Trump DOJ HUMILIATED in Minnesota as GOP Judge SHUTS DOWN SCHEME

What this episode is about

The legal dynamics surrounding Donald Trump and journalist Don Lemon reach a pivotal moment in Minnesota, where Chief Judge Schultz, a conservative figure, decisively rejects the Trump administration's efforts to pursue arrest warrants against Lemon. Through correspondence with the Eighth Circuit Court, Judge Schultz emphasizes the unusual and improper nature of the actions taken against Lemon, ultimately clearing him from potential indictment as grand jury proceedings yield no results.

Key takeaways

• In an unprecedented move, Judge Schultz's letters practically create a legal 'Get out of jail free' card for Don Lemon.
• Trump's attempts to indict Lemon reveal a chilling precedent: targeting journalists can backfire spectacularly in court.
• Despite conservative leanings, Judge Schultz's ruling illustrates that the law isn't a partisan game; it's about justice.
• With no indictments after several grand jury sessions, the Trump administration reveals a troubling lack of legal grounding.
• Don Lemon's coverage of protests showcases journalism's vital role; it's not just about reporting, it's about context and legality.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Michael Popock (Host) · 14 min speaking
• Don Lemon (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Pam Bondi (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Chief Judge Schultz (Guest) · 1 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Don Lemon, Chief Judge Schultz, Michael Popock, Minus Touch Network
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Don Lemon, Michael Popock
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Qualiaenolytic, Don Lemon, James Comey, Leticia James
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Eighth Circuit, Don Lemon
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Chief Judge Schultz, Don Lemon, Michael Popock, Minus Touch Network

Notable quotes from "Trump DOJ HUMILIATED in Minnesota as GOP Judge SHUTS DOWN SCHEME"

• Still no indictment. I think when I'm done with this hot take, you'll know why. I'm Michael Popock. You're on the Midas Touch Network and Legal AF. I've been doing this a long time, 35 years.

  about Michael Popock · at 0:57

• Believe me we've got boots on the ground and we know what's going on there. So this all stems are you're on the Midas touch network and legal a by the way I'm Michael Popock. Hit the free subscribe button. This all stems from a January 18th.

  about Minus Touch Network · at 2:30

• These were journalists covering the story, not violently making the story. Well, Bonnie didn't like that because it doesn't play within her narrative and that of the administration, right? This is a administration that goes after.

  about Attorney General Pam Bondi · at 5:55

• Mortgage fraud twice. Twice. Once was kicked by a federal judge, the other one, two other times actually, a grand jury rejected it. That's three times they failed to get an…

  about Leticia James · at 7:08

• Episode. So, here's what the magistrate judge says after Bondi runs to the eighth circuit to try to get the eighth circuit to issue what's called a rid of mandamus to compel…

  about Eighth Circuit · at 8:54

• Will do so. He then says it is unheard of in his district or any other district and it is unprecedented for the Department of Justice to try to override a magistrate judge and…

  about Chief Judge Schultz · at 10:21

• He's challen Judge Schultz has challenged the Department of Justice to go to a grand jury and there's been several grand juries, including one on Tuesday, and yet no one no…

  about Don Lemon · at 12:14

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Don Lemon — Person · Referenced subject (journalist/target of attempted prosecution) · 11 mentions · first at 0:02
  Central figure in the narrative: the episode argues DOJ efforts to arrest/indict him failed because he was acting as a journalist covering a protest, and Chief Judge Schultz effectively cleared him in communications to the Eighth Circuit.
• Chief Judge Schultz — Person · Referenced judge / key institutional actor · 5 mentions · first at 0:08
  Portrayed as the decisive check on DOJ: he rebukes the mandamus maneuver as unprecedented and states there is no evidence the journalist/producer engaged in criminal conduct, which the host treats as practical exoneration.
• Michael Popock — Person · Host / main speaker · 4 mentions · first at 1:01
  Narrator and legal commentator driving the episode’s argument; he frames the procedural posture (magistrate denial, mandamus attempt, grand jury) and interprets Judge Schultz’s letters as exonerating Don Lemon.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi — Person · Referenced government actor (antagonist in narrative) · 2 mentions · first at 1:26
  Presented as leading/initiating the aggressive procedural move (seeking mandamus to force an arrest warrant after a magistrate declined probable cause for Lemon), which is criticized as improvident and unprecedented.
• Leticia James — Person · Referenced comparator (example of failed Trump-aligned prosecution) · 1 mention · first at 7:02
  Used as an analogy to argue that extraordinary/abusive indictment efforts can fail: the host claims attempts to indict her were dismissed/rejected multiple times, illustrating a pattern of prosecutorial overreach not succeeding.
• James Comey — Person · Referenced comparator (example of dismissed case) · 2 mentions · first at 6:55
  Cited briefly as another example where an indictment was dismissed, reinforcing the episode’s theme that certain high-profile legal actions can collapse in court.
  We saw what happened when Donald Trump tries to do these extraordinary illegal immoral abuse of power indictments.

