Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche just destroyed ABC’s George Stephanopoulos during a contentious exchange on This Week, calling out the network for what he characterized as biased coverage protecting former CNN anchor Don Lemon following his arrest for involvement in storming a church service in St. Paul.
It all started when Stephanopoulos asked when Blanche believed Lemon had crossed the line from journalism into criminal activity. Rather than taking the bait, Blanche immediately went on the offensive, pointing out a glaring omission in ABC’s coverage.
“Conveniently missing from what you just showed, George, is the appellate court and a judge on the appellate court who said just a few days later there was clearly probable cause, and it wasn’t even a close question,” Blanche explained. “So, and by the way, a grand jury, which is what our system has set up to determine whether probable cause exists, concluded that there was probable cause. That indictment is now public. Everybody in this country can pull it up and read for themselves and see what the grand jury found that, that Mr. Lemon did.”
While declining to comment on specific charges, Blanche pivoted to address the broader issue. He challenged the notion that Lemon’s actions could be defended under the First Amendment, reminding viewers that freedom of religion carries equal weight to any other constitutional right.
“But it’s interesting that we talk about the First Amendment right. You have a right of freedom of religion, which is just as important as any other right that we have. And, George, I don’t know if you’ve watched the videos or read the indictment about what it’s alleged that Mr. Lemon did, but if anybody in this country thinks that that is, quote, independent journalism, I would like to have a conversation with you,” Blanche said pointedly.
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Blanche then acknowledged that Lemon has competent legal representation and the right to mount a defense in court. But he made clear that the Department of Justice won’t stand idly by when houses of worship are disrupted, regardless of who commits the offense.
“Nobody in this country should feel comfortable storming into a church while it’s ongoing and disrupting that church service and thinking that we’re just gonna stand by and let that happen, because there is a statute that does not allow that to happen,” Blanche declared.
He drove the point home with a series of emphatic statements that left no room for misinterpretation: “It doesn’t matter if you happen to be a former CNN journalist. It doesn’t matter if you’re a rioter. It doesn’t matter if you think you’re peacefully protesting. You are not allowed to do that.”
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Deputy AG Todd Blanche just CALLED OUT Fake News ABC George Stephanopoulos to his FACE for running cover for Don Lemon storming a church
“CONVENIENTLY missing from what you just showed, George, is the appellate court and a judge on the appellate court who said just… pic.twitter.com/xXMd06A5hm
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 1, 2026
The left has bizarre standards when it comes to justice. For them, “no one is above the law” when it comes to Republicans, but when elected Democrats or far-left media personalities are involved, suddenly there are caveats and exceptions to this mantra. You can’t investigate a Democrat governor for fraud. You can’t hold a former Democrat president in contempt for failing to comply with a federal subpoena; you can’t charge a left-wing journalist when he breaks the law.
Noticing a pattern here?
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