Don Lemon issued a call for independent journalism after his arrest last week, saying there is a “real need” for impartial and fearless reporting.
The independent journalist appeared on Monday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, where he talked about his recent arrest for covering an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota earlier this month. He also took a moment to call out the corporate media, claiming it has become “scared” of President Donald Trump and his administration.
“I have a lot of great friends who work in the corporate media, but the corporate media has been neutralized,” the former CNN anchor told Jimmy Kimmel. “They are afraid, and this is the reason I am happy with what I do, because I am closer to the ground.”
He continued: “We don’t need gatekeepers. We don’t need people saying, ‘Well, be careful what you say, because we need access to the President, and we don’t want to miss this interview for the morning show,’ or ‘We need to get our mergers and acquisitions done in Washington, so don’t confuse the president, or he might sue.
As Lemon continued, he noted that it was “an important time” and “not a time to be stubborn.”
“This is not the time to put the false equivalence and put people on television and on news programs that give them a platform … just to lie,” he added. “I think people are sick of this… Some things are objectively wrong, and I think it’s important at this time to point that out.” Watch Lemon’s full interview below.
Lemon was charged under two federal statutes, conspiracy to deprive rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrants Act (FACE), which in part prevents one from interfering with someone’s First Amendment right to religious freedom.
Lemon repeatedly raised the DOJ case against him, as both the journalist and his lawyer blasted the arrest as an attack on the First Amendment.
After his release without bail on Friday, Lemon addressed reporters and declared, “There is no more important time than now, this very moment, for a free and independent media to shine a light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”
He added: “Last night, the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night, for something I’ve been doing for the last 30 years – and that’s covering the news. The First Amendment of the Constitution protects that work for me and countless other journalists … I will not be silenced.”
Kimmel has also had a contentious relationship with the Trump administration, as FCC chairman Brendan Carr and President Trump repeatedly criticized the late-night host — even after Kimmel’s suspension over his controversial Charlie Kirk remarks.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs weeknights at 11:35 pm ET on ABC.
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