Episode Overview

Title: Don Lemon Arrested For Invading Christian Church & Harassing Christian Families
Date: January 30, 2026
Host: Jack Posobiec (Human Events Daily)
Guests: Michael Knowles (The Michael Knowles Show), Megan Basham (Daily Wire)

This episode focuses on the breaking news of Don Lemon's arrest following his involvement in a disruptive protest at a Christian church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Host Jack Posobiec analyzes the implications of the incident for religious freedom, law enforcement, media objectivity, and the broader ideological struggle over American values. Guests Michael Knowles and Megan Basham provide in-depth commentary on the legal, cultural, and theological aspects, with persistent criticism of the mainstream media, left-wing religious narratives, and tepid response from church leadership.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Incident: Don Lemon’s Arrest and the Church Protest

• [02:55] Jack Posobiec reports: Don Lemon was arrested after joining an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service, agitated children and families, and allegedly harassed a pastor on camera.

  • "Don Lemon arrested for his actions, invading, disrupting, agitating and harassing children, Christian young children and their families while attending church services." (Jack Posobiec, 02:55)
  • Lemon claimed, “This is the point of protest, remember, to make people feel uncomfortable,” allegedly as children were leaving church in tears.

• Legal Ramifications:

  • Discussion on the FACE Act, which prohibits blocking access to religious services and abortion clinics.
  • Posobiec underscores, “There is a First Amendment right to exercise your religion freely. They were deprived of that right. There's also a law called the FACE act... you're not allowed to disrupt people from going to church.” (05:04)

2. Historical and Cultural Context of Church Attacks

• Pattern Recognition:

  • Posobiec draws on past examples: Russia, Spain, China, and the French Revolution, arguing that anti-Christian sentiment is common among revolutionary leftist movements.
    • "We know they always target Christians. This is what they do. We've known this for years." (Jack Posobiec, 05:04)

• The Message:

  • "Do you want to live in America where these agitators...are going in and invading and raiding churches, going after pastors, going after Christian children? It's really simple. Are you going to defend your children or not?" (Jack Posobiec, 05:42)

3. Michael Knowles’ Analysis: Double Standards and the FACE Act

• [09:31] Michael Knowles joins the show:

  • Praises DOJ for taking action: “I did not think that they were actually going to go and arrest Don Lemon, which was the right thing to do, but it took a lot of courage. They're gonna get a lot of flack for this.” (Michael Knowles, 09:31)

• Double-Tiered Justice:

  • Knowles condemns the historic use of the FACE Act only against conservatives/pro-lifers, arguing, “The Face act is never really used to stop people from attacking churches. It’s really only ever used to protect abortion mills and infanticide.” (Michael Knowles, 13:35)

• “Journalism” Defense:

  • Knowles refutes Lemon’s purported defense that he was acting as a journalist:
    • "If we allow that principle to stand, what it means is that journalists have blanket immunity to commit any crime they want." (Michael Knowles, 11:26)
  • Posobiec adds, “Just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean that you're, like, immune from all of the other laws.” (20:11)

4. Broader Ideological Conflict: Religion, Rights, and Social Division

• Religious Spaces as Battlegrounds:

  • Both hosts discuss how, for conservatives, churches are sacred, while for liberals, places like abortion clinics serve a similar quasi-religious function.
    • "Our religious service is going to church, and for liberals, their religious service is going to an abortion clinic." (Posobiec, 06:06)

• The “Two Religions” Thesis:

  • Posobiec argues that leftist activism is inherently religious, with acts like pride parades or pro-migration protests taking on ritualistic, ideologically foundational status.
    • “These are not just differences of opinion. These actually are theological tenets of a religion.” (15:24)
  • Knowles: “The center point of the Mass is...‘This is my body’...there’s this kind of satanic inversion that takes place in the abortion clinic...‘This is my body, my choice.’” (16:58)

• Law and Prudence:

  • Analogy to the Second Amendment and recent cases (e.g., Alex Preddy): Constitutional rights do not grant unlimited immunity from prosecution for criminal conduct.
  • Knowles: "There's this thing called prudence, which Aristotle called not only a virtue, but the paramount political virtue." (20:36)

5. Church Leadership and the “Missing Voice” Problem

• The Question:

  • Posobiec asks why church leaders, especially in Catholic and evangelical denominations, are not denouncing Lemon’s actions as loudly as they do for other social issues.
    • "Where are all the other churches calling out Don Lemon for what he did? Where are all the church leaders?" (29:04)

• Megan Basham’s View:

  • Criticizes the subdued reaction among church leaders, suggesting it is driven by “worldliness” and a desire to fit trendy cultural narratives.
  • "They're wanting to be fashionable because the people who are speaking out against ICE are the powerful..." (30:46)
  • Notes the influence of female Christian influencers on Instagram promoting a progressive take on neighborly empathy while church leadership “kowtows.”

