Words like "destroy" and "tyranny" or invoking "dire distress in instances of extreme danger" are neither done by accident, nor in a vacuum. They are meant to incite. There was a spike in tweets using the term "civil war" immediately following the news of the FBI's Mar-a-Lago search.
America is still in a tender place post-Jan. 6, while beset with other challenges that tear apart any semblance of national unity. Threats of violence against politicians, be they politicians or Supreme Court justices, have become commonplace and, for too many, acceptable. Responsible rhetoric seems in short supply.
These Republicans using inciting rhetoric against law enforcement to defend Trump are as unconcerned about national unity as they are the Capitol Police officers injured or killed on Jan. 6. But unity has never been the point. Neither, too, it seems is winning elections.
The typically caustic Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona tweeted, "We must destroy the FBI."
Since the search warrant severed on Trumps home, his allies have repeatedly lobbed attacks on federal law enforcement, spreading rhetoric that has contributed to an uptick in threats against FBI agents.
The armed man who attempted to break into the FBI building in Cincinnati has been identified as Ricky Shiffer, will likely now become a martyr of the republican base. I wonder how long before MTG is calling him a hero?
