But make no mistake. The FBI was at the center of it all, and they coordinated the vast investigation, involving perhaps a dozen different agencies, and arrested a suspect within 36 hours of finding a single fingerprint on one of the packages.
It helped that the individual had a police record and that he was so open with his support for Trump and his opposition to anyone who opposes him. The suspect was identified as 56 year old Cesar Sayoc, a South Florida man who is a registered Republican. He drives a van plastered with pro-Trump photos and messages, as well as a photo of Hillary Clinton in a gunsight crosshairs. There are decals that say "dishonest media" and "CNN sucks."
Investigation of his social media confirms his right-wing conspiracy activity, including being a follower of a site named "Kill George Soros," the first recipient of his 13-and-counting bombs sent to prominent Democratic individuals who have openly spoken in opposition to Trump.
These include President Obama -- and his Vice President (Joe Biden), Secretary of State (Hillary Clinton), Attorney General (Eric Holder), CIA Director (John Brennan), and Director of National Intelligence (James Clapper). Bomb targets also included Rep. Maxine Waters, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kamala Harris, wealthy Democratic donors George Soros and Tom Steyer, and actor Robert De Nero, who denounced Trump at an awards ceremony. Two bombs addressed to Brennan and Clapper were sent to CNN, often a Trump target for claims of "fake news." Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was listed as the return address on all the mailings, and one of the bombs was returned to her address.
None of the bombs went off; but FBI Director Wray referred to them as having all the components of a bomb; "they were not hoax bombs," he said. This was perhaps meant to counter claims that President Trump had made, calling them hoax bombs.
Right-wing spokesmen, including Fox News, had begun calling this a "false flag" operation, meaning that the apparent victims (Democrats) had actually sent these "hoax" bombs themselves to make it look like Republicans were responsible. They offered zero evidence for this conspiracy theory.
It's clear now that was not the case. The president and his followers are simply dead wrong on this. Although some who knew the suspect have called him mentally ill, it is just such a disturbed person who is most likely to be influenced by rhetoric that we have been bombarded with for weeks by Trump and his right-wing base.
Ideally, this should be a moment of awakening for President Trump; but it appears that is not going to happen. He read a prepared statement that initially said all the right things: political violence has no place in our country; we must be united, etc. But even at a rally Thursday night, he was already making light of it, again blaming the media -- and semi-mocking himself by pointing out to the crowd "how good I'm being" [at not pushing divisiveness, he apparently meant]
It's not just his being wrong about the blame for this and his refusal to accept any responsibility for the effect of his relentless divisiveness and his constant lying to increase that division. Instead, he calls on the media to "set a civil tone" and to "stop the endless hostility . . . and false attacks."
Trump is the one who makes false attacks and who lies. When the media fact-check him, then that's what he calls their hostility and false attacks.
Beyond that reprehensible position is his refusal to acknowledge publicly that he has been dead wrong about the FBI too. This is one of the finest hours for an institution that should be respected and honored as the epitome of government service. They are the best, most effective investigative law enforcement agency in the world.
The way Trump has denigrated them, and the way the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, has even threatened to hold them in contempt, is nothing short of shameless -- and should be condemned by us all.
Ralph
It helped that the individual had a police record and that he was so open with his support for Trump and his opposition to anyone who opposes him. The suspect was identified as 56 year old Cesar Sayoc, a South Florida man who is a registered Republican. He drives a van plastered with pro-Trump photos and messages, as well as a photo of Hillary Clinton in a gunsight crosshairs. There are decals that say "dishonest media" and "CNN sucks."
Investigation of his social media confirms his right-wing conspiracy activity, including being a follower of a site named "Kill George Soros," the first recipient of his 13-and-counting bombs sent to prominent Democratic individuals who have openly spoken in opposition to Trump.
These include President Obama -- and his Vice President (Joe Biden), Secretary of State (Hillary Clinton), Attorney General (Eric Holder), CIA Director (John Brennan), and Director of National Intelligence (James Clapper). Bomb targets also included Rep. Maxine Waters, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kamala Harris, wealthy Democratic donors George Soros and Tom Steyer, and actor Robert De Nero, who denounced Trump at an awards ceremony. Two bombs addressed to Brennan and Clapper were sent to CNN, often a Trump target for claims of "fake news." Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was listed as the return address on all the mailings, and one of the bombs was returned to her address.
None of the bombs went off; but FBI Director Wray referred to them as having all the components of a bomb; "they were not hoax bombs," he said. This was perhaps meant to counter claims that President Trump had made, calling them hoax bombs.
Right-wing spokesmen, including Fox News, had begun calling this a "false flag" operation, meaning that the apparent victims (Democrats) had actually sent these "hoax" bombs themselves to make it look like Republicans were responsible. They offered zero evidence for this conspiracy theory.
It's clear now that was not the case. The president and his followers are simply dead wrong on this. Although some who knew the suspect have called him mentally ill, it is just such a disturbed person who is most likely to be influenced by rhetoric that we have been bombarded with for weeks by Trump and his right-wing base.
Ideally, this should be a moment of awakening for President Trump; but it appears that is not going to happen. He read a prepared statement that initially said all the right things: political violence has no place in our country; we must be united, etc. But even at a rally Thursday night, he was already making light of it, again blaming the media -- and semi-mocking himself by pointing out to the crowd "how good I'm being" [at not pushing divisiveness, he apparently meant]
It's not just his being wrong about the blame for this and his refusal to accept any responsibility for the effect of his relentless divisiveness and his constant lying to increase that division. Instead, he calls on the media to "set a civil tone" and to "stop the endless hostility . . . and false attacks."
Trump is the one who makes false attacks and who lies. When the media fact-check him, then that's what he calls their hostility and false attacks.
Beyond that reprehensible position is his refusal to acknowledge publicly that he has been dead wrong about the FBI too. This is one of the finest hours for an institution that should be respected and honored as the epitome of government service. They are the best, most effective investigative law enforcement agency in the world.
The way Trump has denigrated them, and the way the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, has even threatened to hold them in contempt, is nothing short of shameless -- and should be condemned by us all.
Ralph
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