumes throwing tear gas canisters at people, taking little kids who just want to go to school and sending them to… pic.twitter.com/kLDXsO84Yf — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) January 30, 2026   He also lamented, “These are people who want to come here for a better life and you've got people like Greg Bovino going around in military costumes throwing tear gas canisters at people, taking little kids who just want to go to school and sending them to detention centers in Texas. It's awful, quite frankly, but I will say the people in the streets are what has given me extraordinary hope and that's what kicked Greg Bovino out of Minneapolis.” Colbert then wondered, “You wrote a best-selling book about his family separation policy, and I'm just curious, now compare Trump's immigration policy now to Trump 1. What is different? What's the same? How is it amplified?” Despite just attacking the administration for sending a 5-year old to Texas with his father, Soboroff claimed, “I would call it a supersized version of the family separation policy. Mass deportation is family separation by another name. It's not family separation at the border.” Soboroff also huffed, “This program that they’re doing now is modeled after a 1954 program that deported a million Mexicans and some Americans and now they are not just deporting, they’re killing immigrants and American citizens like Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, and that's why we have to be in the cities. That's why I continue to go there and why we continue to spotlight this and why I think, as I said again, it's so extraordinary to watch the American people pushback on this.” The casual way in which Soboroff declared “they’re killing” people as if there was no context to the situations is why clueless Italian politicians are demanding ICE not be allowed to do what they’ve always done at previous Olympics. Here is a transcript for the January 29 show: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 1/29/2026 11:41 PM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: It’s time for ICE to get out of there and go to Milan. Because it was just announced that the U.S. will send ICE agents to the Winter Olympics. No! Yes, I agree with all that noise. That's a terrible idea. The only ice I want to see at the Olympics is ice dancing. Two hotties twirling on skates to an instrumental version of "Me Espresso." Are they married? Are they siblings? I don't care. Strap those high tight butts in some sparkly leotards and make 'em spin for our pleasure! Technically, DHS is sending a division of ICE Called Homeland Security Investigations. Allegedly, these agents will be there in what they're calling "a security role with no patrolling or enforcement." Of course American ICE won't be doing enforcement in Milan. That's a job for Milan ice or, as they say in Italian, "Gelato." I know, granita. No letters, I know it’s granita. In response to the ICE plan, Italian lawmakers have demanded that their government deny Trump's “thugs” entry to Italy. Well, I'm not surprised. Good for you. Good for you, Italia. I’m not surprised at all. This is America's greatest insult to Italy since Olive Garden's steak gorgonzola Alfredo. Olive Garden. When you're here, the word "Sirloin" has an asterisk. … COLBERT: We've heard a lot this week about some talk of de-escalation and changing of—some changing of leadership policy there. What's the reality on the ground? What were things like this week? JACOB SOBOROFF: The first thing everyone needs to understand is when they say they are going after the worst of the worst, they are doing anything but and frankly it's depraved when I have seen, not just in Minneapolis but in Los Angeles, in Charlotte, in Chicago, in the hallway of 26 Federal Plaza here in New York City.  These are people who want to come here for a better life and you've got people like Greg Bovino going around in military costumes throwing tear gas canisters at people, taking little kids who just want to go to school and sending them to detention centers in Texas. It's awful, quite frankly, but I will say the people in the streets are what has given me extraordinary hope and that's what kicked Greg Bovino out of Minneapolis. COLBERT: The people’s response. The first time we ever spoke-- it actually had to do with your covering of immigration closely during the first Trump administration and you wrote a best-selling book about his family separation policy, and I'm just curious, now compare Trump's immigration policy now to Trump 1. What is different? What's the same? How is it amplified? SOBOROFF: I would call it a supersized version of the family separation policy. Mass deportation is family separation by another name. It's not family separation at the border. COLBERT: And family separation itself is one of the most shameful things I can imagine from the first administration. SOBOROFF: The Republican-appointed judge who stopped the policy called one of the most shameful chapters in the history of our country and Stephen Miller, you know, they separated 5,500 children deliberately from their parents then. He wanted to do 25,000. This program that they’re doing now is modeled after a 1954 program that deported a million Mexicans and some Americans and now they are not just deporting, they’re killing immigrants and American citizens like Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, and that's why we have to be in the cities. That's why I continue to go there and why we continue to spotlight this and why I think, as I said again, it's so extraordinary to watch the American people pushback on this.

