Fox News Host’s Incendiary Fauci Comments Follow a Network Pattern: Comments by Jesse Watters, a host of “The Five,” were in keeping with previous derogatory remarks about Dr. Anthony Fauci by hosts and conservatives. by Michael M. Grynbaum New York Times Dec. 23, 2021, 3:50 p.m. ET
The Fox News host Jesse Watters used notably violent language this week in urging a gathering of conservatives to publicly confront Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s foremost infectious-disease specialist, who has become a frequent source of criticism on the political right.
Referring to tabloid-style surprise interviews, Mr. Watters said in a speech that activists should “ambush” Dr. Fauci with adversarial questions that he deemed “the kill shot.” Describing the imagined effect of such a filmed confrontation, Mr. Watters added: “Boom! He is dead! He is dead! He’s done!”
Dr. Fauci called the comments “horrible” in an interview with CNN and said Mr. Watters “should be fired on the spot.”
Fox News has not disciplined Mr. Watters for the remarks. The network said in a statement that the comments were “twisted completely out of context” and that “it’s more than clear that Jesse Watters was using a metaphor for asking hard-hitting questions to Dr. Fauci.”
The host’s amped-up language was in keeping with the tone of prominent conservative figures, who for months have routinely and casually referred to Dr. Fauci in bracingly derogatory terms.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who is widely viewed as a leader of the Republican Party, referred to Dr. Fauci as a “Covid authoritarian” in a fund-raising email this week. “We cannot allow our communities to become Faucian dystopias in which people’s freedoms are curtailed and their livelihoods destroyed,” the DeSantis campaign wrote.
Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, described Dr. Fauci as “the most dangerous bureaucrat in the history of the country” during a Fox News interview last month. On Wednesday, Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said on Fox News: “The American people want safe streets, affordable gas and freedom, and the Biden administration has given us record crime, record inflation and Dr. Fauci.”
In April, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, introduced the Fire Fauci Act, a bill that, among other measures, would strip Dr. Fauci of his salary. (It has not progressed in Congress.) Former President Donald J. Trump has called Dr. Fauci “a radical masker” and questioned the doctor’s efforts to combat the pandemic.
Dr. Fauci, who turns 81 on Friday, has directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. He is highly respected for his decades of work on pandemics, including the spread of AIDS in the 1980s. He became a household name in 2020 as a leading spokesman for the government’s coronavirus response. But Mr. Trump grew to distrust him while in office, and conservatives now often blame him for their concerns about the handling of the pandemic.
In an interview with The New York Times in September, Dr. Fauci spoke about the harassment and threats that he and his family, including his children, had received from “radical extreme right individuals,” including hundreds of emails and text messages with violent language accusing the doctor of being “a killer.”
“It’s all part of what you’re seeing in the intense, fiercely intense polarization that we’re seeing in the country,” Dr. Fauci said in September.
Fox News is a frequent venue for the criticism, and where the doctor is occasionally referred to as “Lord Fauci.” The network’s highest-rated hosts often depict him as an authoritarian determined to strip Americans of basic freedoms. Tucker Carlson has claimed that Dr. Fauci “created Covid,” and accused him of spreading “authoritarian germ hysteria.”
On Oct. 4, Mr. Carlson accused Mr. Fauci of deciding “to unilaterally end Christmas,” in remarks that also included a reference to “sneezing, unvaccinated illegal immigrants coming into this country,” which Mr. Carlson said had contributed to more Covid-19 cases.
Lara Logan, a former CBS News correspondent, used an appearance on Fox News in November to compare Dr. Fauci to Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi doctor and murderer, prompting a rebuke from the Anti-Defamation League. Since then, Ms. Logan has not appeared on Fox News or the streaming platform Fox Nation.
Dr. Fauci, who once appeared fairly regularly on Fox News to discuss the government response to the pandemic, called Ms. Logan’s comments “unconscionable.” He has been mostly absent from the network of late, though he appeared with the anchor Neil Cavuto on Dec. 3; Mr. Cavuto contracted Covid in October and has urged his viewers to be vaccinated.
Mr. Watters has gone about his job as usual since the uproar over his remarks, which he made on Monday. On Wednesday, he guest-hosted Mr. Carlson’s program, the highest-rated show on cable news; during the appearance, Mr. Watters referred to Dr. Fauci as “his holiness.”
Still, the pandemic has had some impact on Mr. Watters and his fellow stars of the Fox News afternoon talk show “The Five.” The hosts taped the show on Wednesday from separate locations, rather than in the same New York studio, because of increasing fears over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which prompted Fox News to declare its Manhattan office off limits to unvaccinated employees.
The network had previously allowed those employees to work in its office as long as they tested negative. Fox News attributed the change to new city requirements recently issued by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg contributed reporting.
Michael M. Grynbaum is a media correspondent covering the intersection of business, culture and politics. @grynbaum
Texas Man Arrested for Making Election-Related Threats to Government Officials: First Case Charged by Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force by The United States Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs January 21, 2022
A Texas man was arrested today in Travis County, Texas, for allegedly sending threatening election-related communications to government officials on Jan. 5, 2021.
Chad Stark, 54, of Leander, was arrested this morning in a law enforcement operation carried out by the FBI. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Austin, Texas.
This is the first criminal case brought by the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in late June 2021, the task force is leading the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and investigates and prosecutes these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country as warranted.
“The Justice Department has a responsibility not only to protect the right to vote, but also to protect those who administer our voting systems from violence and illegal threats of violence,” said Attorney General Garland. “The department’s Election Threats Task Force, working with partners across the country, will hold accountable those who violate federal law by using violence or threatening violence to target election workers fulfilling their public duties.”
“Today’s arrest confirms the FBI’s commitment in our pursuit of justice against those who choose to threaten violence against anyone participating in our elections,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Election workers striving to protect our right to a fair and democratic process deserve nothing less than the utmost safety and assurance they can accomplish their roles without interference. The FBI will continue to focus on our mission of protecting these individuals and the important work they do, as well as every American’s right to vote.”
