Conservative journalist Breanna Morello is criticizing what she sees as clear hypocrisy in how the legal system and media are defending Don Lemon after his arrest for disrupting a Christian worship service in Minnesota.
The arrest happened after about three dozen anti-deportation protesters entered Cities Church during a worship service on January 18. The group reportedly chanted, blocked aisles, and confronted Pastor David Easterwood, who is also the head of ICE’s St. Paul office. Federal prosecutors say the protesters intentionally disrupted the congregation’s ability to worship peacefully.
Lemon livestreamed the event from inside the church and was later charged along with Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy. They face charges of conspiracy against rights and violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which also protects houses of worship from intimidation and obstruction.
Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, says the arrest is an attack on journalism. He argues that Lemon was reporting during a tense time for ICE, which has recently been involved in two fatal shootings that got national attention. Lowell claims the Justice Department is overreaching and compares Lemon’s case to other federal actions where he says there was no accountability.
Morello has rejected that narrative outright.
She noted that Lemon and many legacy media figures were silent during the Obama administration’s documented surveillance of journalists and largely uncritical of aggressive federal raids during the Biden administration. According to Morello, Lemon’s sudden invocation of the First Amendment appears less like a principled stand and more like a convenient legal strategy.
Morello also mentioned Lemon’s livestream, where he reportedly called the church disruption an “operation.” She argues that this choice of words makes him seem less like a neutral reporter and more like someone working with the activists.
“If this was simply journalism,” Morello said in her commentary, “why refer to it as an ‘operation’?” She adds that, from both ethical and biblical perspectives, intent is important. Scripture often warns against deception and double standards, and says that truth should be spoken clearly and consistently.
Federal prosecutors say the arrests are about protecting Christians’ constitutional right to worship without fear or interference. The Justice Department says this case is part of a larger effort to protect religious services, especially as more protests target churches for political reasons.
Many believers see this incident as a sign that respect for sacred spaces is fading. The Bible teaches that when God’s people gather, it should not be used for activism but should be treated as a holy time that deserves respect and peace.
Morello’s criticism connects with conservatives who feel that arguments about “press freedom” are used only when convenient. They notice that when pro-life advocates, conservative journalists, or Christians are under federal scrutiny, the media is often silent or supportive. But when someone from their own side is arrested, they quickly call it a constitutional crisis.
The case against Lemon is still in progress, but the bigger debate is already obvious. Morello argues that freedom of the press should not be used as a partisan shield for activism, and journalism should not be an excuse to disrupt worship.
As society becomes less friendly to Christian beliefs, many people see this event as a reminder that equal justice and honest journalism need consistency, humility, and respect for the order God has set.