POLL: What was the worst media quote of the week? (Vote below)   POLL: The Worst Media Quote of the Week, presented by @DavidBozell Olbermann: Alex Pretti was murdered by ICE as a warning to not thwart Trump dictatorship Colbert: ICE led to the darkness by Trump, at least Nazis showed their faces Bruce Springsteen’s anti-Trump ballad pic.twitter.com/jpD3CPgsPD — Media Research Center (@theMRC) January 30, 2026   NOMINEES:    Keith Olbermann: Alex Pretti Was “Murdered” By ICE “Terrorists” as a Warning to Not Thwart “Trump Dictatorship” “The Trump dictatorship and its terrorists, the paramilitary organization, the ‘Proud ICE Boys’ death squad, they murdered Alex Pretti, as a warning. That this is what they will continue to do if local leaders, like Minnesota’s governor, do not stop thwarting the Trump dictatorship….Support Trump or we will, well we will keep shooting your residents. Comply or your people will die.”— Former MSNBC/ESPN host Keith Olbermann on his Countdown podcast, January 26.    Stephen Colbert: ICE Agents “Led to the Darkness” By Trump, At Least Nazis Showed “Their Faces” Host Stephen Colbert: “The only way they [ICE agents] could ever be considered in any way victims is that they are, at best, weak-minded individuals, full of anger, who have been led to the darkness by Donald Trump and are now participating in an evil system that will stick to them like hot black tar for the rest of their lives.”...Clip of Greg Bovino: “Look, Dana, they’re trying to portray Border Patrol agents and ICE agents as Gestapo, Nazi, and many other words.”Colbert: “Yes, do not compare ICE or Border Patrol agents to the Nazis. That’s an unfair comparison. The Nazis were willing to show their faces.”— CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, January 26.   Bruce Springsteen’s Anti-Trump Ballad    Through the winter’s ice and cold Down Nicollet Avenue A city aflame fought fire and ice ‘Neath an occupier’s boots King Trump’s private army from the DHS Guns belted to their coats Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law Or so their story goes ... Now they say they’re here to uphold the law But they trample on our rights If your skin is black or brown my friend You can be questioned or deported on sight— Lyrics to Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets Of Minneapolis,” released on January 28.     Sponsored by James P. Jimirro  

It was a righteous bust when former CNN anchor and far-left pundit Don Lemon was arrested early Friday morning, conservative commentator and Constitutional Scholar Mark Levin explains, commenting on the news of Lemon’s arrest. “Don Lemon was part of an organized mob that stormed into a church service and prevented the parishioners from practicing their faith,” Levin wrote in a X.com post after Lemon was arrested by federal authorities in connection with his role in the disruption of a church service. As NewsBusters explains: “According to multiple reports and a statement from his attorney Abbe Lowell, former CNN anchor and far-left pundit Don Lemon was arrested late Thursday night in Los Angeles by federal authorities for his role in the January 18 storming of a St. Paul area church by an organized mob of far-left rioters under the guise of protesting the January 7 death of Renee Good and an alleged pastor’s role with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). “According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Lemon was one of four new arrests in connection to this incident, bringing the total to seven.” “He can claim he was merely reporting but he was not. Even if he was, he still intentionally joined in the disruption of the church service,” Levin notes. “And he obviously knew beforehand what was going to take place.” “Lemon was not targeted.  He was doing the targeting,” Levin writes, dismissing media claims that the extremist liberal is the victim of political persecution. “Congratulations to Pam Bondi and her team and POTUS for having the guts to pursue this. It’s very important.”

On Friday, it was reported that Don Lemon was arrested for his part in the invasion of a St. Paul, MN church. The notoriously leftist Lemon (he’s a multiple winner of MRC’s Worst Quote of the Year) was so biased that he actually got fired from CNN.  For a look at the worst of Lemon’s time at CNN see here.  Since Lemon was canned from his CNN show, he has continued his horrible ways as podcaster.  The following are just some of the worst outbursts from his post-CNN career:  [LANGUAGE WARNING] Don Lemon After Invading Church: That Type of Christianity Comes from White Supremacy   Don Lemon After Invading Church: That Type of Christianity Comes from White Supremacy— Former CNN anchor Don Lemon on the I’ve Had It podcast, January 19, 2026. pic.twitter.com/Y2YdmKakPF — Geoffrey Dickens (@GCDickens) January 29, 2026   “There is a certain degree of racism there and there’s a certain degree of entitlement. I think people who are, you know, in the religious groups like that, it’s not the type of Christianity that I practice, but I think that they’re entitled and that — that entitlement comes from a supremacy, a white supremacy…It’s religious freedom, but only if you’re a Christian and only if you’re a white male.”— Former CNN anchor Don Lemon on the I’ve Had It podcast, January 19, 2026.   Don Lemon to ICE Agents: F**k Off, You Dumb Jack-Booted Nazis!    