Trump's angry words spur warnings of real violence

WASHINGTON — A man armed with an AR-15 has died in a shootout after attempting to break into an FBI office in Cincinnati. A Pennsylvania man has been arrested after posting death threats against his agent on social media. Calls for armed uprisings and civil wars are growing in cyberspace.

This could be just the beginning, warn federal officials and private extremist monitors. A growing number of die-hard Donald Trump supporters appear ready to strike back at the FBI and others they believe have gone too far in investigating the former president. law enforcement officials have been alerted to an increase in intimidation and possible violent attacks on federal agents and buildings after the FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

Experts who study radicalization and online disinformation say the recent increase, including Trump's aggressively false allegations about a stolen election, has led to the legalization of Trump's Florida home. It points out that it was caused by a search. What can happen if you are arrested or charged.

"Once messaging reaches a certain pitch, things start happening in the real world," said former New Jersey Attorney General John Farmer. Political Science at Rutgers University. "And when those in positions of power and social confidence start repeating extremist rhetoric, they are even more likely to see real-world consequences."

Angry claims by Trump and his supporters about the raid, amplified by right-wing media, have fueled his supporters' distrust of the FBI. And at least some of Trump's supporters appear to be acting on his outrage.

Last week, a man armed with his body armor, assault rifle and nail his gun attempted to break into his office in Cincinnati, the FBI. He was later shot dead by police after engaging in a shootout with officers. Authorities believe the man posted dark messages on Trump's online platform, Truth Social, suggesting that federal agents should be killed if seen.

On Monday, the Justice Department announced the arrest of a Pennsylvania man who repeatedly endangered the life of his FBI agent on his Gab, a platform popular with Trump supporters.

"You declared war on us and now is your open season," he wrote in one of his posts shared by officials.

An intelligence bulletin released jointly by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security warns of an increase in violent online threats targeting federal officials and government facilities. According to a copy of the documents obtained by the Associated Press, they contain calls for "civil war" and "insurrection" as well as "threats to place so-called dirty bombs in front of FBI headquarters." 65}

Zignal Labs analysis found that references to “Civil War” on platforms like Facebook and Twitter increased tenfold in the hours immediately after searching for Mar-a-Lago last week. . A company that analyzes social media content.

Many of the posts contained false statements suggesting that President Joe Biden ordered his FBI to search Trump's home, or that he planted evidence that the FBI would incriminate Trump. included the claim of

"Biden sends his FBI to raid former president. Donald his Trump home is his WAR declaration to him and his supporters," Telegram told his platform. One of his posters is written.

The intelligence bulletin also identified multiple threats by federal law enforcement officials against government officials involved in the search for Mar-a-Lago, including calling for the murder of the magistrate who signed the search warrant. I also mentioned what I did.

Intelligence documents have listed the names and home addresses of FBI agents and other officials online, as well as references to additional potential target family members.

The threat is ominously similar to the online rhetoric that preceded the January 6, 2021 attacks on the US Capitol, says House Speaker Benny Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat. To tell. 6 Commission and the Homeland Security Commission.

"These threats of violence and civil war, largely from right-wing extremists online, are not only un-American, but also threats to democracy and the rule of law," said Thompson. said.

Mr. Trump's residence was searched under a legally obtained warrant signed by a judge. But that's not what matters to Trump and his allies.

"This is an assault on our political opponents on a level never before seen in our country," Trump posted on his Truth Social on Monday. "Third World."

Republican Congressman Paul Gossar of Arizona equated the investigation with "tyranny" and tweeted, "We must destroy the FBI."

Another Arizona Congressman, Republican Andy Biggs, tried to put some blame on the individual agents who carried out the searches. '” Biggs said this week. "Why did all those agents go together on purpose?"

Some Republicans said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson went during her CNN appearance over the weekend. Like, trying to soften the rhetoric. "We have to withdraw from passing judgment on them," Hutchinson said of the agent. "The FBI is simply doing its part under the law."

But much of the conservative media doesn't heed that advice.

"The Mar-a-Lago raid was not by law enforcement, it was the opposite," Tucker Carlson said on his Fox News show Monday night. "It was an attack on the rule of law."

Fox also falsely portrayed the judge who signed the warrant as having her foot massaged by Ghislaine Maxwell. shared a photo. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June for helping her boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein abuse an underage girl. It belonged to Epstein, who committed suicide while awaiting trial.Fox News' Brian Kilmeade later said the defaced image was shared as a joke.

The roots of Republican anger at the FBI go back to the 2016 election, the Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia, and an investigation into Hillary Clinton's personal emails handling classified material on his account. . That anger is growing as new investigations focus on Trump, his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and his handling of classified materials after he resigned.

Unsubstantiated allegations that the FBI secretly orchestrated the Jan. 6 Trump supporter violence also angered conservative social media users.

"You guys started this civil war," he wrote to Gab in his one poster.