ABC News chief investigative reporter Josh Margolin claimed Thursday the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid on Mar-a-Lago led U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to be attacked by “white supremacists” and “neo-Nazis.”
Margolin appeared on an ABC News panel before the attorney general spoke Thursday afternoon and said Garland must have “scrutinized” the decision to approve the search of former President Donald Trump’s private residence in a “dangerous” and violent political environment.
In the press conference, Garland announced he “personally approved” the raid and declared he will “not stand silently” regarding the “recent unfounded attacks” against law enforcement and the DOJ.
“He had to know that as soon as this happened, it would supercharge a supercharged environment and in fact, that’s what we saw,” Margolin said.
“As soon as President Trump put out confirmation on Monday that the raid had been done and was underway,” the reporter continued, “we immediately started seeing fascists on the far-right, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militia organizers calling for violence as they always have done against Jews—the Attorney General is Jewish—against the FBI, federal law enforcement, against other perceived enemies—enemies they perceive to be enemies of President Trump.”
The investigative reporter said Garland, along with the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) likely expected threats of violence to increase as a result of the raid. (RELATED: ‘Department Of Trust Us’: Sen. Chuck Grassley Says FBI Director Refused To Answer About The Raid)
Some critics of the raid have used violent rhetoric on social media, directing threats toward Garland and the FBI. One social media user exclaimed, “kill all feds,” and another called for the assassination of Garland, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Others encouraged attacks on Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off on the search warrant to enter Mar-a-Lago. One user wrote “I see a rope around his neck” as others called for the publication of his home address.
AG Garland defends Justice Dept. from “unfounded” attacks made by allies of Trump during statement on Mar-a-Lago search warrant:
“Every day they protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism, and other threats to their safety while safeguarding our civil rights.” pic.twitter.com/YWBc16EP84
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 11, 2022
FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned the threats and rising violence toward law enforcement in recent years in a statement on Wednesday, according to ABC News.
“Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter what anyone is upset about,” Wray said. “In the last few years we’ve had an alarming rise in violence against law enforcement.”
Trump accused the raid of being “prosecutorial misconduct” and a politically motivated attack to ensure that he does not run for a second term in 2024. The former president announced Wednesday he had pleaded the Fifth Amendment during a deposition conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James.