Transcript

🚨 Don Lemon ARRESTED by Trump REGIME

From MeidasTouch · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 13 min · 2,263 words · 25 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "🚨 Don Lemon ARRESTED by Trump REGIME", an episode of MeidasTouch published January 30, 2026 (13 min, about 2,263 words). It mentions 11 people, works and ideas, including Don Lemon, Legal AF, Abby Lel, Kate Blanch, Minus Touch Network.

What this episode is about

The Trump administration faces backlash over its refusal to investigate civil rights violations tied to recent deaths in Minneapolis while also arresting journalist Don Lemon during his coverage of a protest against ISIS. Despite multiple judicial rejections of arrest warrants against him, federal agents detained Lemon, highlighting tensions between government actions and the press.

Key takeaways

  • Instead of investigating civil rights violations, the DOJ's resources are wasted on arresting journalists—talk about misplaced priorities!
  • Don Lemon's arrest raises eyebrows: federal agents go after a journalist while ignoring execution-style murders in plain sight.
  • A chief judge called out the absurdity of Pam Bondi's antics—academic writers could debate 'this isn’t how law works'.
  • In a twist of irony, the freedom of the press seems endangered while covering protests about rights infringements—where's the logic?
  • As US attorneys resign in waves, it’s clear: the DOJ's strategy may be more smoke and mirrors than justice.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 3:00: Don Lemon, Renee Mlin Good, Alex Jeffrey Prey, Abby Lel
  2. – 6:00: Don Lemon, Kate Blanch, Renee Mlin Good, Alex Jeffrey Prey
  3. – 9:00: Noble, Don Lemon, Minus Touch Network
  4. – 12:00: Don Lemon, Abby Lel, Leticia James, Dr. Lisa Cook
  5. – 13:14: Legal AF, Minus Touch Network

Notable quotes from "🚨 Don Lemon ARRESTED by Trump REGIME"

  • Press conference later today about it, but we know what he's going to say because you're here on the Midas Touch Network and on Legal AF and we brought the receipts on Michael…
    about Legal AF · at
  • Of Minneapolis by federal agents, but going after Don Lemon. Let me show you a clip of Todd Blanch, who's going to be holding this press conference later today, going after Don…
    about Kate Blanch · at
  • Against Elon Musk. Keep that in the back of your mind. There's a lawsuit against Elon Musk because Elon Musk was going to platform Don on his ex platform. They had a falling…
    about Elon Musk · at
  • A lifetime warranty. Upgrade to luggage that looks better, lasts longer, and travel smarter. Head to nobletravel.com for up to 46% off your entire order.
    about Noble · at
  • United States Supreme Court, which is likely to be a loss for Donald Trump again. Here's Aby's statement. Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los…
    about Don Lemon · at
  • Complaint. We'll know about the press conference and we'll update this fastm moving story. We wanted to bring it to you here on Midas Touch and on Legal AF.
    about Minus Touch Network · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Don Lemon — Person · Central referenced subject (arrested journalist) · 10 mentions · first at
    The episode centers on reporting that Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents and the alleged First Amendment implications, with discussion of courts rejecting warrants and DOJ actions.
  • Abby Lel — Person · Referenced attorney (Don Lemon’s lawyer, per transcript) · 3 mentions · first at
    Identified as Don Lemon’s lawyer issuing a statement asserting innocence and framing the arrest as an unprecedented First Amendment attack; also described as representing Letitia James and Dr. Lisa Cook.
    Now what we need to get to the bottom of and I'll read you the statement from Abby Lol, his lawyer. Now, we've talked a lot about Abby Lol because he represents a lot of people who were targeted by the.
  • Kate Blanch — Person · Referenced spokesperson/official holding press conference (criticized) · 3 mentions · first at
    Presented as leading the public messaging accusing Don Lemon of being a 'phony journalist' without First Amendment privilege; a key antagonist voice in the episode’s narrative.
  • Renee Mlin Good — Person · Referenced victim in alleged civil-rights case · 4 mentions · first at
    Cited as one of two people allegedly killed in an 'execution style' incident in Minneapolis; used to argue DOJ is misallocating resources by targeting a journalist instead of investigating deaths.
    Than dealing with mass resignations that are planned in the Minnesota US Attorney's Office over their failure to investigate properly the death of Renee Good and Alex Prey are…
  • Alex Jeffrey Prey — Person · Referenced victim in alleged civil-rights case · 3 mentions · first at
    Named alongside Renee Good as a victim whose death is presented as not being properly investigated, forming the backdrop for criticism of DOJ priorities.
    Obviously trying to distract from. So, this is where their resources are. not investigating the execution style murder of two American citizens on the streets of Minneapolis by…
  • Elon Musk — Person · Referenced business figure in related dispute · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as being in a legal dispute with Don Lemon over a planned platforming arrangement on X, suggested as possible context for hostility toward Lemon.
  • Leticia James — Person · Referenced public official (client of Abby Lel, per transcript) · 1 mention · first at
    Cited to establish Abby Lel’s credibility and experience, described as representing the New York Attorney General in matters involving attempted indictments.
    Lot of people who were targeted by the Trump administration. Abby Lol is a lawyer for Leticia James, the attorney general for New York. Did a fantastic job. So far, she's not…
  • Dr. Lisa Cook — Person · Referenced expert/official (client of Abby Lel, per transcript) · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as another client of Abby Lel, described as being on the Federal Reserve and involved in a Supreme Court-related matter, reinforcing the lawyer’s profile.
    Same lawyer. He also represents Dr. Lisa Cook on the Federal Reserve before the United States Supreme Court, which is likely to be a loss for Donald Trump again. Here's Aby's statement. Don Lemon.

