In a discussion about political violence, MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace brought up the Republicans who either spread lies or mocked Paul Pelosi when he was hit in the head with a hammer by a right-wing activist who allegedly sought to kill his wife.
For months, the right generated conspiracy theories about Mr. Pelosi being in some kind of gay relationship with the attacker and other bizarre comments that were ultimately discounted by the San Francisco Police after Twitter CEO Elon Musk tweeted them. When the body camera videos were revealed, Republicans that previously mocked the incident were silent.
"It's pretty clear where we are, but what are we stumbling into with the combination of disinformation, people at events he's calling in to with gallows and God signs, gallows means one thing, right?" said Wallace. "The unabashed enthusiasm and embrace of the right-wing militias and the elevation of the elected officials closest to them, Marjorie Taylor Greene, [Andy] Biggs, [Matt] Gaetz, et cetera."
"The guns, God and the extremist violence that's being put out here is a dangerous mix that we see in international terrorism," said former FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi. "I hate to keep bringing it up, but it's so analogous, Nicolle. The pastors out there who we see video clips of on social media who literally, literally from the pulpit are equating Democrats with demons. Wow. The God and gallows thing, yeah, that's legit. That's where they're coming from."
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He related it to extremists wrapping themselves in a "perverted version of Christianity where the only possible political party that God would possibly be on the side of is the GOP. As if He or She or Them cares about American politics."
He recalled a recent trip where Trump went to a fast food place and the staff asked if they could pray for him and with him. It's not something Trump actually cares about, he said.
"That is a dangerous mix that we see in violent Islamic jihad," the counter-intelligence expert explained. "Are we headed toward a kind of jihad in a culture war where only one side can be righteous and the other side is the infidel? That's where I see this going."
Figliuzzi has warned that local law enforcement is woefully ill-equipped to handle such domestic terrorism.
See the full commentary below or at the link here.
Former FBI official warns of right-wing violence akin to 'violent Islamic jihad' www.youtube.com