“The intimidation of those in charge of carrying out free and fair elections in this country is against the law and cannot go unchecked,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine for the Northern District of Georgia. “When someone threatens an election official working at any level of the voting process – whether that be an elected office holder or a volunteer poll worker – our democracy is put in jeopardy. We are grateful to all of those who endeavor to secure our elections and our democracy. We must protect them all.” According to the indictment, on Jan. 5, 2021, Stark allegedly posted a message to Craigslist entitled, “Georgia Patriots it’s time to kill [Official A] the Chinese agent - $10,000.” The message stated:
Georgia Patriots it’s time for us to take back our state from these Lawless treasonous traitors. It’s time to invoke our Second Amendment right it’s time to put a bullet in the treasonous Chinese [Official A]. Then we work our way down to [Official B] the local and federal corrupt judges. It’s our duty as American Patriots to put an end to the lives of these traitors and take back our country by force we can no longer wait on the corrupt law enforcement in the corrupt courts. If we want our country back we have to exterminate these people. One good loyal Patriot deer hunter in camo and a rifle can send a very clear message to these corrupt governors.. milita up Georgia it’s time to spill blood…. we need to pay a visit to [Official C] and her family as well and put a bullet her behind the ears. Let’s be very clear to our local law enforcement who have stood down and watch BLM antifa destroy our country and kill our citizens yet you’ll step up to stop Patriot supporters you’ll enforce face mask and you’ll close American businesses??? Remember one thing local law enforcement the key word being local….. we will find you oathbreakers and we’re going to pay your family to visit your mom your dad your brothers and sisters your children your wife… we’re going to make examples of traitors to our country… death to you and all you communist friends.
Organized by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Election Threats Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Stark is charged with one count of communicating interstate threats. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.
Deputy Director Sean F. Mulryne of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Alan Gray of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Raskin: Tapes Show McCarthy 'Radically Changed' Tune On Jan. 6 MSNBC Apr 27, 2022
January 6th Select Cmte. member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) joins MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell to discuss the recently released tapes of Rep. Kevin McCarthy and other Republican leaders expressing concern about the far-right members of their caucus after the Capitol insurrection.
1:10 LAWRENCE O'DONNELL: IN THOSE TAPES, WHICH WERE OBTAINED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, MCCARTHY AND TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERS ARE HEARD EXPRESSING CONCERN THAT FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN MATT GAETZ AND OTHER EXTREME MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY COULD INCITE VIOLENCE AGAINST OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN BOTH PARTIES.
MCCARTHY: OKAY, THE OTHER THING I WANT TO BRING UP AND I'M MAKING SOME PHONE CALLS TO SOME MEMBERS. I JUST, I JUST GOT SOMETHING SENT NOW ABOUT NEWSMAX SOMETHING MATT GAETZ SAID WHERE HE'S CALLING PEOPLE'S NAMES OUT, SAYING AN ANTI TRUMP IN THIS TYPE OF ATMOSPHERE, SO MANY OTHER PLACES. THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF PEOPLE ARE DOING THAT HAS TO STOP.
SCALISE: I THINK MO, ALSO.... MO AND LOUIE'S COMMENTS TOO. A LOT OF MEMBERS HAVE SAID SOME REAL CONCERNING THINGS ABOUT....
MCCARTHY: DID THEY SAY SOMETHING TOO?
SCALISE: NOT TO, I MEAN MO WAS AT THE RALLY, "WERE KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES THING" AT THE TRUMP RALLY.
MCCARTHY: GONZALEZ JUST SENT IT TO ME, SO I'M CALLING GAETZ, I'M EXPLAINING TO HIM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY, BUT I'M GONNA HAVE SOME OTHER PEOPLE CALL HIM TOO. BUT THE NATURE OF WHAT, IF I'M GETTING BRIEFINGS, AND I'M GOING TO GET ANOTHER ONE FROM THE FBI TOMORROW, THIS IS SERIOUS SHIT, TO CUT THIS OUT.
SCALISE: YEAH THAT'S, THAT'S, IT'S POTENTIALLY ILLEGAL WHAT HE'S DOING.
MCCARTHY: WELL, HE'S PUTTING PEOPLE IN JEOPARDY, AND HE DOESN'T NEED TO BE DOING THIS. WE SAW WHAT PEOPLE WOULD DO IN THE CAPITOL, YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE CAME PREPARED WITH ROPE, WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
Breitbart Slammed for Doxxing FBI Agents Involved in Mar-a-Lago Raid by Aila Slisco Newsweek 8/12/22 AT 11:46 PM EDT
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Conservative media outlet Breitbart is facing criticism for publishing the names of FBI agents involved in the raid of former President Donald Trump's home.
Breitbart published a leaked version of the Mar-a-Lago search warrant, including the names of an FBI special agent and supervisor agent, on Friday. The agents both signed their names on receipts for property seized from Trump's home, including boxes of classified documents that reportedly may have included nuclear secrets. A redacted version of the warrant, which omitted the names of the agents, was officially released hours later.
Commentators soon took to Twitter to accuse Breitbart, an outlet previously managed by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, of doxxing—the practice of identifying a person or releasing personal information about them, often with the aim of enabling targeted harassment. Some also accused Trump of leaking the warrant to Breitbart in hopes of targeting the agents.
"[U.S. Attorney General Merrick] Garland called Trump out to make warrant public," tweeted digital strategist Alan Rosenblatt. "Trump tried to get one over on Garland, releasing warrant to Breitbart, w/out redacting FBI agents names. That's right, Trump doxxed FBI agents serving a legal search warrant. Once again, Trump is inciting violence."
((Alan Rosenblatt, PhD))) @DrDigiPol·Follow Garland called Trump out to make warrant public.
Trump tried to get one over on Garland, releasing warrant to Breitbart, w/out redacting FBI agents names.
