No doubt it has been quite the week this past week.
First the good news.
President Joe Biden and our representatives and senators in Washington are getting things done. This week a major tax, climate change, and health care bill passed both houses. Congress sent the CHIPS and Science Act and the PACT Act to the White House for Biden’s signature, and Democrats secured the votes for the Inflation Reduction Act. The White House also celebrated a victory for reproductive rights in Kansas and announced that the rate of uninsured Americans is at an all-time low. In addition, the Labor Department released data showing steady job growth and an unemployment rate at its lowest in more than 50 years. Then there’s lower gas prices too.
Then the bizarre news.
The FBI collected multiple sets of classified documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida home on August 9th. The search was an evidence-gathering step in a national security investigation about presidential records at Mar-a-Lago, and the agents recovered 11 sets of classified documents, including some materials marked as “top secret/SCI.” The fact that such documents were in Trump’s safe at the posh resort is mind-boggling and puts him at risk of three federal crimes: Violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice, and criminal handling of government records.
One thing that amazes me is that Trump and his loyalists have reacted to the search of Mar-a-Lago estate with unhinged and bizarre fury.
Trump fired back with absurd claims that the documents were planted by the FBI, that everyone “brings home their work from time to time,” and the files were automatically declassified by him when he left office. Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) did not disappoint in coming to Trump’s aid: She tweeted “DEFUND THE FBI!” and is now selling apparel bearing the same slogan. That’s quite a 180 considering that the GOP has used calls from progressives to “defund the police” as a political attack line.
Former VP Mike Pence expressed “deep concern” and said the raid (authorized by FBI director Christopher Wray, a Republican and Trump appointee) smacked of “partisanship” by the DOJ. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), stated“launching an investigation of a former president this close to an election is beyond problematic.” Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, accused the DOJ of “weaponized politicization,” Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) called it a “dark day in American history.”
On a more dangerous note, MAGA-world cult members have called for violence and civil war. Last Monday the phrase “civil war” was trending on Twitter, and one individual on Trump’s social-media platform, Truth Social, said, “Fuck a civil war, give them a REVOLUTION. We outnumber all of the 10 to 1.”
While MAGA-world and Trump followers hem and haw, push conspiracy theories, point fingers, and throw tantrums all the while trying to retain their base before the midterms, the facts are clear. The Biden administration and those in Washington who voted to pass ground-breaking legislation last week are doing their jobs for the American people.
Trump stalwarts on Capital Hill should forget the former guy and get back to working for their constituents.
Although many of his followers are riled up, putting Mr Trump in the public eye like this is a drag for Republicans in the mid-terms, at least according to the Cooke Political Report. Republicans had hoped to focus attention on President Joe and the economy, especially on inflation. And yes, it is still an important factor. Yet, the attention on Mr Trump has riled up Democrats, too, perhaps even more so than Republicans. This —and the backlash to the implementation of severe reproductive rights restrictions on the part of Republicans — will play a role in making the supposed Red Wave of 2022…into something less than a wave.
None other than conservative columnist Henry Olsen has concluded that Republicans have lost their chance to take back the senate because of their choice of poor candidates. Also, Democratic candidates are touting in their campaign ads the benefits of the recently passed legislation. Senator Warnock, in particular, is gaining traction with this approach in Georgia. We must still work hard in our campaigns this Fall, no doubt; but with determined effort we can make a difference. Just because the “forecast” is better doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels.
One must ask — in light of Mr Trump’s illegal activities [ 1) election interference in Geogia; 2) mishandling of classified documents; and 3) misrepresentation of his financial assets in the state of New York ]…
…do we do Nothing? Nothing at all? Or do we wait for the “right” time to take appropriate legal action? And how long is that? Do we say: let’s not upset Mr Trump or his followers because these perfectly legitimate inquiries will cause too much trouble?
FBI agents’ lives have been threatened. Do we back down, then? Close all the inquiries so that Republicans won’t be mad anymore? I don’t think so. They’ll be mad regardless. Thirteen per cent of Republicans strongly disapprove of Mr Trump. Too few, obviously. Nonetheless, let’s come through for them. If for no other reason, let’s prove Adam Kinzinger’s and Liz Cheney’s sacrifice does not go in vain.
Yours Respectfully,
Harold Murphree
The time is now.
Thank you Spike! Well-said commentary and I can’t agree more that we must ensure that Kinzinger’s and Cheney’s efforts are not in vain.