According to a report from CNN, government officials seeking to secure the areas surrounding a Florida courthouse where Donald Trump is expected to be arraigned are having their efforts complicated by GOP lawmakers and conservatives who have been making rumblings about taking up arms in protest.
CNN host Rahel Soloman began by sharing a clip of failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake telling a crowd, “If you want to get to President Trump, you’re going to have to go through me, and you’re going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. And I’m going to tell you, most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA [National Rifle Association].
“That’s not a threat – that’s a public service.” She later added, “We will not let you lay a finger on President Trump. Frankly, now is the time to cling to our guns and our religion.”
That led CNN’s Josh Campbell to report efforts to make the appearance safe are “being made more difficult” by the inflammatory comments.
Stating that government officials “are scanning for threats across the country,” Campbell cited “Republican leaders whipping people up with this caustic language.”
“You have heard from Kari Lake insinuating that people from the NRA are ready to shoot senior Justice Department officials,” Campbell reported. “There is another tweet that was put out that received widespread condemnation from Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and he said that we have ‘reached a war phase, eye for an eye,’ and now his office later said that he was not literally talking about war.”
“But in the post-January 6th environment, we know that words matter. and we know Rudy Giuliani calling it ‘trial by combat’ and there was a mob shortly thereafter that,” he continued. “So we hear of the mobs going to Florida, and no credible threats, but one thing, because the forums are closed off, is focusing the greater energy on the informants who can report on these extremists.”
Watch the video at this link.
CNN 06 12 2023 10 20 35youtu.be