FBI Raid on Mar-a-Largo

 

ABC News

Just when I think the state of politics can’t get any more bizarre, news breaks that the FBI raids the estate of former President Trump at Mar-a-Largo including breaking into a safe on the premise.

My first thought was “This is unprecedented.”  When has the Feds last raided the house of a past President?  Nixon?  I cannot recall. 

My second thought was “Ugh!”  Just that.  Ugh.  Both extremes were going to have a field day with this.  The Democrats would be cheering and hoping that Trump will be arrested for breaking a law and get the conviction they believe he deserves.  The Republicans will scream that this is latest in the witch hunt to get Trump.  This will have implications on the 2022 and 2024 elections.

The press has taken two perspectives on this.  First, and this was when the news was first breaking, is that the FBI would not have made such a raid if they didn’t already have substantial evidence and perhaps even knew what they would find at Mar-a-Largo.  Today, there was an opinion that the FBI might have just solidified Trump’s supporters and guaranteed him the 2024 election. 

My own thoughts were a combination of these two perspectives.  If the FBI indeed has evidence to either put Trump away or just to keep him from running for office ever again, I fear that his supporters would take to the street in a wave of social unrest.  If the FBI is wrong, I do think Trump could easily be elected in the next election. 

I found an AP article, FBI’s search of Trump’s Florida estate: Why now?  I read it, thinking it would provide some insight.  It did not.  It just explored the question of why now. 

As I have eluded in previous posts, I have avoided national politics news since the January 6^th insurrection.  This new twist may lure me into that swamp.

I think about the Attorney General, Merrick Garland.  He was nominated by Obama to replace Antonin Scalia for the Supreme Court in May of the election year 2016.  I thought Garland, a left of center moderate, was a good candidate for the court.  The Republicans delayed the nomination using the argument that the next President should make the nomination.  Trump was the next President and promptly nominated Neil Gorsuch. 

I have no clue how Garland separates his emotions from how the Republicans treated him from and keeping a level head in the January 6^th and handling of the classified information investigations.  What I have read is that Garland is being meticulous and careful in both of these investigations.  Furthermore, the FBI is still run by the Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee. So, this all supports the argument that the FBI has something on Trump or they wouldn’t have executed this unprecedented raid on Mar-a-Largo.

Nothing less than the future of our democracy is at stake here.  I hope truth and justice prevail.  I am uncertain as to our recent track record in this regard.