Companies & orgs

  • Legal AF — Company · Business focus · 4 mentions · first at
    Another platform mentioned alongside Midas Touch Network, likely a related or sister company focusing on legal analysis.
  • Minus Touch Network — Company · Business focus · 3 mentions · first at
    The podcast network where the discussion is hosted, mentioned as a platform for independent journalism.

Sponsors

  • Noble — Product · Sponsor · 3 mentions · first at
    A luggage product advertised during the podcast, presented as a solution for easier travel.

Full transcript with timestamps

While the Trump administration is besieged by rebellion related to its refusal to do an investigation into the civil rights violations and the execution style murders of Renee Good and Alex Prey on the streets of Minneapolis. They are busy arresting Don Lemon, the produ journalist while he was covering the Grammy Awards. Apparently last night was arrested by federal agents. It's a curious turn of events. Abby Lel, his lawyer, has issued a statement proclaiming Dawn's innocence. He was covering as a journalist a church protest about ISIS's presence in Minnesota at a Minneapolis or St. Paul church on the 18th of January. Multiple judges and courts in Minnesota and for Minnesota, from the magistrate judge to the chief judge to the eth circuit have rejected attempts to issue arrest warrants for Don Lemon. But either they got some sort of grand jury to issue an indictment or they got another

magistrate judge to issue a arrest warrant. Either way, it's been reported that he has been picked up in the Department of Justice. Again, rather than dealing with mass resignations that are planned in the Minnesota US Attorney's Office over their failure to investigate properly the death of Renee Good and Alex Prey are busy using their scarce resources to arrest journalists doing their job. Tom Blanch to hold a press conference later today about it, but we know what he's going to say because you're here on the Midas Touch Network and on Legal AF and we brought the receipts on Michael Pop. Now, Todd Blanch seems to be taking the lead on this, not Pam Bondi, although the reporting was that Pam Bondi was outraged that a magistrate judge in Minneapolis, uh, Judge Miko, although he issued three arrest warrants for the three protesters who actually were in the church in violation of federal law,