Once again, Trump is inciting violence. 1:32 PM · Aug 12, 2022
"It's also worth noting that they published the names of the FBI agents, which serves no purpose other than opening them up to threats and harassment," legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti tweeted. "Breitbart is also confused about what 'SSA' means. It refers to Supervisory Special Agent, a FBI supervisor."
Renato Mariotti @renato_mariotti·Follow It’s also worth noting that they published the names of the FBI agents, which serves no purpose other than opening them up to threats and harassment.
Breitbart is also confused about what “SSA” means. It refers to Supervisory Special Agent, a FBI supervisor.
Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney
Breitbart really does have the search warrant, but it's odd that they're leaning into something that was apparent just from the dates in the court docket. Search warrant was filed Friday and executed Monday.
"Trump, via Breitbart, released unredacted copy of property receipt containing names of FBI agents," tweeted attorney Mark S. Zaid. "Based on his history, this can only be interpreted as intentional to cause these Special Agents (one of whom I know) & their families grief & subject them to possible threats."
Mark S. Zaid @MarkSZaidEsq·Follow Trump, via Breitbart, released unredacted copy of property receipt containing names of FBI agents. Based on his history, this can only be interpreted as intentional to cause these Special Agents (one of whom I know) & their families grief & subject them to possible threats. 7:03 PM · Aug 12, 2022 Read the full conversation on Twitter
"From what I can tell, the court unsealed it - but before that could happen, Trump himself leaked it to Breitbart," author Tessa Dare tweeted. "But the version he leaked had the FBI AGENTS' NAMES in it, whereas the official unsealed one kept those redacted to protect them and their families. A**hole."
"[Breitbart] incl the names of the individual FBI agents involved in the search," Elephant Journal tweeted. "The court issued release of the warrant redacts that sensitive information. Team Trump just put a target on the backs of the agents & their families. That is 100% the intent."
Elephant Journal (V) (@WaylonLewis & Friends) @elephantjournal·Follow Replying to @elephantjournal "[Breitbart] incl the names of the individual FBI agents involved in the search. The court issued release of the warrant redacts that sensitive information."
Team Trump just put a target on the backs of the agents & their families.
That is 100% the intent. 7:09 PM · Aug 12, 2022
"Trump's social media platform sent a push alert this afternoon to an article with an unredacted version of the search warrant that included the names of two FBI agents," tweeted CNN correspondent Donie O'Sullivan. "Those agents' names are now circulating on pro-Trump social media and are being villainized."
Donie O'Sullivan @donie·Follow Trump's social media platform sent a push alert this afternoon to an article with an unredacted version of the search warrant that included the names of two FBI agents.
Those agents' names are now circulating on pro-Trump social media and are being villainized. 4:55 PM · Aug 12, 2022
"So... when Trump leaked the warrant docs to WSJ, Fox & Breitbart this afternoon, the names of the FBI agents in moved were not redacted," news anchor Ed Greenberger tweeted. "Anyone who thinks Trump cares about America, or Americans, is a damn fool."
Ed Greenberger @EdGreenberger·Follow So… when Trump leaked the warrant docs to WSJ, Fox & Breitbart this afternoon, the names of the FBI agents in moved were not redacted.
Anyone who thinks Trump cares about America, or Americans, is a damn fool. 4:21 PM · Aug 12, 2022
The FBI has received an increase in violent threats in the wake of conservative rage over the raid on Trump's home. FBI Director Christopher Wray has denounced the threats, saying on Wednesday "violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter what anybody's upset about."
Less than 24 hours before the Trump search warrant was leaked to Breitbart, an armed Trump supporter who had recently advocated killing FBI agents online was shot dead by police after allegedly attempting to break into the FBI field office in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Newsweek has reached out to Breitbart for comment.
Trump & Company Lash Out As The Walls Close In On Them by Adrienne Lawrence Rebel HQ Aug 12, 2022
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what.i.meme.to.say
It's not looking good for Donald Trump. He's choosing to lash out against judges, the DOJ, and anyone else in his way. He's trying to take as many people down with him as he can. Adrienne Lawrence breaks it down on Rebel HQ.
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Florida judge who approved FBI search of Mar-a-Lago faces barrage of antisemitic online attacks: The magistrate, who is Jewish, is facing attacks that are antisemitic in nature. by Matt Dixon Politico 08/12/2022 03:59 PM EDT
Updated: 08/12/2022 04:49 PM EDT
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida federal magistrate judge who approved the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach County residence has faced an onslaught of antisemitic attacks and threats online, some of which targeted the synagogue he belongs to.
Magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart, a board member at Temple Beth David in Palm Beach Gardens, has seen sustained antisemitic attacks on right wing message boards and other social media platforms like 4Chan since his name surfaced as the judge who signed off on the FBI’s warrant to search Mar-a-Lago.
Republicans, too, have been heavily critical of the judge, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who questioned Reinhart’s impartiality during an appearance on Fox News earlier this week when he claimed: “They found some Obama donor judge, not even a judge, a magistrate, to give them the search warrant.”
No Republican elected official has called for violence against Reinhart, and on Friday afternoon Rubio posted on Twitter that anyone threatening violence over the search should be arrested.
Reinhart had previously donated to President Barack Obama’s campaign but also contributed to Republican Jeb Bush when the former Florida governor was running for president during the 2016 cycle.
Major Paul Rogers with the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department told POLITICO that they are “aware of the threats” and are working with federal law enforcement. The U.S. Marshals Service, which is responsible for protecting federal judges, declined to comment in detail.
The threats against Reinhart highlight the contentious nature of the search of Trump’s residence. On Thursday, police shot and killed a man, identified as Ricky W. Shiffer, in Ohio after he tried to break into the FBI office in Cincinnati, authorities said. The New York Times reported that a person with an account bearing the same name posted on Trump’s “Truth Social” social media platform that people should kill federal agents in Florida.
