The Don Lemon Show

Don sits down with Senator Raphael Warnock for a clear-eyed conversation about the state of the nation and why this moment should concern every American. From escalating attacks on journalism and free speech to growing threats against free and fair elections, they break down what’s at stake, who’s responsible, and why silence isn’t an option. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning we're diving into the ongoing ICE crisis, where federal immigration enforcement continues to spark outrage and protests after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good in Minneapolis, incidents that have led to national demands for accountability and major pushback against the Trump administration’s tactics. We’ll also break down Donald Trump’s latest attacks on elections, including his suggestion that the federal government should take a more active role or “nationalize” voting to protect GOP outcomes. And yes, we’ll talk about Trump’s repeated efforts to shrug off the Epstein files, insisting Americans “move on” even as fresh revelations continue to surface. America is not okay. This episode is sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to https://FFRF.US/NEW YEAR or text “DON” to Five Eleven Five Eleven. And help protect a country that belongs to all of us. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/donlemon This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is brought to you Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, we’re diving into the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on the First Amendment, including efforts to chill journalism and punish reporters covering public protests, a troubling trend that goes far beyond partisan politics. Then we pivot to the ongoing ICE crisis, following the nationwide fallout from the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, which has sparked widespread protests and calls for accountability. Joining Don to break it all down is Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, bringing sharp insight into both the constitutional crisis and the human cost of federal enforcement policies. Tune in for a conversation you won't want to miss! 🍋 This episode is sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to https://FFRF.US/NEW YEAR or text “DON” to Five Eleven Five Eleven. And help protect a country that belongs to all of us. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/donlemon This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is brought to you Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 888-675-4090, for details about credit costs and terms. Or AmericanFinancing.net/Lemon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don sits down with author, journalist, and Pivot podcast host Kara Swisher for a candid conversation about his recent arrest and what it signals for the future of free speech and freedom of the press in America. They dig into the growing pattern of intimidation toward journalists, the chilling effect these moments can have on reporting, and why a free press is essential, especially when power is being challenged. This isn’t just about one incident; it’s about what happens when journalism itself is put on trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don is on the move this morning, so Katie Phang is guest hosting to bring you all the breaking news of the day. We’re diving into Donald Trump’s attacks on TPS protections for Haitians, the raid in Fulton County, and of course, the latest bombshells from the Epstein files that just won’t stop coming. This episode is sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to https://FFRF.US/NEW YEAR or text “DON” to Five Eleven Five Eleven. And help protect a country that belongs to all of us. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/donlemon This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is brought to you Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, Don is joined by Joy Reid for a powerful, no-holds-barred conversation about the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on free speech and the targeted intimidation of Black journalists. This isn’t random. It’s strategic. And it’s dangerous. Then we dig into the latest bombshell revelations from the Epstein files, where the political implications just keep getting darker. And yes, we’ll also break down the very pointed political messaging that showed up on the Grammy Awards stage this weekend because culture is speaking, whether politicians like it or not. This episode is sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to https://FFRF.US/NEW YEAR or text “DON” to Five Eleven Five Eleven. And help protect a country that belongs to all of us. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/donlemon This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is brought to you Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don sits down with Brian Tyler Cohen to break down everything that happened and why it should worry everyone who cares about free speech and a free press. From targeting journalists for doing their jobs to chilling signals sent to newsrooms nationwide, this isn’t just about one incident. It’s about the dangerous precedent being set, who benefits from it, and what comes next if it goes unchecked. 🍋 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More Epstein files have been released, and once again, Donald Trump’s name is everywhere. As documents surface, the question isn’t if Trump is connected, it’s how deep it goes. Yet, it seems like accountability isn't going to happen. Instead, the DOJ is more interested in arresting a journalist for doing his job. Looks like they arrested the wrong Don! This morning, Don is joined by Congressman Jason Crow and journalist @TaraPalmeri to break down the latest bombshells, the growing cover-up concerns, and whether accountability is finally unavoidable. 🍋 This episode is sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to https://FFRF.US/NEW YEAR or text “DON” to Five Eleven Five Eleven. And help protect a country that belongs to all of us. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/donlemon This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is brought to you Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don Lemon Speaks Out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

