MAGA world swallows a difficult truth: Arresting Trump's opponents is easier said than done

Politico

2 days ago

The issue flared most prominently last month when the Justice Department and FBI made the whiplash-inducing admission that the so-called Epstein files do not contain a 'client list' of celebrity sex traffickers. The existence of such a list has been an article of faith among MAGA influencers for years, and Trump aides' efforts to unwind the conspiracy theories have plunged the administration into weeks of turmoil and recriminations.
'What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again,' Elon Musk wrote in a July 7 post on X.
The targets so far
To be sure, the Trump administration has brought criminal charges against some Democrats and other officials who oppose — or are perceived as opposing — the president's agenda. They include Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), who was arrested while visiting an immigration detention center, and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was charged with obstructing federal immigration authorities.
Trump has also used other powers of his office to target perceived foes, like yanking the security clearances of lawyers who have worked on cases against him and ordering agencies to cancel contracts with law firms that have employed those lawyers. (Those efforts have largely been blocked by federal courts.)
And he has ordered the Justice Department to investigate former Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor and former cybersecurity chief Chris Krebs, who have become vocal Trump critics. He has also called for the impeachment of judges who have blocked his policies.
But Trump's base wants more. Far-right influencers have clamored for arrests stemming from a range of other purported conspiracies, including:
the allegation that Obama and his top aides engaged in a 'treasonous conspiracy' in how they handled intelligence related to Russia's attempt to influence the 2016 election;
the theory that Biden's aides committed crimes by allegedly covering up his cognitive decline, and that Biden's end-of-term pardons are invalid;
the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump through rampant fraud; and
the false claim that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was orchestrated by the government.
Trump himself has floated investigations, arrests and prosecutions for many of those involved.
Each example, amplified by Trump and his closest allies, has been backed by little to no evidence but has nevertheless become dogma among MAGA supporters. Now they're seething over the lack of action.
'Number of tweets that President Trump & his team have sent about arresting Russia Hoax traitors: 275,322. Number of arrests that President Trump & his team have made of Russia Hoax traitors: 0,' Emerald Robinson, a prominent pro-Trump broadcaster, recently posted.
Another pro-Trump activist, Laura Loomer, demanded the Justice Department arrest Comey, the former FBI director, for a controversy over an Instagram post of seashells spelling out '86 47,' which Trump allies said was a coded threat against the president.
For now, the administration appears willing to open all manner of investigations, even those seen as flimsy and unlikely to lead to actual arrests. Attorney General Pam Bondi this week ordered a grand jury investigation of the Russia-related allegations. Fox News' Laura Ingraham recently reported that Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is being eyed by the U.S. attorney in Maryland over mortgage paperwork — an allegation Schiff has called political retaliation. Smith, the former special prosecutor who brought two federal criminal cases against Trump, is under the gaze of the Office of Special Counsel, which probes allegations of improper political activity by government officials.
None of the matters have yielded any criminal or ethics-related charges to date.
The cycle moves to Texas
Now, the Texas redistricting battle has ignited the cycle anew.
Texas House leaders have authorized the civil arrest of Democrats to compel their attendance at a special session to consider redistricting legislation. But their power only extends to Texas' borders, and more than 50 of the Democratic lawmakers have fled to friendlier turf, like Illinois and Massachusetts.