By Steve BermanVladimir Putin likely ordered the death of Aleksei Navalny, his one-time political opponent who was languishing in a high security Russian prison above the Arctic Circle. I mean, we can’t prove it, except by whatever intel we get by the same people who collect intel on the Trump campaign. But we know Putin’s enemies, and even his frenemies, tend to die by falling out of windows, in plane crashes, and by poison (the poison sometimes takes four years, like Navalny).
We also know that in America, certain deaths seem overly convenient, even suspicious. We may never know how Jeffrey Epstein died, other than the fact that his guards seemed singularly uninterested in whether he lived or not. We also know that at times, the media, beholden to its social circle and political beliefs, won’t tell its audiences when a transgender activist with “Free Palestine!” written on his/her gun shoots up Lakewood Church, preferring to focus on the boy he/she brought who was hit by off-duty cops returning gunfire. Or when a trans activist shoots up a Nashville school, they publish “Fear pervades trans community” instead of the killer’s hate-filled manifesto.
But here’s another thing we know, and it’s not covered in conservative media enough.
When public figures speak against Donald Trump, for any reason, they face death threats. A lot of death threats. It doesn’t matter who it is, or when that person spoke against Trump. Even if the person stood behind Trump during his presidency, the death threats continue. I’m not just talking about “Never Trump” people like Rick Wilson, who was recently SWATted at 3:00 am. My friend Erick Erickson had to hire private security after being mildly critical of Trump from 2016 on. David French, who has always spoken out against Trump, but holds himself a Christian and conservative, has faced multiple death threats.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over Trump’s New York trial, received death threats. Colorado Supreme Court justices, who removed Trump from the state primary ballot, faced death threats. Fulton County, Georgia DA Fani Willis has to have 24/7 security because of death threats–she should hire security to protect her from her own stupidity, but that’s a different story. And even Nikki Haley has received enough death threats to request Secret Service protection.
During Donald Trump’s presidency, the Secret Service tallied six to eight death threats per day, which was about the same as George W. Bush and Barack Obama got. The Secret Service is very good at protecting the president, and whoever else is under their protection. Trump is still under Secret Service protection. Most people are not.
Death threats and violence are not part of normal American political processes. Any political “victory” achieved by such intimidation is invalid, and un-American. I understand the left has its own organized violence, and has that as a political tool for years. But there has never been such a widespread use of fear, intimidation, and threats against anyone who speaks against one person in American history. Never.
You could say that the intimidation and threats are so widespread that they are terrorism. That would make people who make these threats in support of Trump terrorists. Terrorists, no better than the pro-Hamas folks who tear down the pictures of Israeli hostages. In fact, worse, because they are making threats against public figures, judges, and presidential candidates.
I only have two words for such people: Stop it!
We are not a country of terrorists. Keep doing it and you’ll find out what happens when the public has had enough. As the old saw goes–F around and find out. Don’t be a terrorist. Stop it.
Follow Steve on Twitter @stevengberman.
The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue, create conversation, and debate ideas. See something you like or don’t like? Reach out to the author or to us at ideas@thefirsttv.com.
