Human Events with Jack Posobiec – January 30, 2026

Podcast: Real America's Voice

Main Theme and Overview

This episode of Human Events with Jack Posobiec hits hard on the intersection of faith, politics, free speech, and protest tactics in America circa 2026. The show centers on the recent arrest of Don Lemon for participating in an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota. Posobiec is joined by guests Michael Knowles and Megan Basham to unpack the implications for religious liberty, the law, Christian leadership’s response, and the cultural battle over Christianity’s role in public life.

The tone is urgent, combative, and reflective, mixing legal analysis, personal passion, and cultural critique with frequent references to American Christian values.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Don Lemon Church Protest and Arrest

• News Recap:
  Don Lemon is arrested after joining activists in disrupting a Sunday church service in St. Paul, as part of an anti-ICE protest.

• Critique of Don Lemon’s Actions:
  Posobiec lambasts Lemon for “invading” a Christian church, agitating congregants—especially children—and “harassing” families during worship (03:33). He draws a hard line between protest and what he calls “invasion.”

  “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. He then worked with the team that was going to do this. And there are indications that he may have even helped to organize it.” (03:33 – Jack Posobiec)

• Setting the Stakes:
  Posobiec frames the incident as part of a broader pattern:

  "We know the Bolsheviks always target churches. We know they always target Christians. This is what they do." (04:27 – Jack Posobiec)

• Legal Context:
  The FACE Act is referenced as the relevant law—protecting access both to abortion clinics and houses of worship. Posobiec notes the Trump administration uses it to prosecute those disrupting church services, paralleling how pro-life activists have been prosecuted.

2. Michael Knowles Joins for Analysis

• On the Arrest’s Significance:
  Knowles is surprised but supportive, calling the arrest “the right thing to do” and arguing that Lemon was daring authorities to act.

  “He was basically Nicolas Maduro. He was saying, come arrest me. Come arrest me. He thought that the administration was too chicken. Our president, it appears, once again, is not.” (11:31 – Michael Knowles)

• Journalism vs. Crime:
  Knowles rejects Lemon’s defense that he was merely 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. But as far as I know, that's not how our legal system works.” (13:05 – Michael Knowles)

• Why Prosecution Matters:
  Both Knowles and Posobiec stress that the robust response sends a message about defending religious freedom, pushing back on a perceived leftist double standard:

  “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.” (16:00 – Michael Knowles)
  “It sends a message that that which is sacred actually is sacred and… is actually protected under our federal law.” (19:47 – Jack Posobiec)

Notable Quotes

• “This is the first time I've seen in a long time where the federal government is actually proactively taking action on behalf of a Christian group.” (17:17 – Jack Posobiec)
• “The left always starts by attacking churches.” (16:35 – Michael Knowles)

3. Rights, Prudence, and Activism – The Minneapolis Case

• Analogies to the Second Amendment:
  Posobiec brings up the Alex Preddy case—a man with a concealed carry permit who escalated a protest—drawing parallels in the misuse of constitutional rights as justifications for dangerous actions.

  “Just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean that you're immune from all of the other laws.” (23:17 – Jack Posobiec) “There's this thing called prudence which Aristotle called not only a virtue, but the paramount political virtue.” (23:19 – Michael Knowles)

• Pattern of Radicalization:
  Discussion of how individuals can spiral into more extreme behaviors—often after personal crises or as emulation of true believers—using examples from several recent incidents (see: Luigi Mangione, Thomas Crooks).

  “It seems like this was a downward spiral of radicalization…” (25:32 – Jack Posobiec)

• Cultural Psychology of Activism:
  Knowles and Posobiec suggest despair and “thrall to dark forces” can drive people into extreme activism, which sometimes has a “suicide by cop” motivation.

  “These are people who are in the thrall to very dark forces and who are in cycles of despair and they're quite dangerous.” (26:42 – Michael Knowles)

4. The Silence of Church Leadership – Megan Basham Segment

• Host’s Question:
  Where are church leaders after the attack? Why the reticence to defend their own congregations?

  “Where are all the other churches calling out Don Lemon for what he did?… Where are all the church leaders?” (32:48 – Jack Posobiec)

• Basham’s Analysis:
  She cites tepid initial statements, then silence, attributing this to church leaders chasing cultural acceptance rather than leading boldly:

  “Rather than leading, they're putting their finger in the wind and saying, how do I follow this narrative and this trend that is developing?” (35:16 – Megan Basham)

• Influencer Culture:
  Basham highlights the role of “female Christian influencers” on social media, shaping (and weakening) the church’s response to cultural conflicts:

  “They're creating content like fashion and home design… they're coming out and only speaking out against ICE because they are influenced by these fashionable trends.” (35:16 – Megan Basham)

• Christian Legalism vs. Biblical Command:
  Posobiec provocatively claims that free speech is not a biblical value but a legal one—drawing out the tension between American and Christian frameworks:

  “Freedom of speech is not a biblical virtue. It's a legal principle.” (36:41 – Jack Posobiec)

Notable Quote

• “If you actually believe that God is present, that you are conducting a sacred rite… then no violation of that can ever be allowed for any purpose whatsoever.” (36:41 – Jack Posobiec)

5. The Manipulation of Christian Ethics by the Left

• Selective Use of Scripture:
  Both Basham and Posobiec argue that progressive activists “proof-text” Bible verses, especially “love your neighbor,” to justify political aims.

