Don Lemon and the Orbán Playbook: How Trump Is Controlling Media Like a Dictator

Executive Summary

In January 2026, Don Lemon, a journalist, was arrested by federal agents for reporting on a church protest in Minneapolis. The important thing: a federal judge said there was not enough evidence to charge him. But the Trump Justice Department overrode that judge and arrested him anyway. Lemon did nothing but his job—he filmed, interviewed people, and reported the news.

This arrest shows that Trump is using tactics that Viktor Orbán, the leader of Hungary, invented to control the press. Orbán has spent 15 years taking over Hungarian media. Now 80 percent of Hungarian media is controlled by his government. Trump admires Orbán and is using similar methods in America.

If this continues, America could become like Hungary—a country that still has elections but where the government controls the information so thoroughly that opposition is powerless.

Introduction

How Dictators Control Media

In democracies, newspapers and TV stations are supposed to investigate government and report what is true. Voters use this information to decide who to vote for. But dictators have learned they do not need to shut down all media. That is too obvious. Instead, they use 3 tactics: they scare journalists by prosecuting them, they threaten to punish news organizations, and they control which information reaches the public.

The result: people see only government-approved information. Elections still happen, but voters cannot make real choices because they do not have real information.

Viktor Orbán did this in Hungary. Trump is now doing it in America.

History

Trump's War on Media

Trump has attacked the press for years. Here are the main things he has done.

In 2017, Trump threatened to take away broadcast licenses from NBC News because he did not like their reporting. He has done this to many networks.

In 2024, CBS News edited an interview in a way Trump did not like. Trump sued CBS and threatened to revoke its license. CBS settled the lawsuit and made changes. The network capitulated.

In 2025, Jimmy Kimmel, a late-night host on ABC, made critical jokes about Trump. Trump attacked ABC publicly. The FCC chair, Brendan Carr (appointed by Trump), threatened the network. ABC suspended the show.

The FCC is the government agency that gives TV and radio stations permission to broadcast. Carr told networks that if they did not please the government, they should "surrender your license." That is a threat.

Trump excluded the Associated Press from White House events because the AP used the term "Gulf of Mexico" instead of "Gulf of America." That is petty punishment for not using his preferred words.

The Pentagon made new rules that prevent journalists from reporting on what they see unless the government approves it first. This turns journalists into mouthpieces for the government. Every major news organization—the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Reuters, AP—quit in protest.

Trump cut funding for public media: NPR, PBS, Voice of America. These are stations that are supposed to be independent from government.

Trump has personally insulted journalists. He called a reporter "piggy" and another one "a terrible person."

Key Developments

Trump Arrests Journalists

But now Trump has gone further. He is using criminal law against journalists.

On 29 January 2026, federal agents arrested Don Lemon in Los Angeles. Lemon is a former CNN anchor, now an independent journalist. He was arrested for covering a protest at a church in Minneapolis.

A federal judge examined the charges on 22 January and said there was not enough evidence. But the Trump Justice Department did not accept the judge's decision. It went to a higher court and asked them to override the judge. When that failed, the DOJ got charges from a federal grand jury and arrested Lemon anyway.

The charges are under a law about protecting medical clinics. Trump is using it to prosecute a journalist for filming a protest. The indictment says Lemon did what journalists do: he filmed, he interviewed people, he asked questions, he reported what he saw. That is the charge.

Another independent journalist, Georgia Fort, was also arrested for the same thing—reporting on the protest.

Latest Facts and Concerns

Several facts are alarming.

First: The prosecutor overrode a judge's decision to charge someone without enough evidence. That is not justice. That is political prosecution.

Second: Lemon and Fort are Black journalists. They have been critical of Trump. The message is clear: Black journalists who report critically will be prosecuted.

Third: The White House posted a picture of Lemon on social media making fun of his arrest. It said "When life gives you lemons..." with a picture of chains. The government is mocking arrested journalists. That is not something a democracy does.

Fourth: Lemon was reporting on federal law enforcement conduct in a sanctuary church. Trump wants to hide what immigration agents are doing. By prosecuting the journalist, Trump is hiding government abuses.

Cause and Effect

How Media Control Spreads

When journalists see that reporting can lead to arrest, they become afraid. Some stop covering sensitive topics. Some remove criticism from their reporting. Others leave journalism. The press becomes weaker and less willing to challenge the government.

When the FCC threatens to revoke broadcast licenses, networks comply. They stop airing criticism. They stop hosting critics. They self-censor.

When public media funding is cut, independent outlets become weak. They cannot compete with networks that depend on government approval.

When government controls 80 percent of media outlets (as in Hungary), people see only pro-government information. Opposition politicians cannot reach voters. Elections become meaningless because voters have no real information.

The Orbán Model in Hungary

In 2010, Viktor Orbán became leader of Hungary. He wanted to control the press. Here is what he did.

He cut government advertising money from newspapers that criticized him. Without that money, they went out of business.

He had businessmen loyal to him buy critical newspapers and shut them down.

In 2018, he had 500 media outlets transferred to a foundation he controlled. All at once. No money changed hands. Just transferred.

Now Orbán controls 80 percent of Hungarian media. Opposition politicians get 5 minutes of air time every 4 years. That is the legal minimum. Government messages dominate.

Hungary used to be a democracy. Now it is called an "electoral autocracy." Elections happen, but the government controls so much information that opposition is powerless.

Is Trump Following Orbán?

Yes. Trump said about Orbán: "There is nobody that is better or smarter. He is fantastic." Trump is using the same tactics: prosecuting journalists, threatening broadcast licenses, cutting public media funding, controlling information.

Future Steps

Trump will likely arrest more journalists. Media will capitulate more. Public media will be cut further. The FCC will continue to threaten licenses. The information environment will become more controlled.

If this continues, America becomes like Hungary: elections happen, but government controls information so thoroughly that real choice disappears.

Conclusion

Democracy needs a free press. Journalists need to be able to report without fear of arrest. When governments prosecute journalists, democracy dies.

The arrest of Don Lemon is the moment America must choose: defend press freedom or slide toward authoritarianism like Hungary. The choice is now.