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Rapper Nicki Minaj has criticised former CNN anchor and independent journalist Don Lemon on social media following his livestream coverage of a protest that disrupted a church service in Minnesota.
The protest took place on Sunday at Cities Church in St. Paul, where demonstrators interrupted a Sunday worship service to voice concerns about the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to protest the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was killed earlier this month by an ICE agent during a federal operation. The incident has sparked widespread protests and heightened tensions in the Minneapolis area.
During the event, Don Lemon was livestreaming the protest and reporting on the confrontation. Conservative figures, including officials from the Department of Justice, criticised Lemon’s presence at the church, with some calling for legal action over the disruption of the service. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division confirmed it is investigating whether federal laws protecting worship services were violated.
Lemon defended his coverage, stating he was reporting in a journalistic capacity and emphasizing that reporting on protests is protected under the First Amendment.
Minaj took to social media to express her anger at Lemon’s reporting, reflecting the broader debates over media coverage, public protests against federal immigration enforcement, and the role of celebrities in commenting on current events.
President Donald Trump’s former White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, also commented on the matter, stating that the administration “will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship,” and noting that the Department of Justice had launched a full investigation.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions around immigration enforcement, media coverage of protests, and the public response from high-profile figures like Nicki Minaj.