  “They want to tell us how to apply a proof-texted verse that they just pulled out of context entirely.” (39:01 – Megan Basham)

• Growing Pushback Among the Rank-and-File:
  Basham sees more ordinary Christians recognizing their empathy is being manipulated for “lawless” activism:

  “So many of us ordinary Christian women out here have kind of wised up to how our compassion and our empathy has been manipulated…” (40:19 – Megan Basham)

• Churches as Targets Regardless of Politics:
  Even “nonpolitical” churches are not protected from being targeted if, e.g., a staff member has an association with ICE.

  “They still attacked that church simply for the fact that one of their pastors on staff also plays a role within ISIS administration.” (41:12 – Megan Basham)

6. Networks, Funding, False Christianity

• Funding of Leftist Activism in Churches:
  Basham (referencing her book Shepherds for Sale) traces financial ties from left-leaning billionaires (George Soros, Neville Singer) to evangelical and activist networks pushing “false forms of Christianity” in church communities.

  “Every time you look into these networks where they're pushing a false form of Christianity, you will very frequently find… it's being bankrolled by the secular left, not by Christians.” (47:34 – Megan Basham)

• The “He Gets Us” Campaign and Media Manipulation:
  The hosts critique high-profile advertising campaigns, suggesting they launder secular values through a Christian veneer.

  “It was constantly promoting these, the transgenderism, illegal aliens, all of this stuff. And then saying… that's what Jesus would be for.” (50:02 – Jack Posobiec)

• Scripture as a Weapon:
  Both agree that false teachers twist scripture, citing Satan’s temptation of Christ as an allegory for progressive misuse of Christian language.

  “Satan can quote scripture too. All right? Satan can quote scripture, and that's exactly what he did…” (50:50 – Jack Posobiec) “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.” (51:00 – Megan Basham)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Posobiec on Defending Sacred Spaces (04:45):
  “It’s really simple. Are you going to defend your children or not? Wake up, Christians. This is what you have to do… You must come down swiftly, you must come down harshly on all of this.” (emphasizing urgency of response)

• Knowles on Media Immunity (13:05):
  “I'm not allowed to walk up to somebody, murder him, shoot him in the face, and then film it and say… you can't prosecute me. I'm a journalist.”

• Basham on False Teaching (51:00):
  “When these false teachers come in, they're going to use soft and flattering words… that is part of the reason that God designed males to be the leaders of their homes… women tend to be easier targets for deceit.”

Important Timestamps

• 02:24 — News on Judge Ruling in Luigi Mangione Case
• 03:33 — Don Lemon’s arrest and strong condemnation by Posobiec
• 11:10 — Michael Knowles segment begins
• 13:05 — Knowles: “Journalism is not a crime shield”
• 17:04 — Targeting churches and the FACE Act
• 19:47 — Posobiec: “Enforcing the sacred — religion and the law”
• 23:19 — Michael Knowles on “prudence” and gun rights
• 32:48 — Basham: “Where are the church leaders?”
• 35:16 — Social media influencers swaying church response
• 39:01 — Basham: “Proof-texting” and neighbor language
• 47:34 — Basham: Funding leftist activism in churches
• 50:02 — Posobiec: “He Gets Us” media campaign criticism
• 51:00 — Basham: Scriptural warning about deception

Section Summaries and Tone

• Intense and polemical: Posobiec sets a forceful and indignant tone, showing no patience for what he calls "softness" in religious leadership or “leftist manipulation.”
• Legalistic and historical: Frequent references to the FACE Act, First/Second Amendments, and the historical targeting of churches.
• Network analysis: Both Knowles and Basham identify organized networks funding activism, blurring political, financial, and religious boundaries.
• Cultural lament: A persistent theme is the loss of Christian influence in public life and the perceived hijacking of Christian language for progressive causes.

Conclusion / Call to Action

The episode ends with a rallying cry for Christians and church leaders to recognize, defend, and articulate the truly sacred—against both legal and cultural threats. The message is to draw bright lines, resist manipulation, and expose those (both inside and outside the church) who twist Christian teaching for political ends.

“As always, you have my permission to lay ashore.”
— closing note from Jack Posobiec

Guests’ Social & Book Plugs

• Michael Knowles:
  @MichaelJKnowles on social; “might be physically near you as well, puffing on a Mayflower cigar.” (29:47)

• Megan Basham:
  @MegBasham on X; @journalistMeganBasham on Instagram; author of Shepherds for Sale