Louder With Crowder: "Insurrection ACT Now: Don Lemon and Crazed ICE Protestors Take over Minnesota Church"

Date: January 19, 2026
Host: Steven Crowder
Main Guests/Contributors: Regular co-hosts, Josh Firestein

Episode Overview

This episode centers on recent ICE protests that disrupted a Minnesota church service, the involvement of public figures like Don Lemon, and broader issues of lawlessness, religious freedom, and national sovereignty. Crowder and his co-hosts analyze the protest events, discuss the Insurrection and FACE Acts, criticize media and activist involvement, and connect these issues to ongoing debates about American values both domestically and abroad (including NATO and Greenland).

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. ICE Protest at Minnesota Church

[08:20–23:15]

• Crowder recaps a protest at City’s Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where activists stormed a Sunday service.
• The target was Pastor David Easterwood, also an ICE field office director.
• Protestors, including NAACP Minnesota president Nekima Levy Armstrong and activist William Kelly, accused the church of "harboring" ICE and oppressing immigrant communities.

Crowder’s Perspective:

“It is about people who hate this country, who hate everything that makes America America. ... These people hate Americanism. They hate the very fabric that is weaved, that is the foundation of our society.” (Crowder, 23:00)

Memorable Moment:
Crowder satirizes the “white savior” mentality and mocks the protesters’ improvised “cookie sheet” shields:

“A cookie sheet hardly seems like productive protection... It’s the bake-off insurrection.” (Crowder, 15:10)

2. Don Lemon’s Role and the Christian Narrative

[23:15–32:12]

• Don Lemon, as a journalist, confronts the church pastor, challenging him to be more “Christian,” and frames the protest as a valid act of First Amendment expression.
• Crowder accuses Lemon of weaponizing his gay Christian identity to undermine the faith and reiterates Don Lemon’s controversial on-air suggestions that Jesus Christ “was not perfect.”

Notable Quote:

“Whenever someone on the left throws out, 'I’m a Christian, shouldn’t Christians do X?'... you know that they’re lying. These people simply use it as a cudgel.” (Crowder, 26:03)

Don Lemon’s statement:

“Jesus Christ, if you believe in, admittedly was not perfect when he was here on this earth.” (Don Lemon, cited by Crowder, 32:05)

Crowder’s Commentary:

“It's kind of [God's] whole thing. ... Judging people is what He’s known for.” (Crowder, 32:40)

3. Insurrection Act & FACE Act: The Call for Enforcement

[39:20–43:05]

• Crowder argues that the federal government should invoke the Insurrection Act to subdue lawless protests that infringe on religious freedoms.
• He points out the FACE Act is selectively enforced against Christian protesters at abortion clinics, but is not being applied here.
• The hosts mock the left's shifting legal and moral standards.

Notable Quote:

“We’re at the point it [the Insurrection Act] needs to be invoked… You, the American worker, the taxpayer, are now the criminal, not the actual violent offenders.” (Crowder, 42:51)

4. Protesters' Tactics, Entitlement & Double Standards

[18:50–27:30, peppered throughout]

• Protest leaders justify aggressive disruption by claiming to be the voices for marginalized immigrants.
• William Kelly and others berate parishioners, demand public displays of solidarity, and invoke concentration camp rhetoric.
• Crowder and co-hosts highlight the contradiction in demanding dialogue while using intimidation.

Kelly’s statement:

“All these comfortable white people who are living lavish, comfortable lives while children are dragged into concentration camps…” (William Kelly, 35:11)

Crowder’s Analysis:

“You cannot try and adhere to their standards... The point is you cannot appease them.” (Crowder, 36:15)

5. Broader Cultural Critique: The Left, Chaos, and Rule of Law

[43:05–54:34]

• Crowder argues that the protesters – and the left in general – do not respect the Constitution when it impedes their aims, despite using it rhetorically.
• Draws historical comparisons to Europe and Canada “having opinions” while failing to support their own defense and security.
• Laments normalization of “degeneracy” and argues for a reversion to traditional “normality.”

Memorable analogy:

“Europe, you don’t get to have a say until you start doing your part… If I’m paying the mortgage, it’s my rules!” (Crowder, 55:40)

6. Greenland, NATO, European Security, and Tariffs

[1:00:17–1:13:50]

• The discussion pivots to U.S. foreign policy: Crowder argues the U.S. shoulders the NATO burden, and therefore should have more influence over security decisions.
• Cites Trump’s push for “buying” Greenland as a matter of national security and leverage over Europe.
• Jokes about Europe’s inability to act as an effective military power and mocks Denmark’s resistance.

Notable Quotes:

“Greenland is ours. Why? Because we’re basically footing the bill for everything.” (Crowder, 1:02:50)
“Here’s the truth: [Europe won’t stand unified.] They’ll kneel whenever asked by someone more powerful than them.” (Crowder, 1:13:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the protest and entitlement:

  “If some people are not comfortable, then I guess no one will ever be comfortable. … If I’m miserable, then everyone else should be equally miserable.” (Co-host, [44:15])

• On Don Lemon’s Christian claims:

  “He’s always worshipping that – and again, whenever. He’s always on his knees.” (Crowder, 29:45 – mocking tone)

• On Europe and NATO:

  “It’s like a sugar daddy. But now Europe is going to take security seriously, now that we’ve said, you know what, we’re paying for the world’s security, so we should actually be the ones who have the say in how it’s conducted.” (Crowder, 57:05)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:02 | Opening banter, outline of episode topics | | 10:34 | Anecdotes about parenting, segue into community and social change | | 18:50 | Protesters’ rhetoric: White saviors, ICE resistance, “Latinx” discourse | | 23:15 | Don Lemon at the church: Confrontations, religious framing, “Christian sodomite” jokes | | 29:00 | Lemon claims: Jesus “was not perfect” and critique of Christian teaching | | 32:40 | Crowder’s broader critique of Don Lemon as a Christian authority | | 39:20 | Insurrection Act and FACE Act, legal standards | | 44:15 | Leftist entitlement, comfort, “nobody should be comfortable” argument | | 55:40 | Europe, NATO, and the American burden | | 1:02:50 | Greenland, Trump’s tariffs, and foreign policy analysis | | 1:13:07 | “Truth: Europe will kneel to the more powerful” |

Tone & Language

The episode is sarcastic, combative, and provocative, with Crowder and co-hosts frequently mocking opponents and using politically incorrect, sometimes incendiary language. They oscillate between serious invocations of constitutional law and satirical takes on “wokeness,” the left, and U.S. allies.

Overall Takeaway

Crowder uses the ICE protest at the Minnesota church as a springboard to discuss what he sees as the left’s disregard for law, preference for chaos, and hypocrisy in wielding both Christian and constitutional rhetoric for political gain. The conversation branches into critiques of U.S. allies “free riding” on American defense, the value of national sovereignty (arguing in jest for the U.S. to “buy Greenland”), and a call for more assertive (“lawful, ruthless, defensive”) action against those who disrupt traditional American life.

For further details, see cited timestamps and reference Crowder's direct quotes above.