Aryeh Tuchman, a senior associate director for the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Extremism, said his organization is “monitoring the increased level of threat language generally, and also towards the specific judge.”
“I think it’s fair to say certainly where the judge is concerned, reports of vitriol directed at him and the synagogue have increased,” he said.
Tuchman said that the synagogue Reinhart belongs to has additional security in place and Temple Beth David had to cancel an outdoor service due to concerns of violence. Officials with the synagogue did not return a request seeking comment.
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday said he approved the search of Trump’s resort and moved to unseal the search warrant. He also defended federal agents and prosecutors who have been heavily criticized by Republicans and others, saying he will not “stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked. The men and women of the FBI and the Justice Department are dedicated, patriotic public servants.”
Leading Republicans initially defended Trump and claimed the FBI search was an example of the federal government overstepping its authority and the Biden administration targeting political opponents. But some have taken softer stances after it was reported some of the documents could relate to nuclear weapons.
A search warrant viewed by POLITICO indicates that federal authorities are investigating Trump for potential violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of an investigation and removal or destruction of records. Some of the documents recovered were marked “TS/SCI,” one of the highest levels of classification by the government.
Few, however, have made public statements about threats made toward Reinhardt, even as conservatives on various social media sites and message boards have directly attacked him over being Jewish and over the fact that in 2009 he served as a defense attorney representing employees of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Fox News in particular received a backlash after airing a doctored photo of Reinhart receiving a foot massage from Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker and a longtime companion of Epstein. On Friday, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade posted a mea culpa of sorts, saying the depiction “never took place & we wanted to make clear that we were showing a meme in jest.”
“Right wingers are weaponizing the synagogue affiliation of a judge who was doing his job,” said Jeffrey Salkin, a rabbi and columnist for Religion News Service. “They are slurring the social justice commitments of contemporary Judaism. Their bigotry is appalling, and I would welcome the protests of the Republican Jewish Coalition.”
Fox News aired a bizarre fake photo replacing Jeffrey Epstein with the judge who signed off on Trump's search warrant by Natalie Musumeci Business Insider 8/13/22
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A digitally altered photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell that replaced Epstein's body with the judge who approved Trump's search warrant @what.i.meme.to.say / Twitter
* Fox News aired a digitally altered photo of the judge who green-lit the search warrant for Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago. * An image of the judge was tacked onto an old photo of Jeffrey Epstein getting a foot rub by Ghislaine Maxwell. * The photo aired during "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Thursday while Brian Kilmeade was a guest host.
Fox News aired a digitally altered photo that replaced an old image of Jeffrey Epstein getting a foot rub from Ghislaine Maxwell with the body and face of the federal judge who signed off on the warrant allowing FBI agents to search former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago.
The altered photo — originally an image of the late convicted sex offender Epstein cozying up to convicted sex trafficker Maxwell on a private jet — was broadcast during "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Thursday while Fox News' Brian Kilmeade was serving as guest host.
"Also a picture of Bruce Reinhart," Kilmeade said during the segment as the fake image showing Reinhart — a magistrate judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida — was shown to viewers.
Aaron Rupar @atrupar·Follow Brian Kilmeade, filling in for Tucker Carlson tonight, shared a clearly fake, photoshopped image of the judge involved in approving the Mar-a-Lago warrant
In the photo, Reinhart can be seen with a box of Golden Oreos and a bottle of Early Times whiskey in his right hand. Epstein's upper body in the image was replaced with Reinhart's.
"This is the judge in charge of the, of the, of the, um, as you know, of the warrant, and we'll see if he's going to release it next — he likes Oreos and whiskey," Kilmeade said during the broadcast.
During the broadcast, Kilmeade asked Fox News' Sean Hannity whether he can "relate to that," prompting Hannity himself to call out the photo for being altered.
"I think that's actually a picture of Jeffrey Epstein with somebody putting [Reinhart's] head on there," Hannity told Kilmeade, adding, "I'm guessing, I don't know."
Kilmeade responded, "It might be his plane. Who knows?"
"I'll let you determine that in the morning. We'll be watching," a chuckling Hannity said.
The image used for the broadcast was credited to the meme social media account @what.i.meme.to.say. The account didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment on Twitter or Instagram.
Reinhart approved the warrant that allowed the FBI to search Trump's Mar-a-Lago property on Monday.
The judge has reportedly received violent and antisemitic threats by far-right extremists since signing off on the warrant.
Brian Kilmeade @kilmeade·Follow Last night while subbing for Tucker Carlson, we showed you an image of Judge Bruce Reinhart w/ Ghislaine Maxwell that was sourced on screen to a meme pulled from Twitter & wasn’t real. This depiction never took place & we wanted to make clear that we were showing a meme in jest. 1:44 PM · Aug 12, 2022
In a tweet on Friday, Kilmeade addressed the use of the doctored photo in Thursday night's segment and said he was "showing a meme in jest."
"Last night while subbing for Tucker Carlson, we showed you an image of Judge Bruce Reinhart w/ Ghislaine Maxwell that was sourced on screen to a meme pulled from Twitter & wasn't real," Kilmeade wrote. "This depiction never took place & we wanted to make clear that we were showing a meme in jest."
When reached on Friday, a spokesperson for Fox News declined to comment further.
Armed Trump supporters gathered outside Phoenix FBI office: Peter Strzok: Author, Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump. CNN Aug 14, 2022
A group of approximately 25 people gathered outside of an FBI office in Phoenix. Some in the group were armed and wearing tactical gear. CNN has reached out to the FBI Phoenix field office for comment. Phoenix Police Department Sgt. Phil Krynsky told CNN “the group was peaceful and there are no incidents to report.”
