Senator Lindsey Graham appeared on Fox News this weekend to add his voice to the chorus of those trying to stir up as much fear and anger as possible over the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s home. We don’t want to get our hopes up too high but after the reported seizure of a trove of highly classified documents, the chances that Trump might actually face criminal prosecution are looking fairly good.
According to Lindsey Graham, if that happens, Trump’s supporters will turn violent. “If there’s a prosecution of Donald Trump for mishandling classified information, after the Clinton debacle, which you presided over and did a hell of a good job, there’ll be riots in the streets,” he told Trey Gowdy, who recently traded in his job in Congress for a gig hosting at Fox News.
The idea that far-right extremist groups will react to Trump’s indictment with violence is a very real danger. Users on pro-Trump internet forums have been using terms like “lock and load” and “civil war” to prepare for that possibility. But you can tell from Lindsey Graham’s tone that when he talks about that danger, it’s not out of concern or condemnation—it’s a threat.
Graham says there will be riots in the streets if Trump is prosecuted pic.twitter.com/oE6MyuqjeA
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 28, 2022
As one former DOJ official told CNN following Graham’s comments, “I think it’s incredibly irresponsible for an elected official to basically make veiled threats of violence, just if law enforcement and the Department of Justice and a grand jury does their job.”
In addition for their “civil war” prep, Trump’s most extreme supporters have already been issuing threats and even attempting violent attacks against those involved in the search and seizure, including FBI and the judge who signed the initial search warrant. Comments like Graham’s are a justification—essentially an endorsement—of those attacks.
Meanwhile, the guy who recently swore he wanted to help bring down the “temperature” of the country is over on his bespoke social media platform also encouraging violence over legitimate political proceedings.
Meanwhile on “Truth” Social, Trump is explicitly demanding that he be named the winner of the 2020 election he lost or that a re-do election be held “immediately.”
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 29, 2022
Graham’s threat that a Trump indictment will cause “riots in the streets” is especially ludicrous because we’re only a year and a half out from when his supporters rioted in the street when he was still president.
But what if they indict trump and his followers lose their minds and storm the Capitol, or hold a Nazi March with torches, or drive cars into protestors, or attack an FBI headquarters, commit various mass shootings or
— Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith) August 29, 2022
Yes, we know that Trump fans are fragile, violent snowflakes who cannot handle political loss and will riot if they don’t get their way. The answer is not to give in and let Trump steal an election or get away with various crimes.
So? And? Is this supposed to dissuade Garland from treating Trump like anyone else who had committed this crime? @LindseyGrahamSC is an absolute embarrassment to our country https://t.co/AaBONq1wo0
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 29, 2022
“The goal here is to erase the very idea that the law can be applied to Trump in a neutral and legitimate way. All law enforcement activity directed at Trump is inherently politically motivated.” https://t.co/Ndelg3T9Ib
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) August 29, 2022
Thanks, Trump and Lindsey Graham. With your threats of violence, now Biden can finally drop the “semi” and just say “fascism” to describe the GOP.
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) August 29, 2022
(image: screencap)
