Transcript of Breaking: Trump Administration Seeks to Arrest Journalist in Major Attack on First Amendment

We have some very serious news right now. The Trump administration is moving closer to prosecuting a journalist, Don Lemon, who has been on the ground in Minnesota, covering the horrific events regarding ICE, regarding possible troop deployments, the protests, and so much more. He has been on the ground in Minneapolis. And well, now the administration is moving closer to prosecuting Don Lemon under what is called the FACE Act. Why? Because Don Lemon was inside of a church yesterday during church services, where he interviewed a pastor who community members say was assisting ICE. There were protesters at the church as well. Lemon was interviewing the pastor along with the other protesters at the church. Now, this is setting aside any conduct made by the protesters or any of the people at the church. This is all focused on Don Lemon. The Trump administration is seeking to make an example out of a journalist right now. And truthfully, the threat to journalism has never been greater. So please make sure to like, comment, share, and subscribe so people know what's happening. If you want to support my work and help us fight back, subscribe to my subsect by clicking the link below.

Let's just jump right into it today. Assistant attorney general, Harmeet Dylan, has confirmed to Benny Johnson that the FACE Act was violated, and federal charges are coming to those who stormed a city's church in Minneapolis. It's off limits to go into a house of worship to do your little protest. Protests can occur on public property. Protests can occur outside. The only The question is, who was involved, how many were involved, and how many charges are going to be brought here? Let's take a listen to our Meet Dylan on Benny Johnson show.

Can you just make it clear? Is this Assistant Attorney General? I don't know. That's what I mean. It's something I meant Dylan or whatever. Hannah Dylan.

Thank you for joining the show, Hannah Dylan.

I had no affiliation to that organization. I didn't even know they were going to this church until we followed them there. We were there chronicling protests. Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people who were involved, which included the pastor, members of the church, and members of the organization. That's it. It's called journalism. Okay.

Your response to Don Lemon.

Well, look, we have a presumption of innocence in this country, so I want to preserve my ethical duties here. But let me just say that he's a journalist. He was a journalist. I don't know what he is now, but he Journalism is not a badge or a shield that protects you from criminal consequences when you are part of a crime. I think the videos show how close he was to these folks. I think further evidence will show more information about that. But he clearly knew and he stated before going into the facility, it's on his own video, what was going to happen there. What was going to happen was a violation of federal law, federal criminal law. I don't know what as they say. The FACE Act has been out there for more than 30 years, and there were lawyers involved in this so-called protest, and their purpose was to terrorize people of faith in a house of worship. They were targeting a different pastor not the one seen on camera, who they got information was a ICE supervisor. None of that matters. It's off limits to go into a house of worship to do your little protest.

Protests can occur on public property Protests can occur outside on a sidewalk, certain sidewalks, not all sidewalks. This is basic what you learn in the first year of law school. It is a time placed in manner restrictions on the First Amendment right of protest, and they were violated here in this case. No question about it. The only question is who was involved, how many were involved, and how many chargers are going to be brought here? Those are the questions.

But here's the thing. That's not actually what the FACE Act says. I'm going to put on my legal hat here for a second. Because the FICE Act prohibits by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with, or attempt to injure, intimidate, or interfere with a person because that person is or has been obtaining or providing reproductive health services, or by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction intentionally injuring, intimidating, or interfering with, or attempting to do so, the exercise of the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship. Now, I'm not talking about the protesters here. I'm talking about the journalist, Don Lemon. The protesters, that's a closer call regarding the FACE Act, simply because, yes, traditionally, you cannot just conduct a protest and obstruct any religious institution in the United States of America. That is generally what this law says, although there will be nuances here, and there'll be significant legal discussion over if criminal charges are filed. But a journalist covering the protest inside of a church would not be subject to the Face Act, would not be subject in this case, because Don Lemon was not, by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, injuring, intimidating, or interfering with the exercise of any First Amendment right.

That exercise of First Amendment right was already presumably interfered with when the protest began. Simply walking in and covering that would not make you in violation of this criminal statute. I think that's where Harmeet Dylan gets it wrong. Well, the The Trump administration, nevertheless, is trying to make an example out of Don Lemon. Take a listen to what Harmeet Dylan had to say on television, on Newsmax.

We played that Don Lemon used the word we, not protestors, not they, not them, or any of their preferred pronouns. He said weed. Does that put him on the line as a protester and lose his First Amendment media coverage?

This position of his is so stupid. I was trying to figure out how to put it in layman's terms. Imagine you have a bank robbery that's being planned by a number of criminals. They're crossing state lines, they're using the wires. Then a podcaster says, Well, let me embed myself in here and come along for the ride and livestream the crime. That would not be protected by the First Amendment.

That would actually be protected by the First Amendment. She's wrong here, because if you are a journalist, you have certain First Amendment protections. As a journalist, I can embed myself with a cartel operation, for example, and report on what's happening inside of a cartel. I would not be subject to any criminal charges that that cartel is facing, just letting you know, because as a journalist, you are allowed to document what is happening in these instances. Let's continue with what she had to say.

It is a crime to disrupt and harass and make people in a church or any house of worship feel unsafe in this country. When you're part of that planning and show up and ride along and laugh outside and make commentary outside about how disrupting and putting people in fear is literally part of protest and part of the plan, we are not reaching conclusions now. Of course, everybody is entitled to the presumption of-Let's go a step further.

Don Lemon laughing about something that happened inside of the church is not criminal conduct that interferes with anyone's ability to exercise their First Amendment right.

But if I were giving advice to a journalist about this, which I have done in the past, I would say, Do not participate in a crime actively. Yeah, and he was saying a lot of that stuff- And she finishes off by saying, Do not participate in a crime.

But very different between documenting what could be a potential crime, and I'm not even calling it a crime, versus participating in that crime. And there's no evidence right now that he participated in any crime. But it's not going to stop them from trying to make an example out of Don Lemon, and he's going to be potentially the first, but not the last journalist they go after. And it's why people need to know what's happening. The attack on the First Amendment is serious. Spread the word. And if you want to support my work, make sure to like, comment, share, and subscribe. I'll never cave to this White House. I know Don will never. I will never as well. So stay tuned for more. Hey, folks.

Erin Parnas here. Thank you so much for watching the Parnas Perspective. Please consider subscribing to support our work as we grow this independent news media entity into something that rivals mainstream every Thanks so much, and I'll see you soon.