A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant and vocal white supremacist was arrested this week and in addition to a gigantic stockpile of weapons and ammo, the FBI also found a list of people that the man, Christopher Hasson, apparently wanted to kill, along with a plan of how to do so. The list included a large number of media figures of liberal politicians.
Journalists are sharing stories about where I live the same day it’s shared that myself + others were targeted by a mass shooter.
All this paired w/ amplifying unvetted conspiracy theories. It’s reckless, irresponsible & puts people directly in danger.
This isn’t a game. https://t.co/gcJWcKinxI
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 21, 2019
Hasson reportedly wrote a letter to a “known American neo-Nazi leader” in which he declared himself to be a “long time [sic] White Nationalist” for over 30 years, and called repeatedly for a “white homeland.” He called himself a “man of action,” saying that the way to “make change [is] with a little focused violence.”
Clearly, this is a monster of a human who is responsible for his own actions. It’s also hard to not immediately think of Donald Trump and the ways in which he encourages people like this to feel emboldened. Earlier this week, Trump called the New York Times a “true enemy of the people.” Yesterday, he commented on Jussie Smollett’s “racist and dangerous comments” after the actor was charged with filing a fake police report after he allegedly staged a hate crime against himself. He hasn’t, of course, commented on Hasson’s case.
On last night’s Late Show, Stephen Colbert noted Trump’s silence, saying “This man is a homicidal, racist monster serving in our military. But don’t worry, the commander-in-chief slapped him down with a savage tweet of… nothing.”
“Silence. Hasn’t commented,” he said. “It makes sense. Hasson only wants to kill everyone on Earth. It’s not like he’s hosting SNL.”
TONIGHT: The FBI thwarted a potentially terrible attack. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/sd1UB5bwGg
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) February 22, 2019
There are some conservative media outlets falling all over themselves to prove a lack of evidence supporting the idea that Hasson was a Trump supporter.
From a garbage site that rhymes with the Shmawshington Shmexaminer
Even ignoring the fact that his list of targets was all Democrats and liberal figures, Hasson also, according to court documents, searched for information about Joe Scarborough after he read a headline in which MSNBC’s Scarborough referred to Trump as “the worst ever.” In his list of targets, he named “poca warren,” presumably meaning Elizabeth Warren, via Trump’s incredibly racist nickname for her. So even if you’re going to argue that Hasson isn’t doing this in the name of Trump, you can’t realistically argue that Trump hasn’t had his ear.
The alleged wannabe mass murderer in the Coast Guard googled “civil war if Trump impeached.”
Where could he possibly get such an insane idea?
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) February 21, 2019
And Trump knows this. He’s always known this. He’s been warned, both directly and through countless headlines, that his words have an impact and that his disingenuous attacks on journalists and Democrats are going to have, and are already having, dangerous effects. And he just doesn’t care.
100% chance Trump was briefed on the US Coast Guard domestic terrorist plotting to kill Democrats and reporters BEFORE he tweeted that the NYT is the enemy of the people. His rhetoric is inciting violence. He’s going to get someone hurt. He doesn’t care.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) February 20, 2019
This week, the Southern Poverty Law Center says that there has been a 30% increase in the number of hate groups nationwide over the last four years, and a 7% increase in 2018 alone. In a statement (via NPR), Heidi Beirich, director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project said, “The numbers tell a striking story — that this president is not simply a polarizing figure but a radicalizing one. Rather than trying to tamp down hate, as presidents of both parties have done, President Trump elevates it — with both his rhetoric and his policies. In doing so, he’s given people across America the go-ahead to act on their worst instincts.”
(image: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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