Trump’s claim that the FBI tried to kill him is both absurd and indefensible
Donald Trump is at again with the conspiracy theories, claiming that the FBI was authorized to assassinate him. The absurdity of the claim, combined with the speed at which conservative commentators parroted the blatant lie, demonstrates yet again that the GOP has become thoroughly divorced from reality.
What is Trump Talking About?
The claims by the Trumpist media landscape started with Trump himself misrepresenting an unsealed document from the FBI. The document, which establishes the operating procedure for the search of Mar-A-Lago, contains a section regarding the appropriate use of force for all FBI agents as well as when it is appropriate to use deadly force. Upon the release of the document, the former president falsely claimed on Truth Social that the FBI was going to assassinate him, saying:
“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!”
Other figures also promoted the ridiculous assassination claim. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose conduct in the House has been less than ideal, amplified the nonsensical claim, saying:
“I made sure that he knew. The Biden DOJ and FBI were planning to assassinate Pres Trump and gave the green light. Does everyone get it yet???!!!! What are Republicans going to do about it? I tried to oust our Speaker who funded Biden’s DOJ AND FBI, but Democrats stopped it.”
Of course, this is inaccurate. The section regarding deadly force is not an order to use said force, contrary to what Trump and Rep. Greene claimed. Instead, it is a standard policy statement for warrants and searches. Rather than an encouragement of lethal force, the section specifically outlines limitations for the use of lethal force by FBI operators.
In a statement to The Associated Press, the FBI explained that “The FBI followed standard protocol in this search as we do for all search warrants, which includes a standard policy statement limiting the use of deadly force.” Indeed, the policy is also present in the Justice Department’s policy manual, which is also summarized on the FBI’s website. Simply put, Trump is either ignoring the fact that the very thing he is complaining about actually reduces the risk of him getting shot, or he doesn’t understand it at all. Neither option is ideal for a man running for President.
Why the lies?
Trump is notorious for his separation from the truth. That much has been well-established at this point, but why he is lying about this is a bit more complicated, both in its absurdity and rapid spread. What is particularly useful for the former president is the feeling of martyrdom that he has spread around himself and his followers.
By playing off the fears of his constituents, Trump can insulate himself from the reality that he is, at his core, a corrupt demagogue, all while engaging in demagoguery regularly. Instead of addressing the question as to why he took classified documents that didn’t belong to him, Trump can insist that the prosecution is biased against him, using the illusion of an assassination attempt to bolster his claim. Never mind that the documents he held onto contained nuclear secrets or that said documents were not his personal property. If Trump claims his life was on the line, plenty of people will be willing to believe it.
So long as Trump can spew nonsense, there will be people willing to accept his words as gospel. That his claims are easily disproven with a quick search or basic research doesn’t matter because the truth isn’t useful to the Trumpist agenda. So long as Trump continues to feed his base and allow them to maintain their delusion of martyrdom, they will repeat his lies even if they undermine the public discourse.
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References
Balsamo, Michael, and Eric Tucker. 2022. “Trump Says FBI Searched Estate in Major Escalation of Probe.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6 (May 23, 2024).
Goldin, Mellisa. 2024. “FACT FOCUS: Trump Distorts Use of ‘deadly Force’ Language in FBI Document for Mar-a-Lago Search.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-fbi-maralago-search-672e97d19032de0947f108e4911f191e (May 23, 2024).
Hultzer, Alexandra. 2023. “Trump Allegedly Took Classified Documents on ‘nuclear Programs’ and More: What to Know – ABC News.” ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-allegedly-classified-documents-nuclear-programs/story?id=99968546 (May 23, 2024).
“Justice Manual | 1-16.000 – Department of Justice Policy On Use Of Force | United States Department of Justice.” 2022. U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/jm/1-16000-department-justice-policy-use-force (May 23, 2024).
Kelly, Conor. 2024. “Expel Marjorie Taylor Greene – The Progressive American.” The Progressive American. https://progressiveamerican322183019.wordpress.com/2024/05/17/expel-marjorie-taylor-greene/ (May 23, 2024).
Kelly, Conor. “It Got Worse: Trump Searched For Nuclear Records – The Progressive American.” https://progressiveamerican322183019.wordpress.com/2022/08/12/it-got-worse-trump-searched-for-nuclear-records/ (May 23, 2024).
Kelly, Meg, Glenn Kessler, and Salvador Rizzo. 2021. “Trump’s False or Misleading Claims Total 30,573 over 4 Years – The Washington Post.” The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/24/trumps-false-or-misleading-claims-total-30573-over-four-years/ (May 23, 2024).
Liddell, James. 2024. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Twists ‘Standard’ FBI Policy as ‘Plan to Assassinate’ Trump at Mar-a-Lago.” The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-fbi-marjorie-taylor-greene-assassination-b2549342.html (May 23, 2024).
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 [@RepMTG]. 2024. “I Made Sure That He Knew. The Biden DOJ and FBI Were Planning to Assassinate Pres Trump and Gave the Green Light. Does Everyone Get It yet???!!!! What Are Republicans Going to Do about It? I Tried to Oust Our Speaker Who Funded Biden’s DOJ AND FBI, but Democrats Stopped It. Https://T.Co/o0lUjcEdix.” Twitter. https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1793035321451454482 (May 23, 2024).
Trump, Donald. “Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump).” Truth Social. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/112481173729711738 (May 23, 2024).
Tucker, Eric, and Terry Spencer. 2024. “Heated Hearing in Classified Documents Case as Lawyer for Trump Co-Defendant Challenges Prosecutors.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-maralago-jack-smith-632d6e0f6c8000138bc7c9d47529e20c (May 23, 2024).
“What Is the FBI’s Policy on the Use of Deadly Force by Its Special Agents?” Federal Bureau of Investigation. https://www.fbi.gov/about/faqs/what-is-the-fbis-policy-on-the-use-of-deadly-force-by-its-special-agents (May 23, 2024).
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