One of many news accounts related to the search warrant executed at Mar-a-Lago yesterday carries the headline, "Top Republicans echo Trump's evidence-free claims to discredit FBI search." Evidence-free. Along with diversion, distraction, distortion, and outright lies, evidence-free has become a way of life for Republican leaders, Fox News personalities, and other defenders of the head of the Grand Old Party -- though there is often no defense at all. It is rare, in fact, to address the specifics, or reference them, regarding any alleged wrongdoing by the man.
House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene tweets: "Defund the FBI!"
Senator Marco Rubio, a reliable weather vane of party opinion, ties the search to the Democrats' success in undoing a decade of Republican-driven defunding of the IRS: "After todays raid on Mar A Lago what do you think the left plans to use those 87,000 new IRS agents for?"
While a savvy, aggressive Governor Ron DeSantis, whom I'd judge is as likely to get the Republican 2024 presidential nomination as Trump, delivers a roundhouse: "The raid of MAL is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the Regime’s political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves. Now the Regime is getting another 87k IRS agents to wield against its adversaries? Banana Republic."
South Carolina's Lindsay Graham (momentarily, as is his wont) strikes a more thoughtful pose: "Time will tell regarding this most recent investigation. However, launching such an investigation of a former President this close to an election is beyond problematic." But, c'mon, it's risible that weeks before Labor Day heading toward an off-year election is too close for an investigation of a guy who's not on the ballot.
The fainthearted Speaker-in-Waiting, Kevin Benghazi-Benghazi-Benghazi McCarthy, signals his support with a boastful promise to employ the power of his office for harassment of the DOJ:
I've seen enough.
The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization.
When Republicans take back the House, we will conduct immediate oversight of this department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned.
Attorney General Garland, preserve your documents and clear your calendar.
Donald Trump famously ripped memos to shreds and even tossed them in the toilet, while his staff sent burn bags to the Pentagon for incineration; for many fateful hours on January 6, record-keeping in the White House stopped; the leadership Trump put into place at the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security destroyed records that federal law required be preserved; and then Trump absconded with national security papers when he departed the White House. It's rich for McCarthy to end his missive with "preserve your documents."
Donald Trump's birther lie, magnified by Fox News, launched his political career. He told over 30,000 lies over four years. His first campaign trumpeted "Lock her up!" (because she failed to follow established protocols regarding sensitive documents) throughout fall 2016. He cozied up to Putin and other dictators, extorted the leader of Ukraine, undermined NATO and our democratic allies, and on and on for four years.
The Republican Party stuck with him come what may. Through the Mueller investigation, two impeachments, the January 6 riot, and most frightening of all, a concerted campaign -- which continues to this day -- to discredit the 2020 presidential election.
He added, "It's, like, incredible." It was. And is.
The party that formerly espoused Character counts, that emphasized national security, law and order, and fidelity to the Constitution -- that party has rallied around Donald Trump.
Evidence-free posturing permits the evasion of accountability. The FBI presented a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. That warrant specifies the factual basis to justify the search. Donald Trump, his attorneys and closest advisors know what's in that warrant.
Has any Republican in power thought to ask what's in the warrant? Has Trump deigned to mention any specific from that warrant?
No, it's all blather, bluster, whataboutism, misdirection, lies, and ginned up outrage. Evidence-free.