Podcast Summary: VINCE Episode 207

Title: "Their Excuses Aren't Working Anymore"
Host: Vince Coglianese
Date: January 20, 2026
Podcast: VINCE (Cumulus Podcast Network | VINCE)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on the aftermath of a high-profile protest in a St. Paul, Minnesota church, examining allegations of FACE Act violations, law enforcement's response, and wider political and civil rights implications. Vince Coglianese explores the government’s reaction, the pace (and limitations) of justice, and media/public figures’ roles—particularly focusing on Don Lemon. High-profile guests Harmeet Dhillon (Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights) and Mark Hauck (pro-life activist prosecuted under the FACE Act) share insights from both the prosecutorial and defendant perspectives. The episode also touches on themes of accountability, media bias, and the ongoing spiritual and cultural battles in the U.S.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The St. Paul Church Protest – A Controversial Violation

• Incident Overview: Over the past weekend, left-wing activists invaded a Baptist church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The event was widely circulated on social media and is being reviewed as a potential violation of the FACE Act and the Klan Act.
• Government Response: Vince highlights the Trump administration’s “rapid and high-level response,” while expressing frustration with the perceived slow pace of arrests and investigations.

2. Interview: Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights

(04:23–11:11)

Investigative Updates & Legal Constraints

• Immediate Federal Action:
  "We've sent prosecutors to Minneapolis...reviewing all the video. We've already spoken to the pastor. The Attorney General initiated that." (Harmeet Dhillon, 04:38)
• Legal Process Explanation:
  "In real life, you do an investigation, you get your charges together...For an arrest warrant, you have to get a federal judge to sign off on it. Yesterday was a Sunday. Today is a federal holiday. Even when it’s not, judges are not doing things at the pace we would like." (Harmeet Dhillon, 05:21)
• Focus on Conspiracies and Group Involvement:
  The DOJ is investigating not just individual actors but potential conspiracies under the Klan Act (Sections 241 & 242).

High-Profile Subjects & Media Scrutiny

• On Don Lemon’s Involvement: "A journalist is not inoculated from criminal charges just because they say they're a journalist...You can’t embed yourself in a crime and then say, I’m just filming it." (Harmeet Dhillon, 07:26)

Prosecution Record and Priorities

• DOJ Record:
  "We've had numerous prosecutions and convictions...It's lazy and unfair to say otherwise." (Harmeet Dhillon, 09:26)
• Local vs. Federal Responsibility: "Minnesota prosecutors should be prosecuting this and they aren’t. So they’re the first line of attack." (Harmeet Dhillon, 10:54)

3. Vince’s Analysis & Audience Reactions

(11:11–17:58)

• Rule of Law vs. Expediency: Vince defends a methodical approach to justice, contrasting it with what he describes as the left’s “arrest first, ask questions later” tactic.
• Public Frustration:
  "A lot of the reaction was frustration...we haven't seen the big showstopping arrests necessary to get our country back in order." (Vince, 12:00)
• Call for Vigilance:
  "As long as we keep the fire burning, that helps them [the DOJ] keep the fire burning, too." (Vince, 14:49)
• Harmeet for Attorney General?: Speculation about Dhillon’s suitability for a future cabinet-level position.

4. Media and Political Responses: Don Lemon & Keith Ellison

(17:58–24:25)

Don Lemon’s Defense

• Accusations of Racism & Supremacy: "It’s religious freedom, but only if you’re a Christian and only if you’re a white male. Pretty much, yeah." (Don Lemon, 18:27)
• Claiming Targeted Harassment: "I do understand that I'm the biggest name there. And I'm also...my producer said, Don, you're a gay black man in America." (Don Lemon, 20:17)

Host’s Rebuttal & Critique

• Vince flatly rejects Lemon’s framing, arguing that Lemon’s participation was criminal, not journalistic:
  "Traumatizing children in order to achieve political goals is terrorism. It's not protest." (Vince, 19:31)

Minnesota Authorities’ Response

• Keith Ellison (MN Attorney General):
  "Protest is fundamental to American society...it’s just something you gotta live with in a society like this." (Keith Ellison, 22:52)
• Vince: "Look no further than the state’s Attorney General who keeps breathing life into all of this." (Vince, 23:30)

Allegations of Local Corruption

• Vince discusses reported actions by Ann Keeling (MN Assistant Attorney General) showing collusion with activist groups via encrypted messages, raising concerns about official impartiality and the rule of law.

