The Intimidation Machine
(This first appeared as a monologue on the most recent episode of my podcast.)
I don’t know about you, but when I heard that Donald Trump gave a copy of the unredacted search warrant and property receipt to Breitbart, who then published it in full with the names of the agents who took part in the search, I said to myself “Oh, I’ve seen this movie already.” The same for the Trump appointed judge who signed off on the warrant, who’s name and photoshopped likeness has already appeared on Rupert’s propaganda firehose. The right’s machine of personal destruction went into full gear. Inevitably, those agents, that judge, and their families will need security in order to navigate the cesspool of MAGA that will show up at the grocery store, their office, or their front door. Phone numbers will need to be changed. They may ultimately have to move. I point you in the direction of Christine Blasey Ford for an example of that. The last time that name came across my radar, it was in a news story that reported the four times she has moved in order to protect herself and her family from what can only be described as deranged maniac cultists. Sadly, lest you think this is a new thing, I assure you it is not. The right’s use of fear and intimidation has been there for a long time.
While I’m sure there are many examples from before this, I’m going to use Graeme Frost as the earliest example I…
