For years now we’ve been hearing how President Trump’s “attacks” on the media have had a chilling effect on free speech. Trump gets a “fake news” chant going at one of his rallies and poor Jim Acosta becomes worried for his personal safety.
You may remember that the White House Correspondents Association was wringing its hands over whether to invite Trump to its “nerd prom” (he didn’t attend) and now we’ve been reminded that the White House’s annual Christmas party for the media isn’t even a thing anymore. It’s just … gone.
Now the media have compatriots in the form of FBI agents who warn of a chilling effect inside the agency now that they’re under attack by the president and Attorney General William Barr.
FBI agents warn of a "chilling effect" inside the agency following President Trump and Attorney General William Barr's attacks https://t.co/hkcGDYyRHS pic.twitter.com/WFkGEgxnIk
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 12, 2019
And we’ll bet much like the media, those FBI agents have no idea why the public seems to have lost trust in the agency. CNN reports:
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Current and former FBI officials tell CNN they’re concerned that the harsh rhetoric coming from Trump and Barr has only worsened the bureau’s already tenuous standing with the President, leaving them wondering whether federal agents could be less aggressive the next time they have to pursue a sensitive investigation.
…
Barr this week seized on findings in a blockbuster inspector general report to scold the FBI for using “intrusive” tools with only “flimsy” evidence, and he questioned whether they’d been motivated by bias. Those attacks were particularly noteworthy given that the report found no evidence of bias or improper motivation in the FBI’s decisions to use counterintelligence techniques. The report did however point out serious mistakes and mishandling of evidence by the FBI.
Wrong. The report found no “documentary” evidence of political bias, but we’ve all seen the texts between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok — who was removed from the Mueller investigation due to his obvious animosity toward the president. And even CNN is forced to point out the “serious mistakes and mishandling of evidence” contained in the Horowitz report.
I can’t even find a tiny, tiny violin for the FBI that destroys the lives of their fellow Americans. Just can’t seem to locate it.
— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) December 12, 2019
I can't believe how far the FBI's reputation has fallen. They can't even begin to recover until there's a full reckoning and accounting for this saga. CNN sources would be smarter to try and cast all this off on former leadership, but no…
— Demetrios M (@dmajik_dfm) December 12, 2019
Never mind the corruption at the top of the FBI the past 11 years. The government is corrupt. pic.twitter.com/eVX84l3ym1
— Big Sky (@blackfootmender) December 12, 2019
— Isaac_Space_Jesus (@IsaacSpaceJesus) December 12, 2019
You mean the same FBI that just admitted in the Senate that they fabricated evidence to perform illegal surveillance on the Trump campaign, yet you refuse to report on it?
— Joe Best (@BestronaldJoe) December 12, 2019
If it chills them from the dishonesty and collusion we've learned about, chill away.
— DrM (@DrMagnolias) December 12, 2019
As long as the chilling effect is on the illegal, sloppy, outrageous violations of due process they did with their unlawful surveillance, good on them!
— Janine (@JanineE1) December 12, 2019
Their own actions brought this about. The FBI damaged its own credibility through their outlandish actions such as falsifying emails to present to a judge. The entire FBI needs to be examined and scrutinized to ensure this never happens again.
— August (@AugustGiudice) December 12, 2019
They're more than welcome to find a new line of work!
— CaptainEli (@MaineEli) December 13, 2019
Good. They should quit
— Irishman (@OnPoint49962484) December 12, 2019
Bye Felicia
— Steve Maynard (@tides8) December 12, 2019
They are free to look for jobs elsewhere ?
— sandy (@sgalicastro) December 12, 2019
These are the bad apples that need to be discarded
— Brooks Endacott (@endacott) December 12, 2019
These are the same agents who haven’t lost their jobs yet and are waiting to be exposed. I’m sure the comments were chilling given their position.
— Tom Boyer (@princetontom) December 12, 2019
Well they should be leery of abusing the tools of the FBI for personal and political reasons. @Comey and McCabe and their minions did this.
— common sense ProAmerican (@ThePimpHat) December 12, 2019
Good. The FBI fabricating evidence, and surveilling citizens on false evidence is chilling to us. I hope they are chilled. I hope they are afraid. I hope the criminals in the FBI go to prison.
— John_Butler✌? (@ButlerJjohn) December 12, 2019
FBI should be worried whether it will be retained. There is little tolerance in US for political police.
— Hunter Thorpe (@Spiffmanspace) December 12, 2019
Tear it down! Democrats have corrupted every government institution under Obama
— 2Strikes (@OneLateralus) December 12, 2019
The FBI is a victim now, lol. Cry more libs.
— Dandy Truman (@DandyTruman) December 12, 2019
Cry me a river
— Jen (@TN_Girl_4_Life) December 12, 2019
Not chilled at all by what happened to Carter Page, uh? ?Shocking.
Screw all the whiners. However, based on the former FBI/DOJ clowns you folks employ and put on air, I'm guessing just the opposite is happening.
— G. Brock ?? (@mickeysooner) December 12, 2019
Of course CNN calls the TRUTH “attacks”
— Court McF⛔️ (@court_mcf) December 12, 2019
Just remember when CNN reports about "people in the department" or "one source said", they're really just referring to some person they always go to for these kinds of articles. A person that has political motives and that will always tell CNN what they need to hear for a story
— Invisible Constituent (@JustGreggo) December 12, 2019
Good. It is as corrupt as CNN. Hope there is a chilling effect at CNN after looking at your latest ratings as well.
— Rick (@unrealrick) December 13, 2019
Thoughts and prayers to all the FBI agents who are feeling chilled by President Trump’s “attacks.”
Related:
YIKES! Rep. Jim Jordan rattles off list of recently dismissed/demoted FBI agents and it's 'astounding' https://t.co/lMtb5iNY8z
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 13, 2018
