Conservative expert sounds alarm on Trump's 'dangerous game' of arrests
Much of Trumpworld is celebrating the federal indictment of journalist Don Lemon for being present at the protest that disrupted a church service in Minnesota — but conservative Washington Examiner contributor Brad Polumbo struck a much more cautious tone on the issue on the right-wing Newsmax channel.
In particular, Polumbo wasn't quite ready to agree with his fellow guest, who proclaimed Lemon had committed "crime after crime" and the feds should "throw the book at him."
"There's nuance here, and we don't have the full details because we don't actually know the charges," said Polumbo, who has often called out the Trump administration's more fringe claims and moves. "So I'm reserving final judgement based on what do the prosecutors actually have."
"I'll say this: I was fully supportive of prosecuting the activists who actually shut down the church service, they have no right to do that, that is potentially a serious federal crime," said Polumbo. "But the Don Lemon situation is more complicated. I mean sure, he trespassed, but that's not a federal offense. He went there and stood on the sidelines during the disruption, he didn't actively participate, and then he filmed and recorded it, and whatever you think of it, it was certainly a newsworthy event."
"So prosecuting journalists is a dangerous game to play absent extraordinary evidence of criminal wrongdoing," Polumbo continued. "We haven't seen that to date, that's why even some Republican-appointed judges weren't comfortable issuing an arrest warrant and said there wasn't probable cause. They did apparently get this grand jury indictment. Maybe the feds have something up their sleeves."
"So I'll withhold final judgment, but I hope that they have serious, serious hardcore proof of criminal wrongdoing, not just that he went there and filmed and asked people questions, because that is not a crime in the United States of America," he concluded.