Don Lemon has a MELTDOWN and attacks ICE: "You are fat f*ck losers who just crawled out of a trailer park from some Proud Boy meeting... You are thugs, jack-booted thugs." This is psychotic. pic.twitter.com/FMBXIUN1pN — MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) January 30, 2026   “F**k off, ICE! F**k all the way off! You are low-life losers. And you feel empowered by your dear leader, Donald Trump….You are treating people in an inhumane way and you don’t even understand why because you’re too dumb to figure it out. You are the poorly educated that Donald Trump loves….You’re out there doing his bidding, doing things that are illegal, doing things that are unconstitutional, doing things that are inhumane, like killing someone….You are fat fuck losers who just crawled out of a trailer park from some Proud Boy meeting….You are thugs, jack-booted thugs….You stupid, dumb, ignorant, poorly educated, Proud Boys, Nazis marching through.” — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon on The Don Lemon Show podcast, January 9, 2026.   Can’t Excuse Kirk’s “Behavior,” Most of Political Violence Is Done by Right-Wingers    Don Lemon says he can't forgive Charlie Kirk and his "behavior," claims most political violence comes from Conservatives: "No one is excusing Charlie Kirk’s behavior and what he’s done and what he stands for... a lot of that political violence comes from the right..." pic.twitter.com/wV62L8bcld — MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) January 30, 2026   “I want Charlie Kirk to be okay. But, no one is excusing Charlie Kirk’s behavior and what he’s done and what he stands for. And, a lot of that political violence, if not most of it — it happens on both sides of the aisle—but a lot of that political violence comes from the right….The MAGA right can say what they want, but most of the political violence, especially the shootings, have been done….by young, white men who are usually right-wingers, and some of them far right-wingers.”  — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon on The Don Lemon Show podcast, September 10, 2025.   Lemon Defends His Fellow “Fascism” Fighters Against Racists Like Megyn Kelly and Trump   Don Lemon Defends His Fellow “Fascism” Fighters Against Racists Like Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump— The Don Lemon Show podcast, April 17, 2025. pic.twitter.com/YAHGW11NbI — Geoffrey Dickens (@GCDickens) January 30, 2026   “She [Joy Reid] was a strong opposition to the fascism that she, as a smart woman, saw coming. It made people uncomfortable, it made the media bosses uncomfortable, and they said, ‘you gotta get rid of her.’...Tiffany Cross, who used to call Megyn Kelly out for what she was, a racist, bigoted you-know-what. And instead, what happened? She got fired because someone said, ‘you gotta get rid of that because we don’t want you saying that about someone like that.’...Megyn Kelly, as offensive as she is, they’re comfortable with her. Number one, because of what she looks like, she’s a blonde white lady. She’s racist, she spouts racist things, she says things that they think and they would not dare say for themselves. Same thing with Donald Trump.”— Former CNN host Don Lemon on The Don Lemon Show podcast, April 17, 2025.   Don Lemon: “Hatred and Bigotry” Is What Makes the “MAGA Wheel Spin”   Don Lemon says "hatred and bigotry" drive Trump supporters: "The racism. The bigotry. The anti-Semitism. The transphobia. The homophobia... That’s the thing that makes the MAGA wheel spin." pic.twitter.com/NF9TJ2pxUr — MRC Video (@mrcvideo) January 30, 2026   “There’s a reason that there’s so much hate going around. There’s a reason that there’s so much anti-Semitism and so much racism going around….You can place it at the feet of one person [Donald Trump] who didn’t start this but certainly exacerbates it and foments hate and bigotry…. The racism. The bigotry. The anti-Semitism. The transphobia. The homophobia. It certainly does happen on one side more than the other….That’s the thing that makes the MAGA wheel spin. That’s the motor. That’s the axle. Is hatred and bigotry.”— Former CNN anchor Don Lemon discussing the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor’s mansion as aired on his podcast The Don Lemon Show podcast, April 14, 2025.   Don Lemon: You Cannot “Be Black” and Be “MAGA”    Don Lemon says you can't be black and support Donald Trump: “I see a black MAGA person who is carrying Donald Trump’s water, and they know that he’s lying..." pic.twitter.com/phR49eVm2T — Media Research Center (@theMRC) January 30, 2026   Former CNN anchor Don Lemon: “I see a black MAGA person who is carrying Donald Trump’s water and they know that he’s lying, it is the shortest line to the front….If you become a black MAGA person, it’s like, ‘Whoa, let’s book this person. Let’s put him on television. Let’s promote!’”Host Bill Maher: “So you don’t think you can be a sincere black MAGA person?”...Lemon: “I don’t think that you can be a rational MAGA — be black and be a rational MAGA person. I think you can be black and be a Republican.”Maher: “I think they would find that very insulting.” Lemon: “Well, I mean, the truth is often insulting.”— Club Random with Bill Maher podcast, March 16, 2025.   Mocking MAGA Voters: “You’re So Fucking Stupid!”   Don Lemon Mocking MAGA Voters: “You’re So F**king Stupid!”— Don Lemon on his YouTube channel, December 27, 2024. pic.twitter.com/LtuGVUcVAD — Geoffrey Dickens (@GCDickens) January 30, 2026   “Just as if you try to get rid of the migrants and some of the folks who come here, quite honestly illegally, then you can’t —  then folks, in the farming industry, in the service industries  and in any other industries they won’t be able to do their jobs. Some farmers say without these workers they have about two days that they can run their farms and then after that it’s over! Oh my gosh, I love this! Now you’re finding out, you dumb fucking idiots! Now you’re just figuring this shit out! You’re so fucking stupid, and you deserve it! You fucking deserve it because you’re so dumb….Yes. I am gloating over your stupidity and how you were taken.….You have been co-opted because you’re in a fucking cult and you don’t even realize it because you have stupid MAGA brain, and you don’t get it. How stupid and dumb are you?”— Former CNN host Don Lemon on his YouTube channel, December 27, 2024.   