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Some allies of former President Donald Trump are urging him to publicly release surveillance footage of FBI agents executing a search warrant on his Mar-a-Lago residence. The proposal has drawn mixed reaction inside his orbit, CNN has learned. The CCTV footage has been so closely held that aides to the former President aren’t sure if he has seen it in full himself, said a person close to Trump. #AC360 #andersoncooper #CNN
Trump's 'Openly Inciting' Rhetoric Against DOJ Is Dangerously Familiar by Chris Hayes Aug 19, 2022
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump = 56 m When will people realize that the atrocities being perpetrated by the FBI and DOJ having to do with the Raid and Break In of my home, Mar-a-Lago, or after years of other atrocities and unthinkable violations of freedom and the law, this has been going on for years, from the moment I came down the golden escalators in Trump Tower, right up until the present. At some point you have to look at what took place in the past to determine what is going on in the present... ... and nothing has ever happened like that which is going on in our Country right now. The law enforcement of our Country has become that of a Third World Nation, and I do not believe the people will stand for it -- between Fraudulent Elections, Open Borders, Inflation, giving our Military to the Enemy, and so much more -- how much are we all expected to take? Never in our Country's history has there been a time where law enforcement has been so viciously and violently involved in the life and times of politics in our Nation. Even in light of the fact that they violated the Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, the Mueller Witch Hunt, lied many times before Congress, and on many occasions put out fraudulent information before the FISA Court, they continue. They have no shame. They are destroying our Country!
Aug 19, 2022, 16:31-16:32
“They are threatening law enforcement and the DOJ, claiming that the country will erupt into violence if they don't do what Trump wants,” says Chris Hayes on the response to the Mar-a-Lago probe. “The last time Trump's rhetoric was this openly inciting...a mob stormed the Capitol and people ended up dead.”
Transcript
>> [CHRI HAYES] GOOD EVENING FROM NEW YORK, I'M CHRIS HAYES. NEARLY TWO WEEKS OUT FROM THE FBI SEARCH OF THE EX-PRESIDENT'S FLORIDA HOME, DONALD TRUMP'S EXCUSES KEEP GETTING WORSE -- THEY KEEP CHANGING, AND THEY KEEP GETTING WORSE. HE IS NOW THREATENING TO TAKE STEPS THAT COULD FURTHER INFLAME TENSIONS, AND OUTRIGHT ENDANGER FBI AGENTS. NOW AT FIRST, TRUMP TRIED TO PUSH NONSENSE CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT THE FBI PLANTING THE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AT MAR-A-LAGO, WHICH WAS FRANKLY ABSURD. AND WHEN IT DIDN'T WORK, HE LANDED ON A CONSISTENT EXCUSE: "YES, THE DOCUMENTS WERE MINE, YES, I HAD THEM WITH ME, BUT IT'S FINE, BECAUSE I DECLASSIFIED THEM." >> [JOHN SOLOMON, FOX NEWS] THIS IS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP'S OFFICE. IT JUST CAME IN A FEW MINUTES AGO. "AS WE CAN ALL RELATE TO, EVERYONE -- AS WE CAN ALL RELATE TO, EVERYONE ENDS UP HAVING TO BRING HOME THEIR WORK FROM TIME TO TIME. AMERICAN PRESIDENTS ARE NO DIFFERENT. PRESIDENT TRUMP, IN ORDER TO PREPARE THE WORK THE NEXT DAY, OFTEN TOOK DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS, TO THE RESIDENCE. HE HAD A STANDING ORDER -- THERE'S THE WORD I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR -- THAT DOCUMENTS REMOVED FROM THE OVAL OFFICE AND TAKEN TO THE RESIDENCE WERE DEEMED TO BE DECLASSIFIED THE MOMENT HE REMOVED THEM." >> [CHRIS HAYES] [LAUGHING] NOW, THAT'S AN ALMOST COMICAL MONOLOGUE THERE FROM JOHN SOLOMON, WHOSE IS ESSENTIALLY A MOUTHPIECE FOR TRUMP. THAT EXCUSE WAS PRETTY OBVIOUSLY A LIE. BUT WE HAVE GOT NEW REPORTING TO ACTUALLY CONFIRM IT, NAIL IT DOWN. "18 FORMER WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS, INCLUDING TWO OF TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE CHIEFS OF STAFF, JOHN KELLY, NICK MULVANEY, SAY THERE WAS NO STANDING ORDER TO DECLASSIFY DOCUMENTS." IT WOULD CERTAINLY APPEAR THAT TRUMP IS JUST LYING TO TRY AND SAVE HIS HIDE. SO RUDY GIULIANI, WHO APPEARS TO BE IN A QUITE A BIT OF LEGAL TROUBLE, IS THE TARGET, AGAIN, OF THAT CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IN GEORGIA, WENT ON THE FAR RIGHT OUTLET, NEWSMAX, TO TRY AND CLEAR THINGS UP. >> [RUDY GIULIANI] NOW, THEY WANT TO MAKE HIM RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING TAKEN CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AND PRESERVED THEM. REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ESPIONAGE ACT, IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT TAKING THE DOCUMENTS, IT'S ABOUT DESTROYING THEM, OR HIDING THEM, OR GIVING THEM TO THE ENEMY. >> [FOX NEWS HOST] RIGHT. >> [RUDY GIULIANI] IT'S NOT ABOUT TAKING THEM AND PUTTING THEM IN A PLACE THAT IS ROUGHLY AS SAFE AS THEY WERE IN IN THE FIRST PLACE. >> [CHRIS HAYES] NOW THE ESPIONAGE ACT IS A WEIRD AND IN SOME WAYS BAD PIECE OF LEGISLATION, BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE, WHAT GIULIANI IS SAYING. ACCORDING TO TRUMP'S OWN FORMER HEAD OF COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, QUOTE, "THE ESPIONAGE ACT EXPLICITLY APPLIES TO THE WILLFUL RETENTION OF CLASSIFIED AND NONCLASSIFIED DEFENSE RELATED DOCUMENTS IN AN UNAUTHORIZED PLACE."
