President Donald Trump has openly criticized former CNN anchor Don Lemon for joining left-wing protesters who disrupted a Minnesota church service to target a pastor linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On Tuesday, Trump addressed the media from the White House briefing room, expressing disapproval over the incident that occurred at Cities Church in Minneapolis on Sunday. Lemon had streamed the event live on YouTube.
The footage captured protesters interrupting the service, chanting slogans such as “Hands up, Don’t shoot” and “ICE out.”
In the video, Lemon claimed he was not directly involved with the protesters, yet he justified the demonstration by asserting, “This is what the First Amendment is about, the freedom to protest. I’m sure people here don’t like it, but protests are not comfortable.”
Lemon pointed out that the protesters were reacting to the revelation that “one of the pastors” was affiliated with ICE.
The pastor identified is reportedly David Easterwood, who serves as the acting director of ICE’s field office in St. Paul.
“They’re patriots, and they have to be abused by guys like Don Lemon — who’s a, you know, loser, lightweight,” Trump said from the podium. “I saw him, the way he walked in that church, it was terrible.”
“I have such respect for that pastor. He was so calm, he was so nice. He was just accosted,” the president continued, adding, “What they did in that church was horrible yesterday.”
The incident prompted the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and the “KKK Act.”
Rap star Nicki Minaj also called out Lemon in a fiery post to X:
“DON ‘COCK SUCKIN’ LEMON IS DISGUSTING. HOW DARE YOU?,” the recording artist wrote. “I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!!! HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION. LOCK HIM UP!!!!!”