We Should All “Lower the Temperature,” Now Let Me Raise It On “Hitler” Trump   Don Lemon says he wants to lower the temperature on political rhetoric... but then immediately smears Donald Trump as an insurrectionist wanting to overthrow elections. pic.twitter.com/rrgBreXxZ1 — MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) January 30, 2026   “We should all be trying to lower the temperature….but for Donald Trump and his folks to say — and J.D. Vance — to say that it’s Democrats who are causing this….He’s [Trump] called everyone who works in this building the ‘enemy of the people.’...If Donald Trump wants people, wants Kamala Harris and others to say — to stop saying that he is a threat to democracy, then he should stop threatening democracy. Perhaps he shouldn’t be overturning, trying to overturn elections, overthrow the government and inciting insurrections.”— Former CNN host Don Lemon on CNN’s Erin Burnett Outfront, September 16, 2024.   As If Lemon’s “Corporate Overlords” Stifled His Leftism at CNN?    Don Lemon claims he doesn't have to worry about his "corporate overlords" at CNN and that he can "stand up for democracy." — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon on his official YouTube channel, July 28, 2024. pic.twitter.com/FeBL9nxML6 — Geoffrey Dickens (@GCDickens) January 30, 2026   “I’m happy to be in an independent space where I don’t have to worry about the corporate overlords now, where I can stand up for democracy, where I can say who I’m supporting. And I’m on the side of democracy, and I’m on the side of people who are going to — someone who’s gonna help our people. I’m not on the side of Project 2025, I’m not gonna pretend to put these two campaigns on equal footing.” — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon on his official YouTube channel, July 28, 2024.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stern warning Friday, after federal law enforcement arrested four individuals – including former CNN host Don Lemon – in connection with the disruption of a church service. “Make no mistake: under President Trump’s leadership and this administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely,” AG Bondi says in a two-sentence, 16-second, video posted on social media. “And, if I haven’t been clear already, if you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you,” Bondi added. Earlier in the morning, Bondi reported the arrests, promising to provide “more details soon”: “At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.” The assault on the church on January 18 was perpetrated by an organized mob of rioters, as NewsBusters explained: “According to multiple reports and a statement from his attorney Abbe Lowell, former CNN anchor and far-left pundit Don Lemon was arrested late Thursday night in Los Angeles by federal authorities for his role in the January 18 storming of a St. Paul area church by an organized mob of far-left rioters under the guise of protesting the January 7 death of Renee Good and an alleged pastor’s role with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). “According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Lemon was one of four new arrests in connection to this incident, bringing the total to seven.”   pic.twitter.com/moL7xr4jZJ — Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 30, 2026  

Friday’s CBS Mornings was the only broadcast network to mention on a flagship morning newscast the breaking story of former CNN host-turned-far-left internet charlatan Don Lemon being arrested by the Justice Department for depriving a St. Paul, Minnesota congregation of its First Amendment rights on January 18 as part of an anti-Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) mob. That said, however, they were shaken by the development. ‘CBS Mornings’ opened the 8am hour with the arrest of Don Lemon and co-host Gayle King wondering “what in the world is happening here” and “you heard that correctly.” Correspondent Lilia Luciano said “this is a concern that people have” with charges being filed while exercising… pic.twitter.com/19jdP6UHfw — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 30, 2026 Co-host and Democrat donor Gayle King sounded exasperated in announcing, even stating out loud “you heard that correctly” in case someone thought it was a joke. She then tossed to correspondent Lilia Luciano with a sense of disgust in wondering “what in the world is happening here”: We’re gonna start this hour with breaking news from Los Angeles where journalist Don Lemon was arrested overnight in connection with an incident during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. You heard that correctly. Don Lemon was arrested last night. Lilia Luciano is there with the story. Lilia, good morning. What in the world is happening here? Luciano dutifully concurred with this: “Look, this is a concern that people have. People have been talking here about the First Amendment.” She followed with details about Lemon’s arrest and what it’s in connection to, which she said was “in connection to activities of protest that happened” even though Lemon “said he was there in the capacity of a journalist”: I received a tip this morning early in the morning by someone, a source familiar with the arrest, confirming that Don Lemon overnight was arrested in Los Angeles. He was in Los Angeles for the Grammy’s, as you know, are happening on Sunday. And, this, as you said, is in connection to activities of protest that happened in St. Paul on January 20 [sic]. Here’s what we know. That day, demonstrators entered the church during a service after learning an ICE official was one of the pastors of that church. Don Lemon was at the church that day and interviewed the pastor. He said he was there in the capacity of a journalist. She concluded by acknowledging the Justice Department had been seeking charges for weeks by “accusing [the mob] of interfering with churchgoers’ constitutionally protected right to worship, but then a magistrate judge refused to sign the warrant for Lemon, citing a lack of probable cause.” She later added: “Now, multiple sources tell CBS News that Lemon was, in fact, overnight — arrested overnight. We, of course, have reached out to his representatives and also to the Department of Justice to confirm exactly what these charges are. We are going to continue reporting on this[.]” With more time to prepare and spin, we’ll see how the Friday network newscasts rush to Lemon’s defense and whether the rights of the churchgoers is actually given the light of day. To see the relevant transcript from January 30, click “expand.” CBS Mornings January 30, 2026 8:02 a.m. Eastern [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; Journalist Don Lemon Arrested After Church Protest] GAYLE KING: We’re gonna start this hour with breaking news from Los Angeles where journalist Don Lemon was arrested overnight in connection with an incident during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. You heard that correctly. Don Lemon was arrested last night. Lilia Luciano is there with the story. Lilia, good morning. What in the world is happening here? LILIA LUCIANO: Good morning, Gayle. Look, this is a concern that people have. People have been talking here about the First Amendment. I received a tip this morning early in the morning by someone, a source familiar with the arrest, confirming that Don Lemon overnight was arrested in Los Angeles. He was in Los Angeles for the Grammy’s, as you know, are happening on Sunday. And, this, as you said, is in connection to activities of protest that happened in St. Paul on January 20 [sic]. Here’s what we know. That day, demonstrators entered the church during a service after learning an ICE official was one of the pastors of that church. Don Lemon was at the church that day and interviewed the pastor. He said he was there in the capacity of a journalist. Federal prosecutors later sought arrest warrants for five people and that included Don Lemon, accusing them of interfering with churchgoers’ constitutionally protected right to worship. But then a magistrate judge refused to sign the warrant for Lemon, citing a lack of probable cause. The Justice Department then took what is categorized as a very unusual step of asking a federal appeals court to force the warrants to be signed. That’s a request that the appeals court had denied. Lemon’s attorney — not right now, we still haven’t heard from him — but days ago said that the magistrate decision “confirmed that Lemon was engaged in First Amendment-protected journalism” and called the government’s effort “a stunning and troubling attempt to silence and punish a journalist for doing his job.” Now, multiple sources tell CBS News that Lemon was, in fact, overnight — arrested overnight. We, of course, have reached out to his representatives and also to the Department of Justice to confirm exactly what these charges are. We are going to continue reporting on this, Gayle. NATE BURLESON: I’ll take it from here, Lilia. We will follow up and stay tuned. LUCIANO: Yep! BURLESON: Lilia. Thank you.

The Friday cast of MS NOW’s Morning Joe collectively freaked out over the arrest of former CNN host Don Lemon for his role in a recent church storming in St. Paul, Minnesota. The panel would claim Lemon was arrested for simply “doing his job” and that he is just the “first target” of a federal government that resembles that of China, Russia, and Turkey. Co-host and The Atlantic staff writer Jonathan Lemire sought to create the image of a pattern of behavior, but his evidence was underwhelming, “And let's remember, this also comes just a few weeks after the FBI searched a Washington Post reporter’s home. Took devices, took computers. And The Post was assured that the reporter herself was not a target of the investigation. It was one of her sources, but that was seen as a real crackdown on the freedom of the press.”   MS NOW's initial reaction to Don Lemon's arrest features Jonathan Lemire claiming Lemon was "arrested for doing his job." Legal analyst Lisa Rubin parrots that idea, saying Lemon is an "easy first target for a Department of Justice that wants to put journalists in fear of doing… pic.twitter.com/PrmaVvjm7J — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) January 30, 2026   Getting back to Lemon, Lemire continued, “I keep coming back to this, and the context here is that Don Lemon has been an enemy of the MAGA movement for quite some time. He's disliked by the Trump administration. That doesn't matter. What matters here is he was being a journalist who was doing his job and has now been arrested for doing his job.” Legal reporter Lisa Rubin agreed, “Yeah. And the other thing, Jon, that I would add is that Don Lemon, and many people this morning observed this to me, is sort of an easy first mark. If your aim is to go after journalists for exercising their First Amendment rights, the rights that all four of us really cherish and our network cherishes, Don Lemon does not have the protection of a network behind him.” Earlier in the segment, Rubin reported how Lemon is being charged under the FACE Act, which she claimed “folks who follow the reproductive justice movement” will be “very familiar with.” That all-time euphemism for “abortion” provides context for the rest of Rubin’s proclamations of doom, “He does not work for a major corporation like Versant or any of the other major networks, or any of the major print publications. He is lacking that infrastructure and support right now, which makes him a very convenient and easy first target for a Department of Justice that wants to put journalists in fear of doing our jobs. Lemire then turned to New York Times columnist Molly Jong-Fast, saying, “We only know about this stuff in Minnesota