Daniel Henninger said in The Wall Street Journalwhat a spectacle America has created. As if the country wasn't yet divided, the FBI decided last week that it was suitable to begin a raid on Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. . record.
Agents spent hours examining the former president's papers, and even broke into his safe at one point. At a time when the country is racking its head over pressing issues such as inflation, Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan, why are the Justice Department and the FBI thinking now is the time to take such needlessly aggressive steps? Judgment? No former president has been offended by being raided in that manner. "This should never happen in the United States. End of discussion."
"A catastrophic mistake." Mark A. Thiessen posts said in Washington,. Improper handling of classified material is a serious problem, but it's no wonder Republicans feel Trump gets special treatment.
When Hillary Clinton was accused of improperly storing sensitive information on her private email server while serving as secretary of state before her 2016 election, who Nor did they search her house. By hunting down Trump in such a partisan fashion, the FBI has only made him more credible and more likely to take back the White House in 2024.
The raid greatly boosted Trump's election prospects, he agreed with David Siders. at Politico. "Totally gave him a lifeline," complained a strategist who advises one of Trump's potential rivals in the Republican nomination. It just blew the wind out of everyone's sails."
"Extraordinary" reaction
The Republican reaction to the FBI investigation was extraordinary, says Matt Ford .The New Republic. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called it "a further escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the administration's political opponents." Texas Senator Ted Cruz didn't just suggest it poses a threat to ordinary Americans. It's an outrageous overreaction.
Countless search warrants are issued every day in the United States. It is completely unclear why this represents an abuse of legitimate procedures. Former presidents get some special perks, like pensions and lifetime Secret Service protection, but they're not above the law. As Jonathan Chaite stated in New York Magazinethey were not impostors.
A looming "storm"
If both a federal judge and former federal judge, Attorney General Merrick Garland, considered this investigation justified, it would be carried out. Tim Alberta said The Atlantic. Anyone who has spent time among the American right, whether online, at a Trump rally, at a gun show, or in a right-wing church, knows that America "hasn't been seen since the Civil War." You know how close we are to 'political violence on a scale'.
David Brooks said in The New York Timesthat the United States was in an impossible bondage. Trump cannot be allowed to escape the possibility of a crime because it would set a precedent. But an attempt to bring him to justice could unleash violence in the streets and increase his chances of reelection. There is no good way to change course."