David Laufman @DavidLaufmanLaw Former @TheJusticeDept official completely misrepresents the scope of a law he was once responsible for enforcing. Espionage Act explicitly applies to willful retention of classified (and non-classified defense-related) in an unauthorized place. #ClassifiedDocuments
12:53 PM - Aug 19, 2022
THAT IS OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. IN FACT, IT'S ALL BUT BEEN ADMITTED TO BY THE TRUMP PEOPLE. SETTING THAT ASIDE, IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE GIULIANI IS OPENLY ADMITTING TRUMP TOOK THE DOCUMENTS THAT HE APPARENTLY KNEW WERE CLASSIFIED IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THEM. OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT TRUMP WAS STORING AT LEAST SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS IN THE BASEMENT OF HIS GOLF RESORT, WHICH, NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT, I DON'T THINK IS SAFER THAN WITH THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. EVEN THOUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INVESTIGATORS, AGAIN, IN THIS LONG BACK AND FORTH, RIGHT, WHERE THEY ARE TRYING TO GET THE PAPERS BACK AND SECURE, TOLD TRUMP HE NEEDED TO PUT A LOCK ON THE DOOR WHERE THE DOCUMENTS WERE KEPT, MEANING HIS ATTEMPTS AT AT PRESERVATION CERTAINLY LEFT SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED. NOW JUST WATCH TRUMP'S CURRENT LAWYER FLOUNDER WHEN FOX NEWS LOBBED HER A SOFTBALL QUESTION ABOUT HOW SECURE THE DOCUMENT WERE. >> [CHRISTINA BOBB] THEY ASKED FOR ONE MORE LOCK, ADD ANOTHER LOCK, WHICH WE DID. UH, AND THEN, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY DECIDED THAT THEY STILL NEEDED TO RAID THE PLACE. >> [LAURA INGRAHAM] AND ONLY ONE OR TWO PEOPLE HAD ACCESS TO THAT ROOM, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE? >>[CHRISTINA BOBB] THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. I MEAN, I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK WITH, YOU KNOW, THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT AREA. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COULD GET IN THERE. >> [CHRIS HAYES] LAURA IS LIKE, "PLEASE WORK WITH ME HERE. I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU OUT." NOT A VERY REASSURING ANSWER WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TOP SECRET DOCUMENTS. AND IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN, OF COURSE, TRUMP DOESN'T REALLY DESERVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT WHEN IT COMES TO PRESERVING ANY KIND OF NATIONAL SECURITY SECRETS. I MEAN, JUST ONE EXAMPLE, AND THERE ARE TRULY COUNTLESS, LISTEN TO THE MUSICIAN KID ROCK DESCRIBE HOW TRUMP WAS APPARENTLY DISCUSSING SENSITIVE ISSUES OF FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY WITH A NUCLEAR POWER WITH HIM WHEN HE VISITED THE WHITE HOUSE. >> [KID ROCK] WE'RE LOOKING AT MAPS [DELETE], AND I'M LIKE, AM I SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE [DELETE] [TUCKER CARLSON] [LAUGHING] [KID ROCK] I MAKE DIRTY RECORDS SOMETIMES. BUT -- [TUCKER CARLSON] [LAUGHING] >> [KID ROCK] ... DO IT HERE. "WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO ABOUT NORTH KOREA? [LAUGHING] I SAID "WHAT"? I DON'T THINK I'M QUALIFIED TO ANSWER THIS. >> [CHRIS HAYES] THAT'S THE MOST RELATABLE I'VE EVER FOUND KID ROCK, AND HE'S RIGHT, HE'S NOT REALLY QUALIFIED TO ANSWER. BUT ALL THIS STUFF ASIDE, WHAT IS LESS FUNNY THAN THE KIND OF HAPHAZARD AND SOMEWHAT RIDICULOUS ATTEMPTS BY TRUMP TO WRIGGLE OUT OF THIS, WHAT HE'S DOING NOW WITH HIS ATTACKS ON THE FBI IS, I THINK, LEGITIMATELY DANGEROUS. SO IT'S BEEN REPORTED THAT TRUMP MADE THIS OVERTURE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED THIS, THROUGH AN EMISSARY. AND HE SENT THIS MESSAGE TO MERRICK GARLAND.
The New York Times Trump Lawyer Told Justice Dept. That Classified Material Had Been Returned by Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush Aug. 13, 2022
"The country is on fire. What can I do to reduce the heat?"
