Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sparred with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos over what he described as the host’s selectively edited version of events surrounding the ongoing criminal case against former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
Lemon and a handful of Minnesota-based anti-ICE agitators are currently facing federal criminal charges stemming from an organized takeover of a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota last month. He and his co-defendants were indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship, and injuring, intimidating, or interfering with the exercise of religious freedom, as well as violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which also applies to places of worship.
Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles on January 29 before being released on his own recognizance. The Justice Department has argued that Lemon’s actions constituted criminal conduct, while Lemon has claimed he was operating as a journalist.
On Sunday’s episode of “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” the titular host asked Blanche to explain the DOJ’s case. “So when do you believe that Mr. Lemon crossed the line from reporting on what was going on to criminal activity?” he asked.
The deputy attorney general responded by accusing the ABC host of “conveniently” omitting key facts of the case and the DOJ’s effort to pursue charges after a magistrate judge initially refused to sign off on a criminal complaint.
“Conveniently missing from what you just showed, George, is the appellate court and a judge on the appellate court who said just a few days later there was clearly probable cause and it wasn’t even a close question. So, and by the way, a grand jury, which is what our system has set up to determine whether probable cause exists, concluded that there was probable cause. That indictment is now public,” Blanche said.
“Everybody in this country can pull it up and read for themselves and see what the grand jury found that Mr. Lemon did. I am not going to comment on the charges specifically because it’s not appropriate.”
Blanche then pointed out that freedom of religion and freedom of speech are both fundamental rights, and that one does not cancel out the other. “And George, I don’t know if you’ve watched the videos or read the indictment about what it’s alleged that Mr. Lemon did, but if anybody in this country thinks that that is, ‘independent journalism,’ I would like to have a conversation with you.”
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Deputy AG Todd Blanche just CALLED OUT Fake News ABC George Stephanopoulos to his FACE for running cover for Don Lemon storming a church
“CONVENIENTLY missing from what you just showed, George, is the appellate court and a judge on the appellate court who said just… pic.twitter.com/xXMd06A5hm
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 1, 2026
Videos from the scene show agitators storming the church alongside Lemon, who now hosts an independent program on YouTube. Lemon narrated the videos largely as an activist, repeatedly praising the protesters as an example of successful action during the civil rights movement.
“When you violate people’s due process, when you pull people off the street, and you start dragging them and hurting them and not abiding by the Constitution, when you start doing all of that, people get upset and angry,” the self-styled journalist said as agitators yelled “hands up, don’t shoot” at churchgoers, a reference to the debunked narrative of the Michael Brown shooting.
Lemon told churchgoers that it was a “First Amendment right” to disrupt a church service and insinuated that anyone should be allowed to do whatever they want in a church.
The self-styled journalist has pleaded not guilty and claimed that he is being targeted for political purposes.
