Everyone is understandably distressed over the news of Trump storing sensitive documents at his Florida home, documents so sensitive that they might threaten the security of the United States. Personally, I comprehend the situation but I find I am not investing emotional energy into it; perhaps that is a defense mechanism to keep from being floored and horrified.
Rather than focus on Trump’s obvious treachery and what the implications of such loose security are, I’ve been drawn more toward the reaction of some on the right. It’s been an amazing spectacle. The vehemence from the start was thick and relentless. Strident voices from the beginning were defiantly defending Donald Trump, even at a time when we knew next to nothing about the FBI search, including why the FBI was there and what they were looking for. Trump’s sycophants went to work right away, materials and motives be damned.
Not all right-wing personalities went this route. Only a notable wing of the extremists went on this knee-jerk defense, using nearly every word they could to protect their strongman idol, words so incendiary that they may have spurred a young man to attack the Cincinnati FBI field office. The rhetoric of these Trump allies was so edgy, so marginal, that the young man was inspired. He transformed into someone ready for homicide.
Who were these first fascists? Who were the ones who came out, warbling to high heaven about how unfair the FBI’s actions were to Donald Trump (before the nuclear news came out and changed the tenor of the conversation)? Who were the ones who jumped in feet first?
Can you help me assemble a list? Because what I find so important about this moment, about this reveal, is that none of these people needed to go out on that ledge. All they had to do was sit back with the rest of us and allow the process to unfold. That they went to the very edge of rhetoric in order to save their messiah right away, without any foundation for their defense, indicates that these folks pulled back their own curtain. They pointed to themselves and said, “I’m the fascist!” So let’s identify them.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., tweeted a statement [August 8] that read in part: "I've seen enough."
"The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization," McCarthy continued. "When Republicans take back the House, we will conduct immediate oversight of this department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned."
ABC News, August 9
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Mr Trump’s biggest defenders in Congress, tweeted an upside down American flag. She also wrote in all-caps “DEFUND THE FBI!”.
The Independent, August 8
The Twitter account for the House Judiciary Committee’s Republican members, who are led by Representative Jim Jordan, also criticised the actions.
“If they can do it to a former President, imagine what they can do to you,” the committee tweeted.
The Independent, August 8
Alina Habba, former attorney for Trump, during an appearance on Jesse Watters’ Fox show:
“Quite honestly, I’m concerned that they may have planted something. You know, at this point, who knows? I don’t trust the government, and that’s a very frightening thing as an American.”
(The clip appears to be from August 10.)
Lauren Boebert: This #DepartmentOfInjustice must be held accountable. It was President Trump today, but it’s you next if we don’t take a stand.
Twitter, August 8
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a series of tweets [August 8] that "launching such an investigation of a former President this close to an election is beyond problematic."
"We're 100 days away from midterm elections. President Trump is likely going to run again in 2024," Graham tweeted. "No one is above the law. The law must be above politics.
ABC News, August 9
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., called the raid "unprecedented."
ABC News, August 9
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, called the Mar-a-Lago search "incredibly concerning."
"We need answers NOW," Scott tweeted [August 8]. "The FBI must explain what they were doing today & why."
ABC News, August 9
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted [August 8]: "After todays raid on Mar A Lago what do you think the left plans to use those 87,000 new IRS agents for?"
ABC News, August 9
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted [August 8] that the raid "is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies," then said: "Banana Republic."
ABC News, August 9
Former Secretary of State and ex-CIA Director Mike Pompeo said executing a search warrant against a former president "is dangerous."
"The apparent political weaponization of DOJ/FBI is shameful," Pompeo tweeted [August 8].
ABC News, August 9
Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also released a statement [August 8] asserting—without evidence—that the search was an attempt by Democrats to "weaponize the bureaucracy against Republicans."
"Countless times we have examples of Democrats flouting the law and abusing power with no recourse. Democrats continually weaponize the bureaucracy against Republicans," McDaniel said. "This raid is outrageous. This abuse of power must stop and the only way to do that is to elect Republicans in November."
ABC News, August 9
"It's time for us in the Florida Legislature to call an emergency legislative session & amend our laws regarding federal agencies. Sever all ties with DOJ immediately. Any FBI agent conducting law enforcement functions outside the purview of our State should be arrested upon sight," tweeted Florida state Rep. Andrew Sabatini, who is running for the U.S. House.
ABC News, August 9
“This illegitimate, corrupt Regime hates America and has weaponized the entirety of the Federal Government to take down President Donald Trump," said Kari Lake, the Trump-backed Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee.
ABC News, August 9
Fox News host Mark Levin called the search “the worst attack on this republic in modern history, period.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) called it “corrupt & an abuse of power.”
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) compared the FBI to “the Gestapo.”
Not to be outdone, former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Whackadoodle) said the FBI was the “American Stasi,” and compared its agents to wolves “who want to eat you.”
“Today is war,” declared Steven Crowder, a podcaster with a YouTube audience of 5.6 million people.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted “DEFUND THE FBI!”
Former Trump aide Stephen K. Bannon, among many others, suggested that the FBI and the Justice Department (“essentially lawless criminal organizations”) might have planted evidence.
Washington Post, August 12
House Judiciary GOP (Jim Jordan), tweet from August 9:
The IRS is coming for you.
The DOJ is coming for you.
The FBI is coming for you.
No one is safe from political punishment in Joe Biden’s America.
Washington Post, August 11
August 12 is when the news about possible nuclear implications broke, and that is when the messaging changed dramatically from the right-wing camp.
Do you have other persons to add to this list of newly self-revealed fascists? Please post them with a clip or reference to what they said. For example, I’m missing nearly all of the Fox personalities, because I don’t frequent that area of the media universe. (Dan Bongino, famously, went off into an obscenity-laced tirade against the FBI after the search warrant execution.) Please fill in what I have missed here. I will update as I find more.
Thanks for your help in this collaborative effort!