Trumpworld is foaming at the mouth in paroxysms of outrage over the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search, screeching that it’s an improper “weaponizing” of government against a political adversary; “banana republic” stuff; another witch-hunt; the worst thing ever done; blah blah blah.
Anything to avoid their heads exploding at the idea their oh-so-innocent god may be guilty of wrongdoing. (Trump, required to testify in New York this week, pleaded the Fifth Amendment in refusing to answer any questions. He’d previously said anyone who takes the Fifth must be hiding something.)
A little history:
In 2016 Hillary Clinton was already running for president when the FBI investigated her email practices. Director Comey made that public, in announcing the decision not to prosecute. Republicans then had no problems with lawmen investigating a candidate.
In fact, even though that investigation exonerated Clinton, that did not stop Republicans, Trump included, from chanting “Lock her up!” He also said in a debate that she should not even be allowed to run.
Note that while the FBI did publicly reveal its Clinton investigation — and moreover announced reopening it (on dubious grounds) shortly before the election — probably sinking her candidacy — it never revealed, before the election, its also investigating Trump’s campaign, for collusion with Russian election interference (which revelation would have sunk his chances).
Yet that did not stop Republicans claiming improper FBI bias against Trump.
Clinton was investigated (on probable cause) because she was not above the law. Likewise Trump — then, and now. His defenders aren’t actually asserting his innocence — they seem to be saying an FBI raid on his property could never be proper, regardless of any crime he committed. This Mar-a-Lago search had to be approved at the highest levels of Justice Department professionals, the (Trump-appointed) FBI director, and then also by a federal judge. This would not have occurred without ample legitimate cause. Especially since all concerned were surely mindful of the potential repercussions.
How curious that Trumpers idolize law enforcement — except when it’s enforced against them. So much for their “law and order” sloganeering. Some who made such political hay over “Defund the Police” now shout “Defund the FBI!” (And of course their law enforcement infatuation took a time-out when it came to January 6.)
The Mar-a-Lago search apparently concerned theft of White House documents, rather than Trump’s far graver crime of conspiracy to overthrow the government. Incontrovertible evidence for which has been revealed by the January 6 Committee’s investigation. How curious that Trumpers who otherwise never met a conspiracy theory they didn’t love shut their eyes to his lollapalooza conspiracy staring us in the face.