he did not and found there was no probable cause to arrest a journalist and his producer, Don Lemon, an independent journalist, and his producer who were there covering the protest. It's not he's not the only one. When Pam Bonnie didn't like that, she ran to and to have a article three district court judge assigned to the case to override the magistrate. That became Chief Judge Schultz. Chief Judge Schultz did not override the magistrate. In fact, he wrote letters and emails to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in which Judge Schultz said in no uncertain terms that uh that Don Lemon did nothing wrong. He said there's no evidence that the journalist and the producer committed any crimes. That's the chief judge of Minnesota. That apparently outraged Pam Bondi. The eighth circuit eventually rejected her petition to force Judge Schultz to issue arrest warrants. Judge Schultz also noted that there were no

precedent, zero times in history where a district court judge overrode the magistrate court decision not to issue an arrest warrant. apparently not good enough for the dust department which has also stung and bracing itself for a massive resignations in the US attorney's office again in Minnesota just two or three weeks ago we had about uh a dozen different US attorneys in the in the civil rights division and in Minnesota walk out the door because of the decision not to investigate criminally the officer Jonathan Ross who murdered Renee Good. Instead, the decision made in Washington was to investigate Renee Good, the victim, and the victim's grieving widow. And that led to one round of resignations.

now because of the Minnesota uh US attorney's office being so upset that they're not investigating the Alex Prety murder or the Renee Good murder. There's a new wave coming this week or early next week that the Department of Justice is obviously trying to distract from. So, this is where their resources are. not investigating the execution style murder of two American citizens on the streets of Minneapolis by federal agents, but going after Don Lemon. Let me show you a clip of Todd Blanch, who's going to be holding this press conference later today, going after Don Lemon, accusing him of being a phony journalist who's embedded with a bunch of protesters and therefore has no First Amendment privilege. I would ask Todd Blanch to brush up on his First Amendment before he takes to the airwaves in press conferences. But here's what we can expect from Todd Blanch. Play the Fox clip.

Self-described as a journalist. No, the freedom of the press extends to a lot of different areas. It does not extend to somebody just trespassing and being embedded with a group of riers and being part of the group that storms inside of a church. So, as as our assistant attorney general said yesterday, we are absolutely investigating that conduct and and the fact that that that man that Mr. Lemon thought that that was a good idea to do that and then to race away from it, saying it was freedom of the press. Well, we'll see. We'll see.

Now, Don, full disclosure, I know Don Lemon. I sat at a wedding uh as a guest next to Don Lemon. Don Lemon's a journalist. He was on CNN when uh he got fired from CNN and filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk. Keep that in the back of your mind. There's a lawsuit against Elon Musk because Elon Musk was going to platform Don on his ex platform. They had a falling out. There's a breach of contract claim and you got Elon Musk in war with Don Lemon. I'm sure that had something to do with everybody being so hot and bothered in the Department of Justice about going after Don Lemon.

Just because Don Lemon is now in the world of YouTube or in the world of Substack or doing live reporting gorilla style from scenes like uh like our Katie Fang doesn't mean he's not a journalist. Doesn't mean he's not entitled to protection. I mean, this administration has right-wing bloggers and influencers who are not journalists sit in on press conferences as if they're journalists. Riley Gaines in the middle of a press conference where she's complimented by um uh by the press secretary Carolyn Levid. Riley Gaines, the swimmer who's against transgender people. The Pentagon briefing room is now filled only with right-wing bloggers and influencers like Laura Loomer. So Laura Loomer is now a journalist. Airports are stressful enough. If you're juggling a coffee, a dying phone, and your laptop at TSA while the line stacks up behind you.

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Does it make it does the Constitution doesn't say, "Well, well, it's YouTube. It's not CNN." Well, that's a whole different story. Here's Don Lemon doing his reporting in the church.

You know, while I agree with everybody's uh freedom to protest, these people have come into our house uh and they've interrupted our worship. If I was to break into any of their houses uninvited, I would be kicked out ultimately. It's not a good way.

They're saying that people are showing up at houses where they're citizens without due process. The battering ram into someone's private property and there's no recourse. This is all part of a much larger dialogue. on one side uh are people who watched a previous administration bring 12 million people in over the course of four years. This is another administration's corrective. Uh I think I could actually be sympathetic to some of the things where there have been uh challenges to compassion and decency. At the same time, these are what are called targeted interventions by ICE to keep the American people safe. If

I respectfully may interject here, I've been out reporting on a lot of these and they're not targeted. There are no warrants signed by a judge. Most of the people that they detain don't have criminal convictions or criminal records.

