Don Lemon plays race card while defending his role in storming of Minnesota church

Don Lemon.

Former CNN host Don Lemon, who was indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges related to the storming of a Minnesota church in late January, is playing the race card in defending his actions on that day. Lemon has been charged with conspiracy to deprive rights, violation of the FACE Act, and interfering by force with someone’s First Amendment rights. He pleaded not guilty earlier this month at his arraignment in federal court. 

Lemon turned up on a podcast hosted by one of his former CNN colleagues, Jim Acosta, where he appeared to begin mounting a defense that his lawyers will presumably attempt if his case goes to trial. Lemon said that the churchgoers, whose Sunday service was interrupted by a group of anti-ICE extremists, couldn't understand that he was a "journalist" because he was black, as were the majority of the extremists who bursted into the church. 

"Because the bulk of the protesters were black, maybe they thought [that] because I'm black' that he also was a protester. Lemon says he told the congregants that he was not a protester and was acting as a journalist, although at times it was objectively hard to tell what Lemon was doing in the place of worship. The entire episode was live streamed on Lemon's YouTube channel and at points he could be seen apparently conspiring with protesters before the mob burst into the church.

Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Justice Department, sat down with Dave Rubin recently to discuss everything that led to the indictment of Don Lemon for his role in the storming of a Minnesota church. Dhillon explained the origin and nuances of the FACE Act, and discussed free speech versus unlawful obstruction and intimidation. 

"We strongly believe that all of the nine people who've been indicted so far by the grand jury had both violations. They they all went inside. They all obstructed, harassed, intimidated, frightened" the churchgoers, Dhillion said, adding that a key piece of evidence could seal Lemon’s legal fate. Watch the full interview with Dhillon below.