When word got out that Robert Mueller had interviewed Jeff Sessions as part of the probe into Russia’s attempt to hack the presidential election, it initially appeared that all of the demands for Mueller’s head had been silenced once and for all. After all, any attempt to either fire Mueller or clip his wings would have been seen as a blatant act of retaliation.
But at least one right-winger is actually willing to go beyond calling for Mueller’s job. He put everyone working to get to the bottom of the Kremlin’s funny business on notice–they’re committing acts of treason.
In the circle of hard-right luminaries who fancy themselves experts on terror, John Guandolo is one of the looniest of them all. He actually believed that the attack on a London mosque was an act of self-defense against a supposed fountainhead of jihadi activity.
But that argument was a model of sanity compared to what he said on Tuesday, when he dropped by “Focus Today” on TheDove TV. He claimed–with a straight face–that Mueller’s investigation is part of a larger effort to give aid and comfort to our enemies. Watch here, if you can stand it.
About 13 minutes into the interview, host Perry Atkinson peddled a line that has become gospel on the right-wing fringe–the FBI investigation is “compromised all the way to the top.” He asked Guandolo if there was a chance to “clean up the FBI and the DOJ.”
Guandolo jumped at the lure. He peddled another right-wing shibboleth–the dossier that reportedly details how Donald Trump was compromised by the Kremlin is bogus. Never mind that key portions of the dossier have already been corroborated, and that many Western intelligence agencies believe that the investigator who compiled the dossier, Christopher Steele, was on to something.
But Guandolo went further. He claimed that those who were responsible for sounding the alarm about the dossier–like John McCain and senior FBI leadership–knew it was bogus from the start. And yet, Guandolo continued, the FBI used it as the basis for an affidavit to convince a judge to authorize wiretaps.
To Guandolo’s mind, this wasn’t just a criminal act. It was something far worse.
“I would argue because it’s part of a broader, hostile campaign by our enemies and supports a broader campaign by our enemies, it also constitutes sedition and treason. And people need to be held accountable. People need to be tried, convicted and executed for treason.”
As Guandolo sees it, the Mueller investigation is part of a “larger hostile campaign” to overthrow Trump–and that amounts to “treason and sedition.”
Later, Atkinson poured gasoline on the fire. He claimed that as the days go on, there is “more and more” evidence that the FBI and Justice Department conducted surveillance on Trump at Hillary Clinton’s behest. Never mind that the investigation began when a drunken Trump aide spilled his guts to Australia’s high commissioner, or ambassador, to the UK about supposed dirt his bosses had gotten on Hillary from Russia. But as we’ve already seen, such little things as facts never get in the way of a good conspiracy theory.
Guandolo ate it up. He repeated the claim that the dossier was a forgery, and a number of senior FBI leaders who are “overtly pro Mrs. Clinton” used it as a basis to get warrants as part of a “hostile campaign” to first tamper with the election, and then overthrow Trump. To his mind, it was more proof that there is a massive cabal attempting to overthrow Trump–and they needed to be swept out, and now.
“We have people inside the Department of Justice, inside the FBI, and inside our government–elected, appointed, and otherwise–who are hostile to the republic. They are hostile to the Constitution. They are conspiring to overthrow the government. And they need to be–legally, they need to be–a massive purge needs to take place. And people need to be charged, sent to jail, executed, etc. if the republic is to survive.”
Cliff Notes version–the deep state is out to get Trump.
There are a lot of reasons why we should take this screed from Guandolo with a hefty dose of salt. For one thing, Guandolo has serious credibility issues. He’s already on record as believing that Trump critics may be on the payroll of jihadists.
Most importantly, his longstanding claim that he was fired by the FBI after he wouldn’t shut up about growing Islamist influence doesn’t withstand serious analysis. In truth, he resigned in late 2008 rather than face all-but-certain termination for having an affair with one of the key witnesses in the corruption trial of former congressman William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson.
But even without that to consider, if Guandolo’s railing about potentially treasonous acts, what about the intercepts of Paul Manafort actively asking for help from Russians? And what about the Trumps’ shifting narrative on the meeting in Trump Tower–one that has Mueller looking closer? And Jared Kushner asking for a secret communication channel with the Kremlin? And on, and on, and on. How, pray tell, is investigating these matters “hostile to the republic” and “hostile to the Constitution”?
From where I’m sitting, getting to the bottom of Russia’s monkey business isn’t an act of treason. It’s the definition of patriotism. Perhaps if Guandolo and Atkinson lifted their MAGA hat visors out of their eyes, they’d see it.
(featured image: screengrab courtesy YouTube)