HE WANTED TO GET IT TO MERRICK GARLAND. AND THE QUESTION WAS, "THE COUNTRY IS ON FIRE. WHAT CAN I DO TO REDUCE THE HEAT?" AND BY "COUNTRY ON FIRE," WHAT HE MEANT WAS HE TALKED TO ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO WERE ENRAGED BY THE SEARCH ON MAR-A-LAGO. AND THERE'S A WAY TO READ THAT, WHICH I THINK IS THE PLAIN READING OF IT, WHICH IS OMINOUS, RIGHT? A THREAT. TRUMP TELLING THE DOJ, "BE CAREFUL, THAT HIS SUPPORTERS ARE AGITATING FOR VIOLENCE. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO." BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, IT'S VERY OBVIOUS THAT TRUMP IS NOT INTERESTED IN COOLING TENSIONS AT ALL. NOW WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE WHO INITIALLY LEAKED THE ACTUAL MAR-A-LAGO SEARCH WARRANT TO PRO TRUMP NEWS OUTLETS, INCLUDING BREITBART, ALTHOUGH I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU TO GUESS, BUT THE COPY OF THE DOCUMENT THAT CIRCULATED IN SOME FAR-RIGHT CIRCLES, DID NOT REDACT THE NAMES OF THE FBI OFFICERS INVOLVED, PUTTING THEIR LIVES IN DANGER. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT BEING HYPERBOLIC HERE. THIS IS NOT JUST EMPTY THREATS. JUST LAST WEEK, RIGHT AFTER THE SEARCH, A MAN TOOK A GUN TO AN FBI BUILDING IN OHIO, AND LATER FIRED DIRECTLY AT OFFICERS IN A STANDOFF AFTER POSTING ONLINE ABOUT HE WANTED TO KILL THE FBI AGENTS. EARLIER THIS WEEK, A PENNSYLVANIA MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY USING THE FAR-RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM GAB TO SHARE EXLICIT THREATS AGAINST THE FBI. STATEMENTS LIKE, QUOTE," EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF [BLANK] WHO WORKS FOR THE FBI IN ANY CAPACITY, FROM THE DIRECTOR DOWN TO THE JANITOR WHO CLEANS THEIR F-ING TOILETS, DESERVES TO DIE. YOU'VE DECLARED WAR ON US AND NOW IT'S OPEN SEASON ON YOU." THE FLORIDA JUDGE WHO APPROVED THE SEARCH WARRANT ON MAR-A-LAGO IS NOW RECEIVING DEATH THREATS, WHICH ARE APPARENTLY SO SERIOUS, HIS SYNAGOGUE CANCELED TONIGHT'S SCHEDULED SERVICE. OKAY? THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS WHEN TRUMP SENDS A MESSAGE TO MERRICK GARLAND, "THE COUNTRY IS ON FIRE." AND NOW THE EX PRESIDENT IS REPORTEDLY MULLING THE POSSIBILITY OF RELEASING THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA VIDEO OF THE MAR-A-LAGO SEARCH, WHICH WOULD, IT SEEMS, FURTHER ENDANGER THOSE AGENTS BY MAKING THEIR FACES PUBLIC TO TRUMP'S ENRAGED SUPPORTERS. AND IN A NEW STATEMENT THIS EVENING, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TOLD NBC NEWS QUOTE, "WE WOULD HOPE THE VIDEO WOULD ONLY PROVIDE IT IN A FORMAT THAT OBSCURES THE FACES AND IDENTIFYING INFORMATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL."
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE STATEMENT ON MAR-A-LAGO SURVEILLANCE VIDEO "WE WOULD HOPE THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE PROVIDED IN A FORMAT THAT OBSCURES THE FACES AND IDENTIFYING INFORMATION OF LAW ENFOREMENT PERSONNEL."
BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CONCERN. JUST LISTEN TO HOW ANOTHER ONE OF TRUMP'S LAWYERS PUT IT. >> [ROB SCHMITT, TONIGHT] SO YOU CAN'T SEE THE AFFIDAVIT, AND OF COURSE YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT THEY WERE DOING IN THE RAID. NOT A LOT OF TRANSPARENCY IN THIS GOVERNMENT. >> [TRUMP LAWYER] WE DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE THEIR IDENTITIES EITHER, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW WHO DID THAT. WELL, IF YOU ARE DOING IT AS AN AGENT, I AM NOT SURE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT RIGHT. LISTEN, FBI AGENTS, UNDERCOVER AGENTS, THAT'S ONE THING. BUT WHEN YOU GO INTO A PRESIDENT'S HOME, AN EX PRESIDENT'S HOME, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? >> [CHRIS HAYES] THINK ABOUT THAT. "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?" WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? TRUMP CAN CARE LESS, RIGHT, ABOUT PROTECTING LAW ENFORCEMENT. IN FACT, JUST TODAY, HE USED HIS WEIRD OFF-BRAND PLATFORM TO FURTHER INFLAME THE COUNTRY, TO REALLY INCITE -- HE REFERRED TO THE EXECUTION OF THE SEARCH WARRANT AS QUOTE "ATROCITIES BEING PERPETRATED BY THE FBI AND DOJ, THAT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OF OUR COUNTRY HAS BECOME THAT OF A THIRD WORLD NATION, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE PEOPLE WILL STAND FOR IT. HOW MUCH ARE WE ALL EXPECTED TO TAKE? QUOTE, NEVER IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY HAS THERE BEEN A TIME WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN SO VICIOUSLY AND VIOLENTLY INVOLVED IN THE LIFE AND TIMES OF POLITICS IN OUR NATION. THEY HAVE NO SHAME. THEY ARE DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY!" AGAIN, SOMEONE SHOT UP AN FBI HEADQUARTERS. AFTER THE RAID. HE KNOWS THAT! THIS MORNING TRUMP'S LAWYER AGAIN TOOK TO RIGHT-WING MEDIA TO ISSUE, WHAT AGAIN, SURE SEEMED LIKE A THREAT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. >> [CHRISTINA BOBB] I DON'T SEE IT AS, COMING DOWN, I ALSO THINK THE NATION'S REACTION TO THIS RAID, I THINK THE DEPARTMENT WAS SURPRISED AT HOW ANGRY AMERICA GOT, AND HOW FRUSTRATED WE ALL ARE, THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE LOSING OUR RIGHTS, AND THIS IS SO OVERLY POLITICAL. SO, I THINK IT'S CAUSING THEM TO GO, "OH, MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE WHAT WE THINK WE HAVE." SO I HOPE THAT THEY TAKE A SECOND LOOK AND ARE CAUTIOUS ABOUT DOING SOMETHING AS STUPID AS TRYING TO GO AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP, BECAUSE THEY'VE TRIED THIS BEFORE. >> [CHRIS HAYES] AGAIN, LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAID THERE. THEY BASICALLY ADMITTED TO THE CRIME. RIGHT? THEY HAVE THE DOCUMENTS, THEY WILLFULLY RETAIN THEM. RIGHT? NOW THEY ARE NOT MAKING LEGAL ARGUMENTS, THEY ARE JUST SAYING, "YOU WILL DESTROY CIVIL PEACE IN THIS COUNTRY, BECAUSE OUR FOLLOWERS WILL ...", WHAT? IF YOU DO THIS? THEY ARE THREATENING LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE DOJ AND CLAIMING THAT THE COUNTRY WILL ERUPT INTO VIOLENCE IF THEY DON'T DO WHAT TRUMP WANTS. I GOTTA SAY, THE LAST TIME THAT TRUMP'S RHETORIC WAS THIS OPENLY INCITING -- HIS PLATFORM WAS MUCH HIGHER -- IT'S NOT THE SAME -- BUT THE LAST TIME IT WAS THIS INCITING, A MOB STORMED THE CAPITOL AND PEOPLE ENDED UP DEAD.