STATEMENT FROM ABBE LOWELL, ATTORNEY FOR DON LEMON 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 what he has always done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work. 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, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case. This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight Don is joined by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to break down the chaos consuming the nation, from the escalating ICE crisis in Minneapolis, sparked by the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents and the outrage and protests that followed, to the broader political fallout Washington is facing. Join us live as Don and Jeffries unpack the pressing questions of the moment: how did we get here, who is truly to blame, and what comes next in a nation pushed to its breaking point. 🍋 This episode is sponsored by BiOptimizers. Go to https://bioptimizers.com/donlemon and use my exclusive code DON15 to get up to 35% off select Magnesium Breakthrough ritual bundles through January 31st. And don’t worry—you can still use my code DON15 for 15% off your purchase in the coming months. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can’t harm you if they can’t find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet This episode is brought to you by Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning we’re taking a step back to look at where we are and how we got here, and it’s looking more and more like we’re living in a police state. From unchecked federal force to escalating enforcement, civil liberties are under strain and public trust is evaporating. The ICE crisis in Minneapolis has exploded into something far bigger than one city. After the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, protesters have taken to the streets in bitter cold, and the movement has spread beyond Minnesota as people across the country demand accountability and the removal of ICE from communities. This episode is sponsored by BiOptimizers. Go to https://bioptimizers.com/donlemon and use my exclusive code DON15 to get up to 35% off select Magnesium Breakthrough ritual bundles through January 31st. And don’t worry—you can still use my code DON15 for 15% off your purchase in the coming months. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can’t harm you if they can’t find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet This episode is brought to you by Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, Don sits down with Hollywood Unlocked’s Jason Lee to break down the increasingly bizarre alliance between Donald Trump and Nicki Minaj. What’s going on here and what does it mean politically? Then we pivot to serious national crises. Don is joined by friend of the show Monique Pressley to unpack the escalating ICE crisis that’s ignited protests and outrage, and the FBI’s search of a Fulton County election office in Georgia connected to the Trump-era push to revisit the 2020 election, a move critics say is part of a broader attack on democracy. Join us live as we break down the absurd and the alarming all in one night. 🍋 This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is brought to you by Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. This episode is sponsored by Wildgrain. Right now, Wildgrain is offering our listeners $30 off your first box - PLUS free Croissants for life - when you go to https://Wildgrain.com/LEMON to start your subscription today. This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can’t harm you if they can’t find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don goes off on Megyn Kelly’s cold, inhumane response to the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents. This isn’t an isolated slip-up for Megyn, it’s part of a long pattern of appalling commentary that excuses state violence and dehumanizes victims. Don breaks down why this kind of rhetoric is dangerous, and why it deserves to be called out, loudly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning we’re diving into the deepening rift in MAGA after the latest federal shootings in Minneapolis, first Renée Good, then Alex Pretti. Both were killed by immigration agents in a crackdown that’s sparked protests, anger, and bipartisan blowback. Even some Republicans are publicly criticizing the Trump administration’s response. Instead of owning the chaos, MAGA officials are backstabbing and finger-pointing. Kristi Noem is blaming Stephen Miller, Miller is tossing blame at DHS, and Donald Trump is blaming anyone but himself, all while trying to shift the narrative and tamp down outrage. Of course, accountability is nowhere in sight, just damage control and political theater. 🍋 This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is brought to you by Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. This episode is sponsored by Wildgrain. Right now, Wildgrain is offering our listeners $30 off your first box - PLUS free Croissants for life - when you go to https://Wildgrain.com/LEMON to start your subscription today. This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can’t harm you if they can’t find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight we’re diving into Donald Trump’s attempt to take back the narrative around ICE in Minneapolis, and it’s clear he’s scrambling and in full damage-control mode. After the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents sparked widespread protests and bipartisan backlash, the White House has begun shifting its tone, reshuffling leadership, and trying to tamp down outrage. This episode is sponsored by BiOptimizers. Go to https://bioptimizers.com/donlemon and use my exclusive code DON15 to get up to 35% off select Magnesium Breakthrough ritual bundles through January 31st. And don’t worry—you can still use my code DON15 for 15% off your purchase in the coming months. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can’t harm you if they can’t find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet This episode is brought to you by Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don calls out the staggering MAGA hypocrisy around the Second Amendment. A man was killed by federal agents and is now being vilified simply for legally owning a firearm, one he never brandished and that agents had already removed before shooting him. Yet facts don’t matter when lies are more convenient. Don breaks down how MAGA’s “gun rights” rhetoric collapses the moment it no longer serves their narrative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning we’re continuing to follow the fallout after multiple federal shootings in Minneapolis, first Renée Good and then Alex Pretti. Both were killed by federal immigration agents, and the pushback is now coming from even within the Republican Party. Public outrage is growing, with protests spreading and polls showing increasing support for reining in ICE and ending aggressive federal enforcement. The Trump administration is visibly shifting tactics, dispatching Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota and sidelining some of the officials who defended the actions of agents, even as credibility questions mount. We’ll break down what this means for MAGA’s agenda, whether this growing rift could fracture the party, and the central question everyone is asking...will there ever be accountability for these atrocious acts? This episode is sponsored by BiOptimizers. Go to https://bioptimizers.com/donlemon and use my exclusive code DON15 to get up to 35% off select Magnesium Breakthrough ritual bundles through January 31st. And don’t worry—you can still use my code DON15 for 15% off your purchase in the coming months. