The last few days I’ve been debating on an internet forum with some MAGAs about the “FBI was ready to use deadly force against Trump in the Mar-a-Lago raid” conspiracy theory going around these days.
Myself and others pointed out that the language used in the FBI’s search warrant was nothing more than boilerplate language that’s used on most, if not all, FBI search warrants. It seems that point finally got through to at least some of the MAGAs I was debating with, but that still did not satisfy them.
Why not? Because they do not think even boilerplate language like that should be used on a search warrant for an ex-president at all! The very idea that you can put anything remotely threatening-sounding on a document intended for an ex-president - even if it’s just boilerplate stuff - is offensive to them! I literally told them that a former president should be treated like any other common citizen, and thus it’s fine and normal to put boilerplate language that would be used on anyone else for an ex-president ... and they could not believe that I believe an ex-president should be treated the same as a common citizen!
This was one such exchange:
Me:
There is absolutely no reason why the FBI should treat anyone any different than anyone else. If the FBI has some boilerplate search warrant language they use in every case, there is no reason they shouldn't use that same language on a form for a former POTUS.
MAGA in response:
You can’t be serious.
I later told that same person I was absolutely serious, and they replied that they refuse to believe that I actually believe that!
Another person I was debating with had a similar attitude. They are offended that potentially threatening-sounding boilerplate language can be used on a document intended for an ex-president. And they are offended by the notion that an ex-president should be treated the same as a common citizen!
It was clear to me at that point that these people do not regard a president and ex-president as a citizen-president. What they really desire is a monarch, somebody above reproach, who should be treated with the utmost deference and respect, no matter what. But the fact that the US president (and, especially, an ex-president) truly is just a regular citizen is the source of their frustration, because they do not want the US president (and ex-president) to be just a regular citizen.
This would also explain why they’re so upset that Trump is being prosecuted for his crimes, claiming the whole thing is a politically-motivated witch hunt, etc. I’ve even encountered some republicans who are ambivalent about Trump who still think the whole thing is a witch hunt. It’s more than just cult devotion to Trump: It’s about prosecuting someone who they think should not be allowed to be prosecuted.
EDIT: Yet another MAGA there said this to someone else:
It [threatening language on an FBI search warrant] may be SOP for a raid on the home of Joe the Plumber, but not for a former president's home.
Again, here we have someone who thinks the president and ex-president should be above the common citizenry.