A former FBI agent discusses threats against the agency since the search of Trump’s home Brooks and Marcus on threats against the FBI, Liz Cheney's future, Trump's grip on the GOP PBS News Hour Aug 19, 2022 6:45 PM EDT
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation and its agents have become targets of threats after the agency conducted a court-approved search of former President Trump's estate. Much of the heated rhetoric has come from Trump and his allies. One man has already been killed by law enforcement for trying to storm an Ohio field office. Retired Special Agent Frank Montoya joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.
Read the Full Transcript
Judy Woodruff:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and its agents have become targets of threats in the days since the agency carried out a court-approved search of former President Donald Trump's estate.
Much of the heated rhetoric has come from Trump himself and his allies. And, already, one man was killed by law enforcement after attempting to storm a field office in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Here with me now to discuss all of this is retired Special Agent Frank Montoya, who served 26 years in the FBI.
Frank Montoya, welcome back to the "NewsHour."
We have been planning to talk to you for a couple of days based on threats that we saw out there. But I just have to share that, just in the last hour or so, on this Friday afternoon, former President Trump has posted on social media strong comments
And I'm just going to quote from some of them. He refers to what he calls atrocities being perpetrated by the FBI and the DOJ. He says: "The law enforcement of our country has become that of a Third World nation and I do not believe that people will stand for it. Never in our country's history has there been a time where law enforcement has been so viciously and violently involved in the life and times of politics in our nation. They have no shame. They are destroying our country."
Has there been anything like this before in the history of the FBI?
Frank Motoya Jr., Former FBI Official:
Never.
I cannot think of any instance in my lifetime or even before then in the history of the FBI where something like was so egregiously foisted upon them.
Judy Woodruff:
How do you account for what's happened here? Because there was the search of former President Trump's estate in Florida, Mar-a-Lago. There was a court-approved warrant for that search.
And yet the president and his allies, his supporters have ever since then come down with a steady stream of attacks and threats on the FBI.
Frank Motoya Jr.:
Well, I think what it reveals is that there's a lot of concern amongst his inner circle and amongst — with him, in particular, about how close this investigation is getting to the truth.
The things that he's been saying all along, whether there was planted evidence, or that he had this unequivocal, unadulterated ability to declassify, or to just outright attack the men and women of the FBI, who are doing their jobs, who are responding to allegations from outside, reacting to it with a search warrant, and then, again, doing their jobs, collecting the evidence and removing that documentation.
And it really suggests that he's worried about what they're what they're finding, not what they will find, what they are finding, and what will happen next as far as potential prosecution.
So, yes, he's running scared. That's what it sounds like.
Judy Woodruff:
Well, the language has become, I mean, just — I mean, to say over the top is an understatement.
There are — we have seen quotes where they have written about killing the enemy. Steve Bannon, who's a longtime adviser to the former president, has talked about the FBI is like the Gestapo and talking about, we're at war.
How do — I mean, you have been in contact, I know, with — you have many friends in the bureau. How are they seeing all this? How are they — how do they — how are they taking it in?
Frank Motoya Jr.:
Well, it ticks them off.
I mean, they're trying to deal with it, take it in stride. Addressing threats, dealing with threats on a daily basis is what they do. But what really concerns them is the input, the possible or potential impact that this can have on family members, especially with their kids getting ready to go back to school, and with their colleagues, the intelligence analysts and the support personnel, who don't carry weapons for a living.
It really is making for a difficult work environment. Now, they're going to continue to do what they do. They're going to press forward. They're going to uphold their oath to support and defend the Constitution, to uphold the rule of law.
But, at the same time, we are in — I don't like to use this word. I don't think many people do. But we are in unprecedented times, because they truly are. We're looking at words coming out, not just out of his mouth, but other so-called responsible leaders in this country, who are constantly bashing individuals, professionals who are doing their jobs on a daily basis to the best of their abilities, following the rule of law.
And in addition to the threats that those words pose to them, it also undermines the very efforts that they're supposed to that — that they're attempting to uphold. It really — it's an attack on the Constitution, as much as it is on these agents that are really working hard to uphold it.
Judy Woodruff:
And that's a question I wanted to get to, because how is it possible for the agency to do its job when you have more and more of the American people who the FBI and DOJ, Department of Justice are serving not having confidence in the — not just not having confidence in them, but thinking they are the enemies of the people?
Frank Motoya Jr.:
Yes.
So, that's a really terrible side effect of all of this nonsensical rhetoric, that people are questioning the very reasons that the FBI exists. It's not just about questioning their honesty and integrity, but their reason for existing.
And there was a time when most Americans, many Americans, they looked at the rule of law and they looked at the Constitution as something worth upholding, as something that could be upheld. And, right now, with all of this negative language that's out there, all this negative rhetoric is really causing even normal, regular people, my neighbors, to question whether or not the FBI is doing what it's supposed to do, as opposed to acting like a rogue agency.
And the fact of the matter is, nothing could be farther from the truth about that rogue nature, about the adjectives, the words and descriptions that the former president is using to describe really good people, who are just like your neighbors, your — the folks that live in your community, whose children go to your schools, where they're just doing their jobs, reacting to the circumstances of our current environment, and doing it in the best way possible, at the same time, taking care of themselves and, more importantly, their friends and families.
Judy Woodruff:
All right, well, we are going to leave it there. We certainly are continuing to watch this as it develops, and, again, with these new comments today from the former president.
Frank Montoya, who served in the FBI for 26 years, thank you very much.