Republicans have made support for law enforcement a hallmark of their platform for decades.
But since the rise of former Republican President Donald Trump, who described himself in 2016 as "the law and order candidate," zealous boosterism of the police state has become nothing short of a Republican obsession.
Until now, it seems.
Because after news dropped that the FBI forcibly searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago Florida estate yesterday, the Party that routinely smears Democrats and left-wing activists as violently anti-police seems to have completely lost their love for "law and order."
Leading the charge is far-right ideologue and Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who took a page out of leftists' book and tweeted "Defund the FBI" in protest of law and order being imposed upon "the law and order candidate" himself.
Republicans are nothing if not consistently inconsistent, as Twitter quickly reminded MTG.
\u201cJust leaving this here for public consumption.\u201d— Aaron Parnas (@Aaron Parnas) 1660050603
The search at Trump's property is reportedly related to materials he took from the White House, many of which are believed to be classified, and which were previously searched earlier this year.
Democratic President Joe Biden was reportedly not notified of the search, and the FBI would have had to sufficiently convince a federal judge that there was evidence of a likely crime on Trump's part in order to obtain the necessary search warrant.
Oh--and also, the Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray is a lifelong Republican who was appointed by Trump in 2017.
Awkwaard.
Nevertheless, Republicans, including Trump himself, have smeared the raid as political persecution and a Democratic hit job.
Trump called the search "the weaponization of the justice system and an attack by radical left Democrats," while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it stemmed from an "intolerable state of weaponized politicization."
Greene, as always, took the melodrama to a new level, naturally calling the raid "communist" and invoking the notion of civil war.
\u201cThe FBI is raiding President Trump\u2019s home in Maralago!\n\nThis is the rogue behavior of communist countries, NOT the United States of America!!!\n\nThese are the type of things that happen in countries during civil war.\n\nThe political persecution MUST STOP!!!\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660001153
Greene has until yesterday been one of the most vocal and vociferous defenders of law enforcement and has repeatedly decried leftists' calls to "defund the police" amid near-constant police violence against people of color.
And Republicans in general have made "Back the Blue" an article of faith, campaigning vigorously in recent years on their endorsements from police unions and other law enforcement organizations.
What a difference a day makes, huh?
On Twitter, people found Greene's takes on the matter ridiculous and hypocritical to the point of parody.
\u201c@RepMTG Went from \u201cback the blue\u201d to \u201cdefund the blue\u201d really quick.\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660003404
\u201c@RepMTG Then who would protect the Supreme Court Justices Madame? I thought you demanded they have FBI protection??\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660003404
\u201c@RepMTG wait are we backing the blue or not, I didn't get today's talking points\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660003404
\u201c@MollyJongFast @RepMTG What she really means:\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660003404
\u201c@RepMTG Mam, this is a Wendi\u2019s please take your frosty and leave.\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660003404
\u201c@RepMTG Republicans before Trump:\n\u201cPay your damn taxes!\u201d\n\u201cBack the blue!\u201d\n\nRepublicans after Trump:\n\u201cDefund the IRS!\u201d\n\u201cDefund the police!\u201d\n\nTHIS IS HILARIOUS!\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660003404
\u201cSo NOW they\u2019re going to do the #DefundThePolice thing. Always have to steal someone else\u2019s idea. Never an original thought in these brainless twits, except they\u2019re doing it to take control, not for anything related to justice. #FascistGOP\u201d— Dr. Dee \u262e\ufe0f \u270a\ud83c\udffd\u270a\ud83c\udfff #WeWontGoBack (@Dr. Dee \u262e\ufe0f \u270a\ud83c\udffd\u270a\ud83c\udfff #WeWontGoBack) 1660060103
\u201cRepublicans now support defunding law enforcement\n\nAnd all it took was the FBI raiding Mar-a-Lago\u201d— Edward Hardy (@Edward Hardy) 1660056300
\u201c\u201cBack the blue except when they go after criminals on my side\u201d\u201d— Frank \u24cb (@Frank \u24cb) 1660050887
\u201cThe most unintentionally hilarious mfs on the Earth.\u201d— Jeffrey Wright (@Jeffrey Wright) 1660053307
On the bright side, maybe this same willingness to completely 180 on their stances will inspire Republicans to enact prison reform once Trump is occupying one. We can only dream.
The Bulwark
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