Don Lemon being arrested after the Minnesota church protest was catnip for conservative media, and many couldn’t resist taking the bait.
The former CNN anchor has been a frequent punching bag on the right for years, so the reaction wasn’t surprising. Clips were dunked. Jokes were made. Victory laps were run. To some, it felt like karma finally showing up on time.
Others pushed back hard, arguing the arrest went against the First Amendment. They weren’t wrong to raise that concern. Over the last several years, a loud segment of conservative media has branded itself as First Amendment absolutists. Free speech, free press, and free expression became rallying cries. Those principles weren’t supposed to depend on whether the speaker was liked.
That’s where this whole thing gets uncomfortable. If you really believe in the First Amendment, you don’t only defend it when your people are involved. You defend it when it protects people you can’t stand. Otherwise, it’s not a principle. It’s just a preference.
There isn’t a less principled take than “I’m glad that guy got arrested. I don’t like him.” That reaction is more about vibes and settling scores than it is about law, rights, or consistency. And it’s exactly the mindset many in conservative media say they’re fighting against.
I’m not qualified to determine whether Don Lemon truly ran afoul of the FACE Act. I haven’t seen every angle, read every report, or studied every charge. Courts exist for a reason, and they’ll sort that out. What I do know is this: I don’t know that there’s a situation where someone in media gets arrested while working, and I’d cheer it on, regardless of politics.
That doesn’t mean journalists should get a free pass. If someone breaks the law, they can be charged. Having a microphone doesn’t create immunity. Most serious people agree on that. The problem is the glee, not the process. It’s the celebration of state power being used against a disliked figure.
Conservative media has spent years warning about weaponized law enforcement. They’ve talked endlessly about selective prosecution. They’ve argued that vague statutes can be used to chill speech. And don’t get me started about how often the words “cancel culture run amok” have been spoken in recent years. Those concerns don’t magically disappear because the person in cuffs is Don Lemon.
This is where the absolutist talk meets its stress test. Do you still care when the precedent might be used against you later? Or does your commitment fade when the target wears the wrong jersey? It’s easy to defend speech when it flatters you. It’s harder when it annoys you.
As they say, it ain’t no fun when the rabbit’s got the gun. That saying exists for a reason. Power doesn’t stay neatly confined to your enemies. It travels. It mutates. And it eventually comes looking for new hosts.
Today it’s Lemon. Tomorrow, it’s someone else who crossed an invisible line. Maybe it’s a conservative reporter covering a protest. Maybe it’s someone you actually like.
The smarter move is to slow down and lower the volume. Ask whether cheering an arrest aligns with the values you claim to hold. Decide if your defense of the First Amendment is situational or sincere. Those choices matter more than a viral clip.
You don’t have to like Don Lemon. You don’t have to defend his opinions. And you don’t even have to feel bad for him. But if you care about free expression, you should care about the rules being applied evenly.
Otherwise, don’t be shocked when the applause dies down and the spotlight turns your way.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