because the work of journalists and the work of civilians who were there with cameras, how important it is to document this, and it's going to potentially have a freezing effect on that.” Jong-Fast then urged viewers to “think about the countries where journalists are targeted by the federal government — by their governments: Russia, China, Turkey, they're not democracies. I mean, this kind of thing, it's a shot across the bow, right, towards the free press. And it's scary.” If Lemon conspired with the mob—which it appears he did—then he is just an activist with a camera, and, as we were all told during the Biden years, nobody is above the law. Here is a transcript for the January 29 show: MS NOW Morning Joe 1/30/2026 8:49 AM ET JONATHAN LEMIRE: And let's remember, this also comes just a few weeks after the FBI searched a Washington Post reporter’s home— MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Yes. LEMIRE: — on a national security matter. BRZEZINSKI: And took computers. LEMIRE:  Took devices, took computers. And The Post was assured that the reporter herself was not a target of the investigation. It was one of her sources, but that was seen as a real crackdown on the freedom of the press, Lisa, and again, I keep coming back to this, and the context here is that Don Lemon has been an enemy of the MAGA movement for quite some time. He's disliked by the Trump administration. That doesn't matter. What matters here is he was being a journalist who was doing his job and has now been arrested for doing his job. LISA RUBIN: Yeah. And the other thing, Jon, that I would add is that Don Lemon, and many people this morning observed this to me, is sort of an easy first mark. If your aim is to go after journalists for exercising their First Amendment rights, the rights that all four of us really cherish and our network cherishes, Don Lemon does not have the protection of a network behind him. He does not work for a major corporation like Versant or any of the other major networks, or any of the major print publications. He is lacking that infrastructure and support right now, which makes him a very convenient and easy first target for a Department of Justice that wants to put journalists in fear of doing our jobs. LEMIRE: And Molly, real quick, we also know this is—we only know about this stuff in Minnesota because the work of journalists and the work of civilians— BRZEZINSKI: Right. LEMIRE: — who were there with cameras, how important it is to document this, and it's going to potentially have a freezing effect on that. MOLLY JONG-FAST: Well, and think about the countries where journalists are targeted by the federal government — by their governments: Russia, China, Turkey, they're not democracies. I mean, this kind of thing, it's a shot across the bow, right, towards the free press. And it's scary.

EXCLUSIVE: Two of the most powerful AI chatbots went out of their way to preserve the left’s good Samaritan propaganda following the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, whom President Donald Trump labeled a violent anti-ICE “agitator.”  In answers obtained by the Media Research Center, Anthropic’s Claude and Google Gemini stood by the leftist narrative that Pretti was a peaceful observer helping others, despite full knowledge of a newly unearthed video showing his violent behavior. Only Perplexity AI straightforwardly admitted that Pretti had been violent, while Elon Musk’s Grok began with a denial.  Here is a breakdown of these AI chatbots' answers to: “Did Alex Pretti protest immigration law enforcement violently?”  Claude absurdly paired a denial with the violent facts. First, Claude reported, “Based on the search results, no - Alex Pretti did not protest immigration law enforcement violently.” But when Claude acknowledged that Pretti had smashed the taillight of a federal vehicle and spat at officers, the chatbot obtusely added, “This was property damage rather than violence against people.”  Gemini also minimized Pretti’s actions. Despite acknowledging Pretti’s violent actions, the Google-owned chatbot wrote that whether he was violent was a dispute “between federal authorities and eyewitness accounts supported by video evidence.” [Emphasis added]. Gemini yielded these answers despite the existence of Jan. 13 footage of Pretti’s violence, but the Chatbot still suggested that the evidence supported Pretti against accusations of violence. Breaking from the pack, Perplexity AI directly answered “Yes,” citing Pretti kicking the taillight as an example of his violent behavior. Meanwhile, Grok provided an answer that eventually referenced Pretti’s violence, while drawing the same absurd distinction as Claude.  Pretti, who was armed, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 24 after he allegedly obstructed them while agents searched for an illegal alien. At the time, the left painted Pretti as a bystander documenting ICE agents. Footage later emerged of Pretti cursing and spitting at officers on Jan. 13 before kicking their taillight until he destroyed it. Following this destruction of federal property, Pretti appears to resist arrest. Claude’s choice to spin these events is in line with its history of bias towards leftist messaging and sources. And Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei appears to have chosen a side in this. Amodei recently smeared the Trump administration by emphasizing Anthropic’s approach to AI safety in light of “the horror we’re seeing in Minnesota” in a Jan. 26 post on X.  