6. Manipulation of Christian Virtues and False Narratives

• Proof-texting and Narrative Control:

  • Basham highlights misuse of “love your neighbor” as an out-of-context, proof-texted lever for progressive politics:
    • “They don’t have much understanding of Christianity, but they want to tell us how to apply a proof-texted verse…” (35:18)
  • Many mainline influencers and even church leaders (especially those influenced by prominent women in Christian social media spaces) focus on “neighbor” rhetoric to push open borders or anti-ICE activism.

• Networked Activism and Secular Funding:

  • Basham explains (as detailed in her book Shepherds for Sale) that much of the Christian left's activism—including at the Minneapolis protest—is funded by left-wing secular billionaires (mentions George Soros and Neville Singer).
    • “You will very frequently find that it is being bankrolled by the secular left, not by Christians.” (43:43)

7. Defense of the Sacred and Reasserting Traditional Values

• Restoring Norms:

  • Posobiec and Basham argue for the need to draw social lines around what is sacred—e.g., religious rituals and symbols—and legislate their protection.
    • “If we deem things to be protected…that means we’re sending a signal...that we’re drawing a line around this and saying, this is important, this is protected.” (38:36)

• Scripture and Freedom of Speech:

  • Posobiec provocatively claims, “Freedom of speech is not a biblical principle. It's a legal principle. Right. So it's a legal principle that we have in the United States because of the Constitution. It's not something that you find in the Bible.” (32:57)
  • Emphasizes that Christian societies, including early America, often had blasphemy laws.

8. Warning against False Teachers and Cultural Subversion

• Soft Words, Dangerous Ideologies:

  • Basham: “Scripture tells us that when these false teachers come in, they’re going to use soft and flattering words...they’re going to target women. So...men in the church need to step up and...acknowledge that, listen, Satan’s going to come to you in a package you may not immediately recognize.” (46:11)

• Host’s Final Challenge:

  • Posobiec poses: “Would the left be so supportive of supporting a riot if this were at, say, I don’t know, a synagogue or a mosque or any other religion? Interesting.” (47:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Lemon’s Actions:

  • “He ran up to the pastor and stuck a microphone in his face in the middle of the protest. Not a protest. The middle of the invasion. He did that. Disrupted.” (Jack Posobiec, 02:55)

• On Journalism as a Legal Defense:

  • “I’m not allowed to walk up to somebody, murder him, shoot him in the face, and then film it and say, no, no, you can’t prosecute me. I’m a journalist.” (Michael Knowles, 11:26)

• On Double Standards in Law Enforcement:

  • “If Don Lemon gets off the hook for this, I think it’s totally clear that the FACE act is really just about protecting abortionists.” (Michael Knowles, 13:35)

• On Church Leaders’ Silence:

  • “You hear more condemnations of Trump than you do of Don Lemon, who actually attacked a church.” (Jack Posobiec, 30:13)

• On Proof-texting Christian Doctrine:

  • “They want to pull these things out of context and try to build some sort of political position around it. I don’t think that works.” (Megan Basham, 35:18)

• On Influence of Social Media Christianity:

  • “Right now I would say that leadership is still being led more by your famous Bible study lady Bible study teachers over there on Instagram.” (Megan Basham, 37:56)

Section Timestamps

• Don Lemon Arrest News: [02:55]
• FACE Act / Legal Commentary: [05:04], [13:35]
• Historical Targeting of Churches: [05:05]
• Michael Knowles Joins & Analysis: [09:31]
• “Journalism is not immunity”: [11:26]
• Rights, Law, and Prudence: [20:11]–[21:52]
• Church Leadership’s Silence: [29:04]–[30:46]
• Christian Virtues Co-opted: [35:18]–[37:56]
• Cultural/Legal Protection of the Sacred: [38:36]–[40:50]
• False Christianity and Leftist Backing: [41:59]–[45:13]
• Warning Against Cultural Subversion: [46:11]
• Final Thoughts: [47:52]

Summary for New Listeners

This episode offers an in-depth, spirited critique of the American left's approach to religious liberties, law enforcement, and cultural narratives, through the lens of Don Lemon's church protest arrest. Jack Posobiec and his guests argue that this event is part of a broader effort to marginalize Christianity, distort religious doctrines for progressive causes, and create a double standard in legal enforcement. They urge Christians to respond firmly, urge church leaders to speak out unapologetically, and highlight the perils of ideological manipulation both from outside and within religious communities. Expect an unapologetically polemical tone, a blend of legal analysis, cultural commentary, and theological argument—all delivered in a style blending urgency and humor (“How did your night go, Don Lemon? It’s literally like a scene out of The Godfather,” 10:18).

Guests’ Whereabouts

• Michael Knowles: @MichaelJKnowles on social media
  • “You could find me yelling on a street corner. I might be physically near you as well.” (26:45)
• Megan Basham: @MegBasham on X, @journalistmeganbaptist on Instagram

Closing Thought

As Posobiec signs off:
“Would the left be so supportive of supporting a riot if this were at, say, I don’t know, a synagogue or a mosque or any other religion? Interesting. Ladies and gentlemen, as always, you have my permission to lay ashore.” (47:52)