5. Interview: Mark Hauck, FACE Act Defendant

(32:22–46:58)

Personal Experience with the FACE Act

• Recounting his Arrest:
  "I was served a target letter...heavy raid came to my home...with M16 guns pointed at my wife, pointed at my kids...all for defending my son." (Mark Hauck, 33:06)
• Toll on Family & Finances: "When you're an alleged felon...people don't really want to work with you, unfortunately, when you've been targeted like this." (Mark Hauck, 34:33)
• DOJ Settlement Talks:
  "The Trump DOJ said...we’re going to work with you...we’re still working with them to bring about some degree of financial settlement." (Mark Hauck, 35:26)

View on the St. Paul Incident

• Applying the Law Even-Handedly:
  "Churches are supposed to be protected...these people should be arrested. I think it’s an appropriate use of that law." (Mark Hauck, 37:44)
• On Don Lemon:
  "If he's collaborating or inciting that type of menace...he should be thrown in that as well." (Mark Hauck, 38:01)
• Insisting on Lawful, Not Extreme, Justice:
  "I wouldn't be in favor of anyone being treated like I was...they should be served, found, brought to justice." (Mark Hauck, 39:59)
• Sentencing under the FACE Act:
  "I was facing 11 years...typically, if you're a first-time offender, it'd just be one year, but they tried to get as much to stick against you as possible." (Mark Hauck, 41:10)

Cultural and Spiritual Warfare

• Bias Against Christians:
  "It's the bias that's acceptable in our country, against Christians." (Mark Hauck, 43:02)
• Political/Spiritual Analysis:
  "We’re dealing with a friction there that is best described as a spiritual warfare." (Mark Hauck, 44:31)
• Family Impact:
  "Prayer was at the center of the attack...they did forge a stronger faith...knowing that God’s grace is sufficient." (Mark Hauck, 45:53)

6. Profiling the Protesters

• William Kelly: Vince airs and reacts to a video of Kelly (a bearded protestor), describing him as mentally unstable, highlighting Kelly’s calls for authorities to arrest him.

7. Wider Political Reflections: Elections and State Policy Trends

(51:00–end)

• Achievements under Trump Administration: Vince lists perceived successes such as border security, deportations, crime reduction, and DOJ prosecutions.
• Deteriorating State-Level Governance:
  Critique of Minnesota’s (and Virginia's newly Democrat-controlled) legislature for policies viewed as neglecting rule of law, enabling criminality, or furthering left-wing goals.
• Election Consequences:
  Extensive discussion around legislative changes in Virginia to illustrate the impact of elections on public policy.
• Call to Civic Engagement:
  "Wherever you are in our great country, we all need to be engaged in this fight."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Harmeet Dhillon (on due process):
  "That’s not how it works in real life...for an arrest warrant, you have to get a federal judge to sign off on it." (05:21)
• Vince (on contrasting justice):
  "We are the ones who follow the rule of law. We're the ones who uphold the Constitution. The left is trying to tear it up." (12:30)
• Don Lemon (on being targeted):
  "There’s a certain degree of racism there...it's religious freedom, but only if you’re a Christian and only if you’re a white male." (18:27)
• Harmeet Dhillon (on journalistic privilege):
  "You can't embed yourself in a crime and then say, I'm a journalist. I'm just filming it." (07:26)
• Mark Hauck (on spiritual struggle):
  "We're dealing with a friction there that's best described as a spiritual warfare." (44:31)
• Vince (on the stakes):
  "Elections have real consequences. And nowhere is that story more clearly being told than in Virginia right now." (51:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Incident & Intro to Harmeet Dhillon Interview: 00:00–04:23
• Interview: Harmeet Dhillon (DOJ Civil Rights): 04:23–11:11
• Vince’s Analysis & Audience Reaction: 11:11–17:58
• Media Responses (Don Lemon, Keith Ellison): 17:58–24:25
• Allegations of Local AG Corruption: 24:25–32:22
• Interview: Mark Hauck (FACE Act Defendant): 32:22–46:58
• Profile: William Kelly & Protesters: 48:51–50:31
• Reflections, Political Analysis & Action: 51:00–End

Tone and Style

Vince maintains a passionate, direct, and sometimes combative conservative tone throughout, using humor and outrage in equal measure. Harmeet Dhillon is measured, highly legalistic, and pragmatic. Mark Hauck offers a calm, personal, faith-forward perspective, emphasizing forgiveness and due process over vengeance.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode offers a thorough examination of a headline-grabbing civil rights controversy from federal, state, media, and grassroots perspectives. If you seek a bracing critique of “soft on crime” policies, a robust defense of constitutional method, and real-world stories of people enmeshed in these cultural battles, you’ll find this episode packed with insight, pointed analysis, and passionate advocacy for rule of law and civic engagement.