top of page

Welcome to Crime and Justice News

Experts Fear Trump's Words May Spark More Violence

A man armed with an AR-15 dies in a shootout after trying to breach FBI offices in Cincinnati. A Pennsylvania man is arrested after he posts death threats against agents on social media. In cyberspace, calls for armed uprisings and civil war grow stronger. This could be just the beginning, federal authorities and private extremism monitors warn, the Associated Press reports. A growing number of ardent Donald Trump supporters seem ready to strike back against the FBI or others who they believe go too far in investigating the former president. Law enforcement officials across the U.S. are warning and being warned about an increase in threats and the potential for violent attacks on federal agents or buildings after the FBI’s search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.


Experts who study radicalization and online disinformation — such as Trump’s aggressive false claims about a stolen election — note that the recent increase was sparked by a legal search at Mar-a-Lago. “When messaging reaches a certain pitch, things start to happen in the real world,” said former New Jersey Attorney General John Farmer, a onetime federal prosecutor who directs the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. “And when people in positions of power and public trust start to echo extremist rhetoric, it’s even more likely that we’re going to see real-world consequences.” Amplified by right-wing media, angry claims by Trump and his allies about the search are fanning the flames of his supporters’ distrust of the FBI — though it’s led by a Trump appointee — and the federal government in general. At least a few of Trump’s supporters now appear to be acting on his anger. Last week ,a man wearing body armor and armed with an assault rifle and a nail gun tried to breach the FBI’s Cincinnati office. He was later shot and killed by police after exchanging fire with officers. Authorities say they believe the man had posted dark messages on Truth Social, Trump’s online platform, including one that said federal agents should be killed on sight.

15 views

Recent Posts

See All

Harvey Weinstein Conviction Overturned In New York

Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges was overturned by New York’s highest court on Thursday, when the New York Court of Appeals found in a 4-3 decision that the trial judge w

A daily report co-sponsored by Arizona State University, Criminal Justice Journalists, and the National Criminal Justice Association

bottom of page