Well, things just got hotter than a Nicki Minaj verse—and not in a good way. Over the weekend, a chaotic scene unfolded at a Minneapolis church when anti-ICE protesters burst into Sunday service chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “ICE out.”
Among them? None other than Don Lemon—yes, the recently axed CNN anchor—who showed up with a film crew in tow and dropped a nearly seven-hour video documenting the entire event. What started as a protest ended up triggering a national firestorm, and Nicki Minaj didn’t hold back.
In a jaw-dropping X post, Minaj absolutely torched Lemon, calling him “disgusting” and demanding jail time.
Her post was raw, unfiltered, and explosive. She wasn’t just venting—she was going for the jugular, slamming Lemon for what she saw as blatant disrespect toward Christianity and daring him to try the same stunt at a mosque or synagogue.
And guess what? That wasn’t just a social media dust-up. The video went viral fast, and it caught the eye of none other than Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
She fired off her own X post confirming that the Department of Justice is now actively investigating whether federal laws were broken—specifically, the FACE Act, which protects Americans’ right to worship without threats, violence, or intimidation. That’s serious.
🚨 BOOM! NICKI MINIAJ demands Don Lemon be thrown in JAIL after he stormed and terrified churchgoers to “protest” ICE in Minneapolis
“I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!! HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION. LOCK HIM UP!!!!!” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fW1a1rtspq
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 19, 2026
The FACE Act isn’t some obscure rule. It was written to prevent exactly this kind of chaos—whether it’s in a church or a clinic. And if investigators determine Lemon was more than just a journalist tagging along, he could be facing some hefty legal consequences.
But Lemon isn’t staying quiet. He denied being part of the demonstration, then took a sharp swipe at Minaj, allegedly calling for her deportation—a comment that’s only throwing more gasoline on an already blazing fire.
The Department of Justice is reportedly still weighing charges, but this whole episode is snowballing into something much bigger. You’ve got a celebrity feud, a First Amendment flashpoint, and a potentially criminal act—all tangled up in one very messy Sunday morning.
