Don Lemon is one of the most well-known journalists in America. He became a household name during his 17 years working for CNN before breaking out on his own in 2023 and starting Lemon Media Network the year after. That project has grown into one of the most successful independent news outlets in the U.S. The Don Lemon show, for example, boasts 1.4 million YouTube subscribers, and Lemon has 2.9 million followers on Instagram.

In the midst of this success, Lemon has been one of the biggest targets of the Trump administration. In January, he was arrested by federal agents for his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Officials from the Trump administration, of which Lemon has been a longstanding critic, charged him with obstruction and conspiracy against rights of religious freedom—charges to which he has pled not guilty and is fighting in court. Outside of this legal battle, Trump has been cracking down on press freedom more broadly, attempting to ban multiple news outlets from the White House. In the meantime, billionaire Paramount CEO David Ellison has installed Trump-friendly leadership at CBS News and is quickly moving forward on a merger with Warner Bros., which owns CNN.

In this episode of “UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton,” we speak with Lemon about the all-out assault on the First Amendment, as well as his place in it as a high-profile Black, gay, independent journalist with a target on his back. We also talk about his advice for American journalists moving forward as well as the likelihood that he’ll run for president, which he pegged at about 65 to 70%.