‘Deeply dangerous’: Critics slam Trump and allies over false Biden assassination plot

22.05.2024 18:42

Raw Story

Donald Trump and his allies are falsely claiming President Joe Biden, the U.S. Dept. of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had a plot to assassinate his top political rival, the ex-president, during the execution of a search warrant in 2022 at Mar-a-Lago. Critics, including law enforcement experts, are blasting Trump and his MAGA associates for the "dangerous" lie.

On Tuesday a U.S. District Judge unsealed court documents in Special Counsel Jack Smith's Espionage Act case against Trump where he faces 40 felony counts, most over his alleged unlawful removal, retention, and refusal to return classified documents including some of the nation's top nuclear secrets.

One of those filings, as The Washington Post reported, was a law enforcement documents that included a standard statement reminding FBI agents on the Bureau's policy on the use of deadly force, "which says officers may resort to lethal force only when the subject of such force poses an 'imminent danger of death or serious physical injury' to an officer or another person."

But on Tuesday, Trump explosively posted on Truth Social, "WOW! I just came out of the Biden Witch Hunt Trial in Manhattan, the 'Icebox,' and was shown Reports that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, in their Illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE. NOW WE KNOW, FOR SURE, THAT JOE BIDEN IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. HE IS MENTALLY UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE — 25TH AMENDMENT!"

Later, in a fundraising email Trump went much further.

"They were authorized to shoot me!" the subject line reads, according to an archive of political emails.

"TRUMP ALERT," it begins. "BREAKING FROM TRUMP: BIDEN'S DOJ WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME!"

"You know they're just itching to do the unthinkable... Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger."

Attorney and former FBI Special Agent Asha Rangappa observed, "Including the deadly force policy [in] an ops plan is SOP [standard operating procedure]. But just so I make sure I’m following the plot, according to Trump’s position in court, what he is accusing Biden of would be perfectly legal and within the scope of his 'official' powers, right?"

Trump repeatedly has insisted presidents must have complete and total "absolute immunity." His attorneys have argued in federal court and before the U.S. Supreme Court a president could order Seal Team Six to assassinate his political rival and it would be lawful, as was noted here:

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was among the top allies who falsely characterized the court filing.

"The Biden DOJ and FBI were planning to assassinate Pres Trump and gave the green light," she posted to her official federal government account on X. "Does everyone get it yet???!!!! What are Republicans going to do about it?"

She also wrote: "This is grounds for impeachment of Wray and Garland. Trump and team was cooperating the entire time with the FBI," Greene claimed, both of which are false.

"Was deadly force authorized against Biden for his docs? Were they going to shoot SS then Pres Trump, Melania, and Barron too??? Speaker Mike Johnson fully funded the DOJ and FBI plus new building and tied our hands behind our backs to hold them accountable. We have the power of the purse and Johnson has handed the purse to Chuck Schumer. All of this is unforgivable."

Fox News Business host Maria Bartiromo also promoted the false claims Wednesday morning:

NBC News' Ryan Reilly mockingly explained the situation: "GOP members of Congress think the feds wanted to assassinate Trump and so they did a raid on his place in Florida when they knew him to be in New Jersey because Mar-A-Lago was closed for the season."

Meanwhile, critics are sounding the alarm on Trump's and the GOP's lies.

"This is wildly irresponsible, even for professional troll like Marjorie Taylor Greene," wrote conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg. "FBI knew Trump wasn’t there. It was all coordinated with Secret Service in advance. This is deeply dangerous bullshit."

"Trump wasn’t there," said talk radio host Joe Walsh, a former GOP U.S. Congressman, responding to U.S. Rep. Greene's remarks. "Everything was coordinated with Secret Service & local law enforcement. Even for you, this is a deeply irresponsible and dangerous thing to say."

David Axelrod, the former top Obama strategist and White House advisor, remarked, "This is patently nuts...and dangerously provocative!"

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