This is how to best deprogram Trump cultists: Ex-FBI official
A former federal law enforcement official on Wednesday suggested the fight against global terror offers a road map for deradicalizing extremist elements of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
But former FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Deadline White House with Nicole Wallace” acknowledged there is a limited role for law enforcement in such efforts.
“So why would they break with him, or condemn him,” Wallace said, noting Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he’d vote for Trump even after the former president smeared his wife, Elaine Chao.
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“How do you create this circuit breaker in what is increasingly an extremist movement?” asked Wallace.
“Millions of Americans still think violence may be the way to go to ... restore Trump to office, so what is the off-ramp? ... All the studies show us that the most successful deradicalization is offering that off-ramp, whether you're studying the white hate movement and getting people out of neo-Nazi groups, etcetera, or you're over on the international terrorism side and trying to get people out of literally martyring themselves for their cause."
He added:
“They're unlikely to listen…to me or (former National Homeland Security official) Miles (Taylor), they're far more likely to eventually give an ear to people like themselves, who have left that movement and are making sense to them, and it has to be constant to keep hearing it so that when they're ready to receive it, that message is still there.”
But Figliuzzi acknowledged the dearth of those who have lived to tell about life on the other side of the MAGA cult, which figures to make the process of deprograming Trump extremists challenging.
“Where are those people?” Figliuzzi said. “Few and far between. Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger have been ostracized from their party. I've lost count of the number of GOP members of Congress who years ago decided ‘I'm not running again.’ That's the toll that that's paid."
He continued:
“But yeah, the magic switch to flip? I don't see it right now. And I am certain that law enforcement is not the solution.”
Watch the video below or at the link here.
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