Session 1: What'd They Say?

TL;DRLiberty Speidel Hardt launched the first episode of her “Hardt of Liberty” podcast on January 31, 2026. She introduced herself, shared her journalism background, and spent the bulk of the episode analyzing the media coverage of Don Lemon’s recent arrest tied to a church protest in St. Paul, Minnesota. She strongly criticized the disruption of religious worship, compared contrasting news reports from Daily Wire, NPR, and CNN, questioned journalistic ethics when reporters allegedly participate in criminal acts, and called for greater media literacy and cross-ideological news consumption to reduce polarization.SummaryThe episode opens with Liberty introducing herself, joking about having “the weirdest name in all of political podcasting,” and briefly establishing her credentials (journalism degree + years of consuming political commentary across the spectrum). The core discussion focuses on Don Lemon’s January 2026 arrest following his involvement in a protest that interrupted a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul on January 18. Liberty notes her personal connection to Minnesota (her husband was a student of Governor Tim Walz in the 1990s) and expresses deep concern about the violation of religious freedom. She argues that people of all faiths have a reasonable expectation of peaceful worship, regardless of the day or denomination.She conducts a side-by-side comparison of three news outlets’ coverage:* Daily Wire (Jan 30 article by Jenny Taer): Presented the facts straightforwardly — Lemon attended pre-protest briefings, live-streamed the event while maintaining secrecy, thanked protest leader Nakima Levy Armstrong, and was charged with conspiracy against rights (18 U.S.C. § 241) and FACE Act violations (18 U.S.C. § 248).* NPR (Jan 30 by Davin Fulkenflick) and CNN: Framed the arrests as an attack on press freedom and the First Amendment. Both quoted Lemon’s attorney Abby Lowell calling it “unprecedented,” and highlighted support from Amnesty International and the Knight First Amendment Institute.Liberty challenges the idea that journalists can participate in or facilitate criminal acts under the umbrella of reporting. She compares it to mandatory reporting laws for teachers/therapists in child abuse cases, arguing that press freedom does not override others’ First Amendment rights to religious exercise. She is especially troubled by the presence of children during the disruption (Lemon reportedly acknowledged intimidating kids) and notes her own practice of carrying firearms at church since Roe v. Wade was overturned (intensified after Charlie Kirk’s death).The episode closes with a call for media literacy: diversify news sources (CNN viewers should read Daily Wire, and vice versa), listen across ideological lines, reduce shouting, and lower the volume on political division to prevent further societal breakdown.If you would like to help support the podcast, the best way is to share! Please share, comment, and if you like fiction, pick up my books. Today’s featured book is: Echoes in the VoidHer best friend shouldn’t be missing. But desperate times call for desperate detectives. When Tamryn shows up in the office of down-on-his-luck detective Bridger Heidemann, he’s eager to take the case. A paycheck coming from the city’s wealthiest woman? Who could turn that down? The case of Tamryn’s missing best friend Cora shouldn’t be difficult, despite the fact she went off planet. But when lead after lead hits a dead end, Bridger is forced to leave Earth to find his quarry. There’s just one catch: Tamryn insists on coming with him, and she’s sexy as hell. She’s also bound and determined to get Bridger to break his number one rule about clients: he won’t sleep with them. With trouble following them to every space station, Bridger’s main concern should be tracking down Cora, not staying out of Tamryn’s bed. As the flight to finding Cora gets more dangerous, will the pressure force Bridger to succumb to Tamryn’s feminine wiles? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hardtoflibertypodcast.substack.com