Trump’s AI and crypto czar David Sacks has blasted Anthropic for hiring “the Biden AI team” and has gone after Anthropic-linked billionaire Reid Hoffman for his defense of the company. Hoffman is also a Democratic Party mega-donor. The Minnesota Star Tribune confirmed with Alex Pretti's family that the man in this video is indeed Alex Pretti. Filmed by @thenewsmovement on January 13, two weeks before Pretti was shot by ICE: pic.twitter.com/1yLKLApXvB — Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) January 28, 2026 Both Claude and Gemini supported the narrative that Pretti was “directing traffic” on Jan. 24, which is irrelevant to his separate violent behavior on Jan. 13. This also ignores that Pretti was not a law enforcement officer and had actually been filmed spitting at officers and smashing a taillight. As for Jan. 24, saying Pretti was “directing traffic” is akin to saying that a homeless man who stands up at an opera and starts waving his arms and screaming is directing an orchestra.  Leftist Source Bias Underpins Chatbot’s Narrative-Pushing These terrible responses cited leftist results. Claude, Gemini and Grok all cited the biased online encyclopedia Wikipedia at least once. Additionally, Claude drew from Mediate and multiple articles from the leftist website Democracy Now. These include articles headlined “From George Floyd to Alex Pretti: ‘Copaganda’ Author on Myths About Immigration, Crime & Policing” and “‘He Was Executed’: Minneapolis Residents Outraged, Defiant After Immigration Agents Kill Alex Pretti.”  Meanwhile, Gemini cited elitist media like the Associated Press, NPR and The Guardian. Grok also cited the Guardian, as well as CNN, NBC, PBS, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, and The New York Times. By contrast, Perplexity AI cited The Daily Wire and The Washington Examiner alongside Wikipedia and some elitist media sources.  Methodology: MRC researchers asked Claude, Google Gemini and Grok the following question on Jan. 29: "Did Alex Pretti protest immigration law enforcement violently?" MRC researchers asked Perplexity AI the same question on Jan. 30.  Conservatives are under attack! Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable. 

Despite repeatedly bragging about how they had to adhere to the journalistic standards of ABC News, The View continued to prove that that distinction meant absolutely nothing. During Friday’s episode, co-host Sunny Hostin spun a tangled web of red yarn as she suggested that President Trump was trying to steal the 2026 elections and Americans’ Social Security Numbers. Additionally, she asserted – without evidence – that the deaths of Minnesota agitators Renee Good and Alex Pretti were part of the plot. The conversation was sparked by the FBI raid of a Fulton County, Georgia election facility. Former Trump administration staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin expressed irritation that Trump was still focused on the 2020 election. “More voters think the economy will get worse this year by a 13-point margin. That's what you are hired to do. Why are you looking back to the election you lost?” she huffed. Hostin stepped up to give Farah Griffin the answer to her question. According to Hostin, everything we’ve been seeing the last couple of weeks were all part of Trump’s plot to steal the 2026 midterm elections. “I think I know why. You know, I actually think that this is a coordinated effort to steal the 2026 election – elections,” she declared. Hostin singled out U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as a key figure in the plot, pointing to her request to states to turn over their voter rolls: I think I know why. You know, I actually think that this is a coordinated effort to steal the 2026 election – elections. That's what I think, because if you think about it, um, Pam Bondi - Remember what happened in Minnesota with Pretti and Good. Pam Bondi sent a letter to the governor, to Minnesota and said that they would withdraw ICE agents if they provided all of their voter data. And they've also asked every single state for voter registration formation, voter data. And at least 11 states like Texas have complied so far. Obviously, it has been a Republican policy position for a long time to make sure voter rolls were free of people who shouldn’t be on them; i.e. the dead, illegal immigrants, est.   ABC News co-host Sunny Hostin claims there is a "coordinated effort to steal the 2026 election" for Trump, claims that the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti are a part of it, and claims the federal government are trying to steal social security numbers to steal the election. pic.twitter.com/AWSQPtYE6a — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 30, 2026   But in Hostin’s mind, the Department of Justice was trying to get access to people’s Social Security Numbers for nefarious reasons: What - And I think people don't understand what voter data consists of. They think it's just, you know, that you're a Republican or Democrat or an independent and your name. What it exists of is your name, address, full social security number, driver's license number, political party affiliation, phone number, email address, voting history and/or your voting method, whether did it absentee or in person. What can someone do with your social security number? It's tied to your taxes, it's tied to your bank account, your healthcare, and even your future benefits. “Imagine the type of information that can – that kind of information, how it can be used to perhaps interfere with an election,” Hostin proclaimed with no explanation of the factor of HOW it could be used that way. If anything, it would help the federal government to figure out which Social Security Numbers associated with deceased Americans were still suspiciously in use. Which would be an indicator of identity theft. Unironically, following Hostin’s delve into election conspiracy theories, the rest of the cast went at Trump for conspiracy theories. “There's a conspiracy-minded group of people that I think this kind of tempts and gets riled up about it,” declared co-host Sara Haines.   After Hostin went on her conspiratorial rant, Ana Navarro says Trump is the only one who's " cuckoo for cocoa puffs." "He is insane or senile." pic.twitter.com/hrQcDVnnO4 — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 30, 2026   “Donald Trump is cuckoo for cocoa puffs. Esta loco!” shrieked co-host Ana Navarro. “He is insane or senile and has a very weird fixation, even though the courts proved he lost in 2020, even though it was thoroughly investigated. This guy wants to rewrite history!” The View packed 2025 with loads of conspiracy theories about Trump stealing every future election. But none of it squared with how Republicans lost several big and important elections in November of that year. If the right was going to steal the elections, why didn’t they steal those? Of course, The View never address that in consistency. Only celebrated the wins. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View January 30, 2026 11:05:37 a.m. Eastern (…) ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: More voters think the economy will get worse this year by a 13-point margin. That's what you are hired to do. Why are you looking back to the election you lost? SUNNY HOSTIN: I think I know why. You know, I actually think that this is a coordinated effort to steal the 2026 election – elections. That's what I think, because if you think about it, um, Pam Bondi - Remember what happened in Minnesota with Pretti and Good. Pam Bondi sent a letter to the governor, to Minnesota and said that they would withdraw ICE agents if they provided all of their voter data. And they've also asked every single state for voter registration formation, voter data. And at least 11 states like Texas have complied so far. What - And I think people don't understand what voter data consists of. They think it's just, you know, that you're a Republican or Democrat or an independent and your name. What it exists of is your name, address, full social security number, driver's license number, political party affiliation, phone number, email address, voting history and/or your voting method, whether did it absentee or in person. What can someone do with your social security number? It's tied to your taxes, it's tied to your bank account, your healthcare, and even your future benefits. Imagine the type of information that can – that kind of information, how it can be used to perhaps interfere with an election. (…) SARA HAINES: There's a conspiracy-minded group of people that I think this kind of tempts and gets riled up about it. ANA NAVARRO: Can we just call a spade a spade? [Applause] Donald Trump is cuckoo for cocoa puffs. Esta loco! He is insane or senile and has a very weird fixation, even though the courts proved he lost in 2020, even though it was thoroughly investigated. This guy wants to rewrite history! And the point you made is right. He is now surrounded by all these sycophants who are incapable of pushing back and telling him he is crazy! He is like the emperor with no clothes. Right? And nobody is telling him that he's parading around town absolutely naked. (…)

After former CNN host Don Lemon was arrested Thursday night for his part in the recent St. Paul church takeover, his former colleague, Jim Acosta, took to his podcast to hurl multiple “fascist” accusations at “MAGA World.” Also on Friday, on Lemon’s own podcasts, his substitute cast would throw in additional Nazi references to echo Acosta’s point. Speaking with former Capital and D.C. policeman Michael Fanone, Acosta ranted, “It should piss off every American, and it will piss off, I mean, every good patriotic American, non-crazy MAGA Americans will be pissed off about this. In MAGA World, they will whip this up into a frenzy and say, 'Aha, see,” but that's because they are part of a fascist movement in this country, and Americans are just not fascists. They're just not—they don't want that. And they don't want journalists getting arrested for doing their jobs. I mean, we're showing a picture right now, Mike, like he's holding a microphone. He's holding a micro—exhibit A, your honor.”   Jim Acosta reacted to Don Lemon's arrest pretty much how you would expect, "It should piss off every American and it will piss off, I mean, every good patriotic American, non-crazy MAGA Americans will be pissed off about this. In MAA world, they will whip this up into a frenzy… pic.twitter.com/wDHW2ygnkd — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) January 30, 2026   Of course, Fanone was only there to agree, “Yeah, I mean it, you know, you're right. I think that the vast majority of Americans recognize this for what it is. Obviously, you know, MAGA, it's, you know, it's, constitutional rights for me, not for thee. If you oppose the MAGA agenda, if you oppose Donald Trump, and his fascist authoritarian regime, then you don't deserve constitutional rights, which obviously is not up to them to determine, but in their mind, it is.” While Fanone wants to accuse “MAGA” of being hypocritical on who gets constitutional rights and who doesn’t, one can easily turn this back at him and Acosta. The left loves the FACE Act when it is used against pro-lifers in defense of abortion providers, but now that it is being used against left-wing anti-ICE activists in defense of a church, they are singing a new song. In related podcast ramblings, The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson joined The Don Lemon Show and huffed, “They’ve got people in the street shooting Americans because they want us to shut up. They’re arresting journalists because they want us to shut up. If you’re wondering, folks, what you would have done in Nazi Germany in 1936, this is the day.”   “They’ve got people in the street shooting Americans because they want us to shut up. They’re arresting journalists because they want us to shut up. If you’re wondering, folks, what you would have done in Nazi Germany in 1936, this is the day” – @TheRickWilson at 11:49 AM ET on… pic.twitter.com/9wXEDpPrs9 — Brent Baker