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can’t harm you if they can’t find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet This episode is brought to you by Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 888-675-4090, for details about credit costs and terms. Or AmericanFinancing.net/Lemon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight we’re breaking down the continuing fallout after the killing of Alex Pretti by a federal Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis. The MAGA spin machine is in panic mode, trying to justify and rewrite the story, but what we all saw on camera isn’t lining up with what they’re pushing. This isn’t just political damage control, it’s a desperate attempt to defend a pattern of violence that’s eroding trust and sparking nationwide protest. Join Don live as he breaks down the outrage, the lies, and what this means for accountability, because this story isn’t going away, and neither should the demand for truth. 🍋 This episode is brought to you by Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can’t harm you if they can’t find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by BiOptimizers. Go to https://bioptimizers.com/donlemon and use my exclusive code DON15 to get up to 35% off select Magnesium Breakthrough ritual bundles through January 31st. And don’t worry—you can still use my code DON15 for 15% off your purchase in the coming months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don sits down with Colby Hall to break down how Donald Trump is handling the ongoing ICE chaos and why it’s blowing up in his face. From Minneapolis to the national backlash, Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement and federal force looks increasingly unstable and out of control. Colby and Don dig into why the administration’s narrative isn’t sticking, how public outrage is growing, and what this means for Trump politically as protests spread and pressure mounts. 🍋🔥 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning we’re covering the fallout after yet another ICE killing, this time the death of nurse Alex Pretti over the weekend. And almost immediately, the MAGA machine went into overdrive, labeling him a terrorist to justify the violence. It’s sickening, and it doesn’t line up with the video evidence at all. They’re claiming he was dangerous. The footage says otherwise. We’re breaking down what actually happened and how the narrative is being twisted. How can so many continue to tolerated this? And what should we demand of our leaders after another violent murder? This episode is brought to you by Lean. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add LEAN to you healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit https://TAKELEAN.com and enter LEMON for your discount. This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can’t harm you if they can’t find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by BiOptimizers. Go to https://bioptimizers.com/donlemon and use my exclusive code DON15 to get up to 35% off select Magnesium Breakthrough ritual bundles through January 31st. And don’t worry—you can still use my code DON15 for 15% off your purchase in the coming months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don comes to you live with updates on yesterday's ICE shooting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don comes to you live with breaking news of yet another ICE shooting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight we’re talking about the massive pushback against ICE on the ground in Minneapolis with huge protests citywide, union-led walkouts, business closures, clergy arrests, and tens of thousands turning out in freezing cold to demand an end to the violent immigration detentions. People are angry, united, and refusing to back down, and we’ll break down what this uprising means, why it’s growing, and how it’s shaking up the narrative. Then we’ll pivot to the oncoming storm that’s set to sweep much of the country, what you need to know now, how to prepare, and what to expect as the weather worsens. Tonight, we’re joined by our very own Lemon Legends to unpack it all live. 🍋 This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/donlemon This episode is sponsored by Graza. Take your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/LEMON and use promo code LEMON today for 20% off your first order! This episode is sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to https://FFRF.US/NEW YEAR or text “DON” to Five Eleven Five Eleven. And help protect a country that belongs to all of us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning we’re diving into the escalating ICE crisis, and it just keeps getting more disturbing. Federal agents recently detained a 5-year-old boy returning from preschool, with local officials saying he was used as “bait” to apprehend family members. This is part of a widening pattern of violent, unchecked immigration enforcement that has rattled communities and raised serious questions about humanity and accountability. How low can this go on? Will this depravity ever stop? And will anyone ever face consequences? Join us live as we break it all down and demand answers. 🍋 This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/lemon This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/donlemon This episode is sponsored by Graza. Take your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/LEMON and use promo code LEMON today for 20% off your first order! This episode is sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Go to https://FFRF.US/NEW YEAR or text “DON” to Five Eleven Five Eleven. And help protect a country that belongs to all of us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices