While conservatives traditionally support law enforcement, even federal law enforcement, the attacks on former President Donald Trump have changed the minds of many on to what degree the actions of the FBI and DOJ should be supported, and opened the eyes of many more as to the leftist elements in those federal law enforcement agencies.
That, in turn, has led to conservatives taking a far stronger stance against the FBI than they otherwise might be willing to do, and has led to many both in the MAGA right political scene and on the online right being willing to mock the FBI, whereas in the past they would have been much more likely to treat it with deference and respect.
Such became extremely clear when the FBI posted, on Christmas morning, a tweet in which it included a gif of a fire and wished Americans a “happy holiday season” instead of a “Merry Christmas,” saying, “The #FBI wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season!”
Predictably, the commenters on the tweet absolutely eviscerated the FBI, saying things like “Is that Epsteins hard drives in that fire?” and “Are you guys burning evidence that could convict Hunter Biden in that fire?” and “You being unemployed or in prison is the holiday gift America needs.” Another joked “Even their fire leans left.”
Still others noted that many Americans have no faith left in the FBI, saying things like “In case you haven’t noticed, Americans have lost all respect for you. You have no one to blame but yourselves” and “Reading the comments kinda tells you that the citizens have lost all faith in your institution.”
Other commenters blasted the FBI for what they see as being focused on attacking normal Americans rather than keeping them safe from real threats, saying things like “It’s ok to say Merry Christmas. Now get back to work locking up patriotic grandmothers or whatever you bums do” and “There’s no time for pleasantries. Not when there are so many more innocent civilians that y’all can falsely label as domestic terrorists.”
Another commenter, former Navy SEAL Matthew Bracken, posted a picture of the flaming Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, one of the most infamous moments in the FBI’s history, and said, “Maybe the FBI should stay away from fire memes. Just sayin.”
In his report on the FBI’s investigation into Trump and Russia, Special Counsel John Durham said, “As the more complete record now shows, there are specific areas of Crossfire Hurricane activity in which the FBI badly underperformed and failed, not only in its duties to the public, but also in preventing the severe reputational harm that has befallen the FBI as a consequence of Crossfire Hurricane.”
He continued, “Importantly, had the Crossfire Hurricane actors faithfully followed their own principles regarding objectivity and integrity, there were clear opportunities to have avoided the mistakes and to have prevented the damage resulting from their embrace of seriously flawed information that they failed to analyze and assess properly.“
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