They’re not coming for Trump, they’re coming for you.
That’s the message Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) is sending out to his fellow rightwing fanatics ahead of Trump’s arraignment in a Miami federal court. In a press release (here), he claims,
“This latest DOJ persecution against President Trump is an example of … entrapment-staging that the FBI conducts. My fellow conservatives, the DOJ/FBI doesn’t expect to imprison Trump, they expect to imprison you. They want J6 again, in Miami and in your city and in mine. They want MAGA conservatives to … set yourselves up for targeted persecution and further entrapment. … They are hoping to provoke conservative Americans. Don’t fall for the trap.”
Higgins, a college dropout with ties to militia groups (see profile here), is a genuine crank who frequently uses extreme rhetoric. He’s one of the nuttiest members of Congress. But his latest spew is a good thing.
With an armed mob assembling outside the courthouse (see story here), Higgins is telling them to stand down because the government is out to get them. That last part is B.S., but encouraging the mob to stand down is a really good idea, and Higgins doesn’t have all that many good ideas even on his best days.
It’s not actually a trap, because nobody’s going to arrest them if they stay on the sidewalk, don’t damage property or start shooting, and don’t spray-paint swastikas on the court building or pepper-spray police officers. But by all means let them think it’s a trap. Who knows, they might stay on their best behavior.