Companies & orgs

• Minus Touch Network — Company · Business focus · 3 mentions · first at 1:01
  The network hosting the podcast, mentioned multiple times as the platform for the show.

Places & events

• Eighth Circuit — Place · Setting · 6 mentions · first at 0:25
  Mentioned in the context of legal proceedings and judicial decisions.

Media & podcasts

• Substack Live — Media · Case study · 1 mention · first at 2:49
  Mentioned as a platform where a protest was covered live.
  Paul, Minnesota that was covered live on Substack Live and on YouTube for Don Lemon with about five protesters who went into the church and protested against somebody in the church being affiliated with ICE. And Don was there.

Sponsors

• Qualiaenolytic — Product · Sponsor · 4 mentions · first at 7:32
  Sponsored product mentioned in the podcast, promoting a supplement for aging support.
  Experience the science of feeling younger. Go to qualiaife.com/legalaf for up to 50% off your purchase and use code legal AF for an additional 15%.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Another grand jury in Minnesota come and gone and no report of an indictment against journalist Don Lemon because Donald Trump has met his match. His name is Chief Judge Schultz. He's a conservative Federalist Society Arch Republican, but he's taking it to the Trump administration like perhaps no other judge has done in the last several months. And after I report on what Judge Schultz told the eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in letters that he wrote to the Eighth Circuit about their attempt to indict or arrest Don Lemon, he effectively exonerates Don Lemon. Is there any doubt now why the Trump administration has publicly reported that they are not going to seek arrest warrants against Don Lemon any longer?

0:48 Not from a magistrate judge. Their only gambit left is to try to indict him through a grand jury. But we've had several grand jury days come and go and still no indictment. I think when I'm done with this hot take, you'll know why. I'm Michael Popock. You're on the Midas Touch Network and Legal AF. I've been doing this a long time, 35 years. I've never had a situation where a senior uh a district chief judge or any judge in federal court has written letters and emails to an appellet court uh not just to present why a certain action shouldn't be taken against them.

1:26 In this case, Pam Bondi running off improvidently to get a writ of mandamus to compel judge Schultz to override a magistrate judge and enter and sign off on a criminal complaint on probable cause and enter an arrest warrant against Don Lemon. He didn't just go through why he's not going to do that. He didn't just tell the eighth circuit in these two letters that uh the procedure is odd, unprecedented, and unheard of in this district or any other district. That there's been no no circumstances where a magistrate judge who sits underneath an article 3 judge has denied the probable cause for an arrest warrant and have it overridden by a district court judge. Never. It's not just that said he goes further and he effectively exonerates Don Lemon which will then explain everything that follows which is several grand juries have come and gone and none of them indicted uh Don Lemon.

2:25 There's no reports that there's even been a presentation to the to the grand jury. It may be a secret process but believe me we've got boots on the ground and we know what's going on there. So this all stems are you're on the Midas touch network and legal a by the way I'm Michael Popock. Hit the free subscribe button. This all stems from a a January 18th um protest at the city's church in St. Paul, Minnesota that was covered live on Substack Live and on YouTube for Don Lemon uh with about uh five protesters who went into the church and protested against somebody in the church being affiliated with ICE. And Don was there to record it. We know that because he recorded it. We know that because we've seen the YouTube channel. He's a journalist with a producer. He's not a protest. There was no violence. Play a clip.

3:14 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. Yes. with a battering ram into someone's private property and yeah, there's no recourse. This is all part of a much larger dialogue on one side. Uh our people who watched a previous administration bring 12 million people in over the course of four years.