I'm not going to get into the weeds. This is You should know that though. Don't you think that's part of it?

Yes. And I I could also show you many uh opposing sides. I'm not saying it's pretty. This is a part of a much larger dialogue in which one administration caused a great deal of chaos and havoc and danger for American citizens and another is trying to correct that.

Do you believe that? Why do why? Honestly, let me talk to you just on the fact.

Yes, I am. I want to give you the facts. No, no, no. That's the interesting thing about this is that they won't listen to facts.

When you as a journalist, I am a journalist. Some journalist gives fact give and then you start correcting me with facts and don't have

you shouldn't hear the facts. Of course I should hear the people who are picked up.

Will you give me the facts on both sides? That is the facts on both sides. Now what we need to get to the bottom of and I'll read you the statement from uh from Abby Lol, his lawyer. Now, we've talked a lot about Abby Lol because he represents a lot of people who were targeted by the Trump administration. Abby Lol is a lawyer for Leticia James, the attorney general for New York. Did a fantastic job. So far, she's not been indicted, having her original indictment dismissed, having multiple grand juries, not indict her, getting the prosecutor, Lindseay Halligan, fired and ultimately had to resign in disgrace.

Same lawyer. He also represents Dr. Lisa Cook on the Federal Reserve before the United States Supreme Court, which is likely to be a loss for Donald Trump again. Here's Aby's statement. Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy Awards. Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than he's always done. There's no more important time for people like Don to be doing his work under the First Amendment. Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention, and resources to this arrest. That this is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case. This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not

stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court. And thank you, Abby Lel, for representing Don Lemon. He's going to be brought this uh later uh today. He's going to be brought before I assume a federal magistrate in the central district of California in Los Angeles and u I assume will be released. We'll find out probably later today about the indictment or the criminal complaint. We'll know about the press conference and we'll update this fastm moving story. We wanted to bring it to you here on Midas Touch and on Legal AF.

Now more than ever, independent journalists wherever they live, including and especially on YouTube and on Substack, like me, Michael Pop, like the Midas Touch Network, need your support. Take a moment, hit the free subscribe button here on Midas Touch. Come over to my YouTube channel, Legal AF, and do the exact same thing and support our Substack as well, where I will be posting the letters from Judge Schultz, for you to read. Till my next report, I'm Michael Popac. can't get your fill of legal AF. Me neither. That's why we form the Legal AF Substack. Every time we mention something in a hottake, whether it's a court filing or a oral argument, come over to the Substack. You'll find the court filing and the oral argument there, including a daily roundup that I do called, wait for it, Morning AF. What else? All the other contributors from Legal A are there as well. We got some new reporting. We got interviews. We got

ad free versions of the podcast and hot takes where legal AF on Substack. Come over now to free subscribe.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "🚨 Don Lemon ARRESTED by Trump REGIME"?

Michael Popac (Host), Don Lemon (Guest), Abby Lel (Guest), Todd Blanch (Guest), Pam Bondi (Guest).

What is "🚨 Don Lemon ARRESTED by Trump REGIME" about?

The Trump administration faces backlash over its refusal to investigate civil rights violations tied to recent deaths in Minneapolis while also arresting journalist Don Lemon during his coverage of a protest against ISIS. Despite multiple judicial rejections of arrest warrants against him, federal agents detained Lemon, highlighting tensions between government actions and the press.

What is mentioned in this MeidasTouch episode?

11 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Don Lemon, Legal AF, Abby Lel, Kate Blanch, Minus Touch Network, Renee Mlin Good. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "🚨 Don Lemon ARRESTED by Trump REGIME"?

The episode runs 13 min; the transcript is about 2,263 words in 25 timestamped sections.

More from MeidasTouch

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 30, 2026.