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The most responsible response to the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida remains what it was: awaiting more information about exactly what was being searched for and why. Least responsible is to cling to the ruthless rhetoric about “tyranny” or political persecution by the “Third World” or “regime” that has flooded right-wing media and even the chambers of Congress — and so far at least has been followed by attempted violence.
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that Justice Department lawyers have filed a request to unseal the warrant authorizing agents to seek documents the former president may have improperly kept after he left the White House. It was released Friday along with a list of inventory agents took from the home – which contains information on highly sensitive special access programs. The search warrant identified possible violations of a Espionage Law Determination which prohibits the “collecting, transmitting or losing of national defense information” as well as the destruction of records and the concealing or mutilating of government materials. The Post has reported that some of the documents sought contain material related to nuclear weapons. These revelations do not change the basic picture of the case: so far everything seems to have been done according to the rules – but whether what was found turns out to be a bomb or bankruptcy is uncertain.
The right response to this uncertainty is patience, from those who believe the investigation will uncover a serious wrongdoing to those who believe the Justice Department has gone too far. Fortunately, some Republicans are showing signs of restraint; The party’s senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), spoke measuredly on Friday about his desire to ensure oversight of the Justice Department without making baseless allegations of abuse. Others have taken cues from Mr. Trump’s conspiratorial rants on his Truth Social website, throwing around terms like “dictatorship” and “banana republic” to describe rule of law procedures and berate the FBI.
Dana Milbank: GOP Hysteria Over Mar-a-Lago Search Is Incitement to Violence
These aren’t just words. They can have a terrible impact on the real world. On Thursday, a gunman wearing a body armor attempted to break into the FBI’s Cincinnati field office. The ensuing hour-long standoff ended on a stretch of rural road where police fatally shot the man after pointing a gun at them. Previous reports suggest the man may have previously posted on Truth Social that he sounded a “call to arms” after being searched and that others should “get what you need to get ready for battle.” “. He was reportedly present at the Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riot.
The events of January 6 demonstrated that the risk of political violence in the United States is real. By now, politicians and pundits should be aware of what can happen when they circulate inflammatory remarks: people who have already been swallowed up by ecosystems of misinformation are listening and may be inspired to act. Unfortunately, the excitement about the FBI’s search was still flowing — and one man is dead.
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