ICE, Protests, Free Speech & Media Manipulation Explained

Leadership in Review is a long-form leadership podcast focused on culture, power, and truth.

In this episode, Josh Kosnick, Emanuel Whitfield, and Jason Smith break down the Don Lemon church arrest, ICE protests, free speech, and how media-driven outrage is being used to divide Americans while real issues go untouched.

This conversation explores why modern protests rarely lead to meaningful change, how “peaceful protest” has been redefined, and why emotional politics benefit those in power. The discussion expands into immigration enforcement, college campus speech, corruption, foreign policy distractions, education failures, and the growing inability to hold nuanced conversations in America.

This is not a left vs. right debate.
This is a leadership conversation about responsibility, truth, and civility.

If you’re tired of headlines and want real dialogue—this episode is for you.

00:00 – Don Lemon arrested at a church: law, outrage, and hypocrisy
03:00 – What “peaceful protest” actually means legally
06:20 – Why protesting churches makes no sense
09:45 – How media manufactures emotional division
13:10 – Why modern protests don’t create change
16:30 – ICE enforcement and why states matter
20:45 – College campuses, free speech, and intimidation
25:30 – Immigration, distraction politics, and power
30:00 – Corruption, money, and who really controls policy
35:45 – Why a tax strike scares the government
40:30 – Foreign policy distractions vs American neglect
45:15 – Education failure and the removal of civics
52:00 – Leadership requires nuance, not tribalism
58:30 – Disagree without disowning
1:03:00 – Final leadership reflections