3:54 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.

4:24 I'm not going to get into the weeds. This is a You should know that though. Don't you think that's part of it?

4:29 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.

4:46 Do you believe that? Why do why? Honestly, let me tell you just on the fact. Yes, I am. I want to give you the facts.

4:52 No, no, no. That's the interesting thing about this is that they won't listen to facts.

4:56 When you come out as a journalist, I am a journalist. I'm journalist gives facts.

5:01 And then you start correcting me with facts and don't have you shouldn't hear the facts.

5:06 Of course I are picked up over the facts on both sides. That is the facts on both sides.

5:12 Okay. Now, they then present a few days later the Department of Justice to a magistrate judge, Judge Miko, affidavit to support eight different criminal complaints because until you can get an indictment from a grand jury, you you need an arrest warrant, you got to go prove probable cause to a magistrate judge in federal court. Now, the magistrate judge sits below an article 3 judge, district court judge, but has all the power in that arena. And for and for three out of the eight not named Don Lemon and his producer, magistrate judge said, "Probable cause.

5:45 Looks like it's established. Go make the arrests." Okay. But he rejected it for Don Lemon and his producer, primarily observing properly that these were journalists. These were journalists covering the story, not not violently making the story. Well, Bonnie didn't like that because it doesn't play within her narrative and that of the administration, right? This is this is a administration that goes after journalists and first amendment speech makers and commentators gone after the Washington Post reporter try to grab up all of her confidential informants and and her sources and here went after Don Lemon. Full disclosure I know Don sat next to him at a wedding. I think it was Ben Myales's wedding provided touch and there we are. Okay.

6:34 So now we've got this series of letters which will explain I believe why we don't see um we don't see the government going after Don Lemon neither for arrest warrant meaning not going through a magistrate process nor with ears to the ground trying to get a grand jury good luck in Minnesota to indict Don Lemon. We saw what happened when Donald Trump tries to do these extraordinary illegal immoral abuse of power indictments. Leticia James Uh, not only has she her indictment, New York Attorney General against her for mortgage fraud twice. Twice. Once was kicked by a a federal judge, the other one, two other times actually, a grand jury rejected it. That's three times they failed to get an indictment against her. James Comey, boom, indictment dismissed. Aging doesn't hit you all at once. For me, it showed up in small ways. Slower recovery after workouts, more stiffness, and energy that wasn't

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8:29 feel more youthful and energized. Experience the science of feeling younger. Go to qualiaife.com/legalaf for up to 50% off your purchase and use code legal AF for an additional 15%. That's qualia.com/legal AF for an extra 15% off your purchase. Your older self will thank you. And thanks to Qualia for sponsoring this episode. So, here's what the magistrate judge says after Bondi runs to the eighth circuit to try to get the eighth circuit to issue what's called a rid of mandamus to compel this district court judge to override the magistrate judge and issue an arrest warrant and sign off on her criminal complaint. They didn't even have the courtesy apparently to inform Judge Schultz, chief judge, Republican, that they were going to do this. So, the eighth circuit wrote to Judge Schultz, who happened to be home caring for a child, and asked for his opinion about the mandamus. And here's what he said. And I think this this

9:32 snarkiness was intended. He says, um, I received an email from the ETH circuit in Ray, United States of America, asking me to, uh, file a response at my discretion to the petition for rid of mandamus by 2 p.m. Friday, January 23rd. The judge says, "This is the first that I heard of any petition for a rid of mandamus. The United States didn't have the courtesy of giving me a copy. I'm unable to access my documents and they are sealed apparently even from me. So I have been given about two and a half hours to respond to a mandamus petition that I've not read and cannot read.

10:13 Apparently I'm supposed to guess what the petition is about and guess what the mandamus petition says and then respond. So I will do so. He then says it is unheard of in his district or any other district and it is unprecedented for the Department of Justice to try to override a magistrate judge and obtain an arrest warrant. The reason why he says on page two is likely that if the government does not like the magistrate judge's decision, it can either improve the affidavit, present it again to the same magistrate, or it can present its case to a grand jury and get an indictment.

10:48 criminal complaint on probable cause gets cleared by a magistrate judge. If it doesn't, you can always take it to an indictment. Okay. They didn't like the fact that the judge was taking so long um to rule. He said, "I need a few days." And so, as a result, they ran in improvidently to ask for that um ask for that um mandamus. And here's what he says about the case. The five, this is on page three. This is this is a basically the exoneration of Don Lemon. The five people whom the government seeks to arrest are accused of entering a church and the worst behavior alleged about any of them is yelling horrible things at the members of the church. None committed any acts of violence. The leaders were arrested.

11:37 uh and then instead the government is insisting that I do something that as best I can tell no district judge in the history of the 8th circuit has done. He then continues in a follow-up email to clear Don Lemon. He says, "I will respond briefly. The government loves all eight protesters and says things that are true of some but not all of them. Two of the five protesters were not protesters at all. Instead, they were a journalist at his producer. That's Dodd Lemon. There is no evidence that those two engaged in any criminal behavior were conspired to do so.

12:14 He's challen Judge Schultz has challenged the Department of Justice to go to a grand jury and there's been several grand juries, including one on Tuesday, and yet no one no indication there's been a presentation. Certainly no return of an indictment. Got that? He's effectively exonerated Don Lemon. Can't ask for more than that if you're a defense lawyer. 35 years of doing this, I've never seen a chief judge step out and effectively put his arms around somebody and exonerate them. Which would explain why we now have new reporting that the Department of Justice is not going to go through the magistrate judge to try to get another arrest warrant and another criminal complaint perhaps supported by additional affidavit approved. No, they're going to try potentially, who knows, to indict. Or do they just walk away? We just saw two major leaders in Trump's cabinet get embarrassed and humiliated basically in

13:05 the same 24 to 48 hour period. Christine Gnome, who had her entire approach to Minneapolis uh reworked, sidelined and revised by Donald Trump. She's out effectively. Dan uh Greg Bevino, the head of Border Patrol out. Tom Holman, the briet taking uh alleged bribet taking uh borders are in reporting directly not to Christine Gnome but to Donald Trump. The same time Pam Bondi gets rejected by the eighth circuit and by Chief Judge Schultz in Minnesota. This follows up on last week when she got rejected and Lindseay Hallan had a had to resign in disgrace and hasn't been heard from since as a prosecutor has no role. the Department of Justice. Apparently, these are good things that we're watching, right? This is this is chief judges who don't even want to be here. You think this Chief Judge Schultz, who's a Federalist Society member, right-wing arch conservative, wants to be doing this?

14:05 No. But he will. Earlier today, he issued an order of possible contempt against uh Todd Lions, the head of ICE. He said, "Either release this one detainee who's been illegally over and and and in contempt, been held without a bail hearing, without a bond hearing. Release him immediately or show up on Friday to tell me why you're not in contempt." And then the Trump administration released him. Yeah, good things happen when you continue to exert pressure, right? This is right. If you bring the heat, you're going to melt ice. And that's what we're working on right now, folks. Glad you're here on the Midas Touch Network and on Legal AF.

14:41 Take a minute, hit the free subscribe button here and the same free subscribe button over on Legal AF YouTube channel. So until my next report, I'm Michael Popac. Can't get your fill of legal AF? Me neither. That's why we formed 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 "Trump DOJ HUMILIATED in Minnesota as GOP Judge SHUTS DOWN SCHEME"?

Michael Popock (Host), Don Lemon (Guest), Pam Bondi (Guest), Chief Judge Schultz (Guest).

What is "Trump DOJ HUMILIATED in Minnesota as GOP Judge SHUTS DOWN SCHEME" about?

The legal dynamics surrounding Donald Trump and journalist Don Lemon reach a pivotal moment in Minnesota, where Chief Judge Schultz, a conservative figure, decisively rejects the Trump administration's efforts to pursue arrest warrants against Lemon. Through correspondence with the Eighth Circuit Court, Judge Schultz emphasizes the unusual and improper nature of the actions taken against Lemon,…

What is mentioned in this MeidasTouch episode?

10 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Don Lemon, Chief Judge Schultz, Michael Popock, Minus Touch Network, Eighth Circuit, Attorney General Pam Bondi. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Trump DOJ HUMILIATED in Minnesota as GOP Judge SHUTS DOWN SCHEME"?

The episode runs 15 min; the transcript is about 2,614 words in 26 timestamped sections.

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