The most responsible response to the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida remains what it was: to wait for more information about exactly what was searched and why. What is less responsible is to persist in the reckless rhetoric about “tyranny” or political persecution of “Third World” or “regimes” that has flooded the right-wing media and even the halls of Congress — and so far has been followed by at least one attempt at violence . Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that Justice Department lawyers have filed a motion to unseal the warrant that authorized agents to seek documents the former president may have improperly kept after he left the White House. It was released Friday, along with a list of the inventory agents took from the home — which includes information about highly sensitive special access programs. The warrant cited potential violations of a provision of the Espionage Act that prohibits the “collection, transmission or loss of national defense information,” as well as the destruction of records and the concealment or mutilation of government material. The Post reported that some of the sought-after documents contain material related to nuclear weapons. These revelations don’t change the basic picture of the case: So far, everything seems to be done by the book — but whether what’s found will turn out to be a bombshell or a bust is uncertain. The appropriate response to this uncertainty is patience, from those inclined to believe the investigation will uncover some serious wrongdoing to those inclined to believe the Justice Department has overreached. Fortunately, some Republicans are showing signs of restraint. The top ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), spoke measuredly Friday about his desire to ensure oversight of the Justice Department without filing baseless allegations of abuse. Others, however, took cues from Mr Trump’s conspiratorial rant on his website Truth Social, using terms such as “dictatorship” and “banana democracy” to describe rule of law procedures and criticizing the FBI. Dana Milbank: GOP hysteria over Mar-a-Lago quest is an invitation to violence These are not just words. They can have a terrifying influence in the real world. On Thursday, a gunman wearing body armor tried to break into the FBI office in Cincinnati. The hours-long standoff that followed ended on a rural stretch of road, where police fatally shot the man after he raised his gun at them. Reports so far suggest that the man may have posted on Truth Social in advance that a “call to arms” is being issued following the investigation and that others should “get what you need to be ready for battle.” Reports also indicate that he may have been present at the Capitol during the January 6, 2021 uprising. The events of January 6 showed that the risk of political violence in the United States is real. By now, politicians and pundits should be well aware of what can happen when they broadcast inflammatory comments: People already consumed by disinformation ecosystems listen and may be inspired to act. Unfortunately, the incitement to the FBI investigation continues to flow – and one man is dead.
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