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Here's the 'near-identical script' Republicans are using to reframe Trump investigation as a war on America
August 10, 2022
On Wednesday, People Magazine published an analysis of the "near-identical scripts" of talking points Republicans are using in the wake of the FBI search warrant at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida — and how it is all designed to deflect any possibility the investigation is legitimate and frame it as tyranny or a war on America.
"A number of talking points are being echoed in far-right groups following news that Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home was visited by FBI agents executing a federal search warrant on Monday," said the report. "Some Republican officials, as well as conservative outlets like Fox News, are offering up near-identical descriptions of the search."
Among the phrases commonly used are "banana republic," used by politicians like Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO); "civil war," used by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and a flood of Trump supporters on social media; "Department of Injustice," also used by Boebert; the idea that the FBI search warrant was a "raid," used by Greene and in fundraising emails by the Republican National Committee; and the idea that the FBI is President Joe Biden's "Gestapo," used by Boebert, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), and Steve Bannon.
In reality, the warrant — part of an investigation into classified documents that were improperly removed as Trump and his allies departed the White House — was independently approved by a federal magistrate judge, and there is no evidence Biden even had knowledge of it.
Trump himself has lashed out at the probe, calling it "political targeting at the highest level" and a "Witch Hunt" — identical language that he used to disparage the Mueller investigation and both impeachment investigations.
Notably, Trump and his officials are also refusing to release a copy of the FBI's warrant, which — while it likely wouldn't reveal all the details of why the FBI is investigating him — would at least give more insight into what the FBI was searching for.
You can read more here.
ALSO IN THE NEWS: 'Daily Show' airs devastating superclip of Fox News' flip-flop on FBI probes of politicians
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'Daily Show' airs devastating superclip of Fox News' flip-flop on FBI probes of politicians
August 10, 2022
As Republicans erupt over the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, some Democrats have taken to social media to point out the GOP's hypocrisy.
Back in 2016 when former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was alleged to have used a private email server for communication with her State Department staff, Republicans applauded then-FBI director James Comey for doing everything in his power to investigate. Now, the FBI is investigating Trump.
Soon after the FBI searched his property, Trump issued a statement where he called the investigation a "weaponization of the justice system."
"Hillary Clinton was allowed to delete and acid wash 33,000 emails AFTER they were subpoenaed by Congress," Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social. "Absolutely nothing has happened to hold her accountable."
The investigation into Clinton's email server found that of the thousands of emails reviewed, 113 contained classified information, and three of them had the official classification market. The FBI concluded that while Clinton had acted with extreme carelessness, it was not her intention to break the law and no charges were filed.
But Comey then publicly reopened the case 12 days before the election, a decision of his that some studies suggest cost Clinton the biggest price of them all: the presidency.
Now, Republicans are acting at odds with their own outrage over Clinton's emails and the FBI's decision to investigate further.
A video, which was first published by Trevor Noah's "The Daily Show," calls out Republicans for being hypocrites. The video shows clips of prominent Republicans applauding the FBI for investigating Clinton next to footage of the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago. The tweet has more than 50k likes.
"The FBI stepping forward at this moment has demonstrated real integrity." former Vice President Mike Pence said.
Fox News hosts Harris Faulkner and Sean Hannity both piled onto Clinton at the time.
"I mean common, are we supposed to believe that after all this time that she just didn't know what the rules were," Faulkner said.
"Multiple felonies that we are talking about here." Hannity added.
But now that the roles are reversed Republicans cannot seem to fathom that the FBI is acting without political motivation. Cries of "defund the FBI" are circulating among the GOP.
After Trump was elected to office, he signed a law that strengthened the penalty for the unauthorized removal and handling of classified documents, making the act a felony offense.
Watch below.
Fox News On Hillary But Make The Footage Trump | The Daily Show www.youtube.com
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Rick Wilson: Republicans are inflaming a base they know is easily 'motivated to violence' with attacks on FBI
August 10, 2022
On CNN Wednesday, former Republican strategist Rick Wilson tore into GOP figures for their increasingly violent rhetoric surrounding the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Republicans are riling up voters about the search, conducted as part of an investigation into missing classified information, despite knowing they are prone to acts of violence in the aftermath of the January 6 attack, Wilson pointed out.
"You got Matt Schlapp, who runs that thing called CPAC, who says the FBI move 'shows that we've become a third-world country," said anchor John Heilemann. "Bernie Kerik told Newsmax the Democrats are trying to 'assassinate' Trump. This really is a Big Lie 2.0, and it strikes me as arguably more incendiary and more dangerous in the moment like you really are striking the match right next to a house that's already been soaked in kerosene."
"I think that's right, John," said Wilson. "The terms they're using, that this was an assassination, this was a hit, this was a raid, all these things are doing, they're trying to frame this out as something that's outside the bounds, that has nothing to do with Trump's long, consistent pattern of illegality. Merrick Garland is a guy who never once in his life has yelled hold my beer. This was a careful warrant. It was issued by a judge. It was done with all the reviews. They knew this would have those political impacts, and it was done in a very careful scope and manner, and of course, Trump is going to lie about it. Of course, his people are going to lie about it."
The rallying around Trump, continued Wilson, is going to have other effects too.
RELATED: ‘Very damning’: Experts say Republicans keep inadvertently revealing Trump’s guilt
"This also is a real sign that all the flirtation with Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz and anybody else who thought they were going to run in '24 with Fox, they're all back on board now with Trump, they're all back in bed with him, and I think you're going to see that Trump's going to try to leverage this experience into his next campaign into disrupting the country as much as he can," said Wilson. "The Schedule F idea, basically burning down the government and filling it with little clones like Steve Bannon, is extraordinarily dangerous. They're relying on rhetoric and communications and narratives right now that are encouraging a base of people who have already demonstrated that they can be motivated to violence without much effort.
Rick Wilson on GOP attacks on the FBI www.youtube.com
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