HOT TOPICS | Don Live On The Scene At The Capitol: Friday News Dump! - September 19th, 2025

This morning, we’re diving into the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, just days after Trump publicly said Attorney General Pam Bondi should prosecute him (and other political adversaries). What a coincidence, right? 🙄 We always knew Trump was petty, but this is next-level ridiculous. Once again, he’s proving that in his world, loyalty matters more than the law, and anyone he deems “disloyal” will be punished. What does this mean for our justice system, and how much further can this circus go? We're joined by attorney Glenn Kirschner and lawyer, political commentator, and podcaster Katie Phang to break it all down. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON use LEMON at checkout for 15% off first time orders. Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government shutdown looms, and the White House has instructed federal agencies to prepare mass firing plans in case Congress can’t strike a deal. So, does MAGA actually want a shutdown? Do they care about the hundreds of thousands of people who could lose their jobs and livelihoods? From where we’re standing, it sure doesn’t look like it. Let’s break down what this means for workers, the economy, and the future of our democracy. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON use LEMON at checkout for 15% off first time orders. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good morning from D.C.! This morning, Don is hosting a breakfast roundtable with friends of the show Reecie Colbert and Jack Cocchiarella, and it’s a news-packed meal. On the table: Trump’s failed attempt to censor Jimmy Kimmel, the devastating shooting at an ICE facility yesterday, and the looming government shutdown on Capitol Hill. Grab your coffee and join the conversation. You won’t want to miss this one. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON use LEMON at checkout for 15% off first time orders. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, we start with the looming government shutdown and what’s really at stake. To break it all down, Don is joined by none other than Senator Cory Booker. Then, we pivot to the horrific breaking news of the latest mass shooting at an ICE facility, where several detainees were shot. Almost immediately, Trump and his MAGA base rushed to frame this as another case of “left-wing violence," but conspiracy theories are already flooding the internet. What are the actual facts, and what could this mean moving forward? You won’t want to miss this one. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don Lemon sits down with  @adammockler , political contributor for the MeidasTouch Network and host of The Adam Mockler Show, for a deep dive into the state of the Democratic Party and where it needs to go from here. Together, they unpack the revelations in Kamala Harris’s new book, 107 Days, and examine the recent wave of attacks on free speech, what they mean for democracy and how Democrats can push back effectively. Thoughtful, sharp, and unfiltered, this is a conversation about the challenges ahead and the strategies needed to move forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning, we’re breaking down Jimmy Kimmel’s big return to ABC, his first show since being taken off the air. Kimmel came out swinging with a monologue criticizing Trump and praising those who stood with him in the fight for free speech. But surprise, surprise, Trump and MAGA are furious. What happens next? Will ABC stand by Kimmel this time, or will the Trump administration try to get him yanked off the air again? Let’s dive in. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, we’ve got a packed show. First, we’ll dive into the latest news about Jimmy Kimmel returning to ABC after his so-called “indefinite” removal. What does this big reversal mean for free speech and the state of media today? Then, we’re joined by the one and only Joy Reid to break down all the recent revelations from Kamala Harris’s new book, 107 Days. What do Harris’s words tell us about the past, the 2024 election, and the future of the Democratic Party? You won’t want to miss this one. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON use LEMON at checkout for 15% off first time orders. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good morning! We’ve got a lot to cover today. First up: Jimmy Kimmel is returning to late night! After being pulled off the air “indefinitely,” public outcry clearly hit Disney where it hurts, and now he’s back. Score one for free speech. Then, we turn to Trump’s absolutely deranged press conference where he claimed that autism is caused by… Tylenol, a claim that is not supported by evidence. And why is MAGA suddenly obsessed with Tylenol instead of the actual drug, acetaminophen? And finally, Kamala Harris is back in the spotlight with her new book 107 Days. What can we expect to learn from it, and what bombshells are already making waves? It’s all here, unfiltered and with the snark you know and love. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON use LEMON at checkout for 15% off first time orders. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, we’re covering the breaking news that ABC has decided to bring back Jimmy Kimmel’s show, a huge win for free speech in a moment when it’s been under constant attack. But you know what that means: Trump and MAGA won’t take this lying down. How will they respond, and what does this battle say about the larger fight over voices, power, and truth in America? Let’s break it all down. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON use LEMON at checkout for 15% off first time orders. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/donlemon and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning, we’re breaking down Sunday’s memorial for Charlie Kirk. While some voices tried to keep the focus on Kirk without escalating tensions, Donald Trump and other MAGA officials seized the moment to push their political agenda and spew more hate at their opponents. What is this nation coming to? At a time when leadership should be about unity and healing, Trump is making it clear that his priority is anything but. Meanwhile, the debate over free speech rages on, and the future of our democracy hangs in the balance. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON use LEMON at checkout for 15% off first time orders. This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://www.ollie.com/lemon for 60% off your first box of meals! Thie episode is sponsored by Lean. If you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off... Add LEAN to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% OFF WHEN YOU ENTER LEMON at https://TAKELEAN.com This episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. Quit stalling and start saving when you make the switch. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/DONLEMON. Upfront payment of $45 required (equivalent to $15/mo.). Limited time new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speeds may slow above 35GB on Unlimited plan. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices