Don Lemon was left visibly stunned when an immigrant New Yorker backed Donald Trump’s call for tougher policing – live on camera.

While filming a man-on-the-street segment for his YouTube channel, former CNN anchor Don Lemon encountered a woman who had been living in the Bronx for eight years after immigrating from the Dominican Republic.

Trying to gauge local opinion on public safety, Lemon asked if she felt safe in the neighborhood.

‘Yes,’ she replied, before quickly clarifying.

‘You do?’ Lemon pressed, looking unconvinced.

‘A little bit,’ the woman admitted.

Lemon pressed her on whether she supported the deployment of National Guard troops on the streets, and she surprised him by replying: ‘Maybe more.’

The exchange became even more awkward when Lemon floated the idea of armed military on patrol.

In a conversation with Don Lemon, a woman who moved from the Dominican Republic and has resided in the Bronx for eight years expressed that more police, or even armed military presence, would enhance her sense of security.

Donald Trump has promised to send National Guard troops into major cities, a policy that is met with both protest and praise nationwide (Pictured: National Guard members patrolling the National Mall on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C.)

‘I think it’s good. If we are going to be safe,’ she said matter-of-factly.

Lemon blinked, asking once more: ‘Then you’re all for it?’

‘Yes, the better is, we are safe, is the important thing,’ she explained.

Lemon concluded the interaction by thanking her, but as she left, he showed his disbelief by turning to the camera and making a sour face.

This clip has gone viral, with many on social media mocking it as a perfect example of an interview not going the way Lemon had anticipated.

One user quipped: ‘Don Lemon exited that convo fast!’ while another joked, ‘Bro is fuming.’

Others piled on Lemon’s discomfort, with one post reading: ‘Ooops… not at all what he was expecting.’ Another added: ‘She gave him a big s** burger to eat!’*

Some commenters said the woman’s response reflected a broader reality. ‘As a Dominican myself, I can attest that Dominicans in the States are largely right-wing, far more than Puerto Ricans,’ one user noted.

Lemon pulled a sour face after a Bronx passerby backed Trump’s call for tougher policing during a street interview

Donald Trump hit out at a reporter who asked whether he intends to ‘go to war with Chicago ‘ after he shared an ominous meme

Another wrote: ‘Keeping our streets safe should always come first. National Guard support can help protect citizens.’

But not everyone was sympathetic. One critic branded Lemon a ‘one man clown show,’ while another sneered: ‘Amazing Don Lemon is still around.’

President Trump, who began his second term in January 2025, has repeatedly vowed to send the National Guard into major cities as part of his sweeping law-and-order agenda – a promise that continues to sharply divide opinion.

Thousands of protesters marched in Chicago on Saturday against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the impending arrival of National Guard troops.

When a second reporter questioned Trump’s decision to intervene in Chicago over cities with higher crime rates, he snapped back.

NBC News White House correspondent Yamiche Alindor pressed him on a recent Truth Social post in which he compared Chicago to an Apocalypse Now-style warzone.

‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,’ Trump wrote, alongside an AI-generated image of himself sitting in front of the city as it burned.

The administration had already deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles over the summer in response to immigration riots. 

Troops were also called in as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover in Washington, D.C.