Asked to pick between reality and Trump, the right’s choice is easy

Washington Post via MSN ^ | May 25, 2024 | Philip Bump

[where's_the_Outrage?]

There’s a large region of the right-wing media ecosystem that is littered with those always-disappointing carbon-snake fireworks. Touch one of them with a spark and it springs to life, pushing out an unbroken chain of detritus. Eventually it dies out, leaving a mess, but there are other sparks and other snakes still to be lit.

On Tuesday, filings from Donald Trump’s federal indictment served as a spark. The mess that followed was unusual only in its hyperbole: because the FBI included documentation about how to handle contingencies in its August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, including limiting the use of firearms, this meant that the FBI — no, Attorney General Merrick Garland — no, President Biden himself! — wanted to have Trump killed. This was not true, but for a political movement centered around a presidential candidate who casts himself as a victim, the idea was irresistible.

“Newly-released court documents reveal that Joe Biden’s DOJ authorized the use of DEADLY FORCE in its raid of President Trump’s home,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a fervent Trump ally, wrote on social media. “This is insane & this is what the political weaponization of our federal government looks like in real time.”

It wasn’t insane; when the bureau executes any search, there is some chance that things might go south. So there are standard procedures and verbiage to set expectations about how such problems might be handled. But this isn’t as exciting or politically useful as “why did Biden personally try to shoot Donald Trump?” The spark created a chain of detritus.

Usually, these flare-ups remain unexamined. But when Donalds joined CNN host Abby Phillip on Thursday, she pressed him on this one.

[Steve_Seattle]

If President Trump had ordered a heavily armed raid of Hillary Clinton’s or Joe Biden’s or Barack Obama’s house, would Philip Bump be so blase? We know the answer. He’s a fraud.

[OrioleFan]

"But this is not how the Donald Trump universe operates. Trump's political armor has always been his indifference to this mechanism, his immunity to shame. And his supporters have seen that it works."

So we got GSA packing up boxes of supposed classified in an unsecured warehouse in Northern Virginia and NARA telling Donald Trump to come and get it. It gets shipped to Mar-A-Lago and then NARA wants it back. So the DOJ complies and sends a "crack FBI team" out of DC with a document that authorized "deadly force" (a check box reserved for Republicans). The raid on Melania's bedroom to retrieve these boxes (which were secured in a SCIF elsewhere on the property) allowed the "crack FBI team" to scatter around some classified cover sheets on the floor for a photo op. The photos were shared with CNN who were given a heads up on the raid. The documents they were really after were documents describing Obama administration operation Crossfire Hurricane (which, BTW, they didn't find), but they got their photo op and managed to terrorize several people staying at Mar A Lago. As it turned out they didn't need to use "deadly force" because President Trump was out of town. A side note, the raid allowed Judge Engoron to set a valuation on the property based on the state they left behind (OK, I stretched it here).

Have the Obama/Biden and their MSM lackies no shame?

[arthurus]

That "nothing they wouldn't do'" is probably right and it was contemplated in the raid on Mar-a-Lago. Garland was shivering with delight at the thought that Trump might have come on to the scene and said Hey what are you clowns doing ?? which would be construed as RESISTANCE and treated with the prescribed deadly force. A shootout between the SS and FBI would have been exhilarating for Garland but would have triggered more trouble for Obiden and Garland than any of them can imagine

[sunny bonobo]

Just compare the DOJ search warrants of Obama’s, Hillary’s, and Biden’s classified files to see if “deadly force” was authorized.
*****************************
The only problem with your argument is that no search warrants were issued for any Obama, Clinton or Biden classified documents. That is what I understand. If you have eveidence to the contrary, I will stand corrected.

[rlmorel]

I read the headline, and the first sentence, and my first thought was: “This has to be written by Philip Bump.”

So, I look back to the top to see who wrote it.

Yep.

[sunny bonobo]

Let me add, I know there was a warrant issued for the emails on Weiner’s laptop, but I think it was already in their possession, so probably no deadly force was in warrant.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Exactly, where were the warrants for them? The DOJ let Hillary destroy evidence.

So they have demonstrated one set of rules to protect the dems and another set of rules to prosecute the repubs (especially Trump).

[sunny bonobo]

I’m not arguing with you or defending these AHs. Just saying you can’t compare the warrants cause none were issued. As far as I know Obama was never accused have having classified documents. The excuse for Biden was that he let them search so no warrant needed. It’s been awhile, don’t remember the circumstances why Hillary’s server was not seized. Maybe it was. But there should have been a warrant issued for it’s seizure. Yes they let her destroy evidence.

[kiryandil]

Philip Bump LOL!

[clearcarbon]

"Philip Bumpstock, whoever he / she / it is, is full of crap.

Dean of suckers.

[Lisbon1940]

Bump to the bottom.