Trump warns of ‘problems’ like ‘we’ve never seen’ if he’s indicted – POLITICO

Hewitt asked Trump what he meant by problems.

I think theyd have big problems. Big problems. I just dont think theyd stand for it. They will not sit still and stand for this ultimate of hoaxes, Trump said.

Its not the first time Republicans have hinted at potential civil unrest if the DOJ indicts Trump. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham made headlines last month when he said there would be riots in the street if there is a prosecution of Donald Trump for mishandling classified information. Grahams comments were slammed as irresponsible and shameful. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, without naming the South Carolina senator, said these comments from extreme Republicans were dangerous.

Hewitt appeared to see Trumps comments as a nod toward potential unrest, asking the former president how he would respond when the legacy media accuses him of inciting violence.

Thats not inciting. Im just saying what my opinion is, Trump said. I dont think the people of this country would stand for it.

On Capitol Hill, senior FBI and DHS officials briefed members of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees Thursday on the uptick in threats against federal law enforcement in the aftermath of the Mar-a-Lago search. Senators said the briefers didnt specifically pinpoint a politician or political party when it comes to the threats, but they said the trend was clear.

It was stunning the number of threats that have been cataloged since the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago, Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said after the briefing, specifically mentioning the gunman who tried to enter an FBI building in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the days following the search. Its a much more dangerous environment because of the political statements made by some individuals since Aug. 8 its alarming to me.

Durbin said the threats ranged from explicit and specific to more generalized ones, most notably on social media. He also called out Trump for his rhetoric.

Inviting a mob to return to the streets is exactly what happened here on Jan. 6, 2021. This president knew what he was doing...and we saw the results, Durbin added. His careless, inflammatory rhetoric has its consequences.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a Trump ally and member of the Homeland Security Committee, said after the briefing that the Justice Department needed to be more transparent about the justification for the search in order to push back against conspiracies.

You have to give people good information so these rumors dont continue, Scott said, condemning attacks on law enforcement. I dont know why they raided the former presidents house ... They know the conspiracy theories that are out there. So convince people that theyre not true.

The FBI search of Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida sparked a political firestorm last month. According to a Justice Department court filing released in August, prosecutors obtained a search warrant for the estate after receiving evidence there was likely an effort to conceal classified documents at the residence in defiance of a grand jury subpoena. Agents recovered highly classified records mixed among personal items, in addition to dozens of empty folders with classified markings.

The DOJ and Trumps lawyers are now in the midst of legal deliberations on an outside review of the seized documents.

Graham, one of Trumps staunchest Capitol Hill allies, echoed concerns that the Justice Department may have overstepped in its dealings with the former president. But he left open the possibility that the departments probe could uncover material that might justify an indictment.

Theres a belief from many on the right that the DOJ and the FBI have been less than unbiased when it comes to Trump. But having said that, nobodys above the law including the president, but the laws gonna be about politics, Graham said. So lets wait and see what they find. Ive got an open mind about what they find, but they need to have something that would justify what I think is political escalation.

Speaking with Hewitt on Thursday, Trump continued to use the defense that he declassified everything he took to Mar-a-Lago, a claim his legal team has thus far declined to make in court.

Rhetoric that could be seen as alluding to violence is not out of character for Trump. In his speech on Jan. 6, 2021, to supporters before rioters stormed the Capitol in an effort to block the certification of President Joe Bidens Electoral College victory, the then-president told the crowd to fight much harder against bad people and to show strength. His comments that day have been a focal point of Jan. 6 select committees investigation into the president and his inner circle, with investigators using one of their summer hearings to make the case that Trumps efforts to hold on to power resonated with extremist groups and brought them to the Capitol.

Nancy Vu contributed to this report.

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Trump warns of 'problems' like 'we've never seen' if he's indicted - POLITICO