Has it already started?

Police stand outside an entrance to former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump said in a lengthy statement that the FBI was conducting a search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and asserted that agents had broken open a safe. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Paul GleiserHas it already started?


Where are we as a society? Things are unusually tense. I’m reminded of the annus horribilis of 1968 when riots shook our cities and Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated.

Things eventually calmed down after 1968. Will they again? Or is a second civil war brewing?

Should we brace for trouble?

Some say that trouble has been brewing for years and that January 6 was an inflection point.

Or was the August 8 raid on Donald Trump’s home the inflection point?

Late that afternoon a colleague of mine – who is no fan of Trump – texted me saying, “Grab the armrest,” meaning that what was about to come out about Donald Trump was going to be earth-shattering.

I’m pretty sure it’s safe to loosen my grip on the armrest. Considering the largely substance-free leak and innuendo campaign now underway to justify the raid on Donald Trump’s home, you have to believe that if they had something yuuuuuge on Trump, we’d know it by now.

What this looks like is the attempt to gin up something criminal against Donald Trump out of a push and pull between Trump and the National Archives regarding documents – a push-pull that takes place with all outgoing presidents.

To an extent that increases with each passing day, the FBI’s raid and the subsequent actions of the Department of Justice increasingly look like another attempt by a politicized DOJ to preemptively disqualify Donald Trump. It looks for all the world like a desperate attempt to accomplish what the ‘Mueller Investigation’ into “Russian collusion” could not.

It boils down to this. In the minds of the leadership of DOJ and indeed most of the D.C. establishment, the voters – meaning you – be damned. The establishment is afraid that you might dare vote for someone that they don’t like. They’ll do anything to keep that from happening.

And when I say, “anything,” it includes trashing the once gold-plated reputation of the FBI.

If you’re old enough, you remember the series that aired on the ABC Television Network for nine seasons starting in 1965 that was simply called, The FBI. I was a part of the generation of kids who grew up watching that show and believing that the agents of the FBI were the good guys.

That favorable view wasn’t partisan. Everybody respected the FBI.

That’s gone. Half the country now distrusts the FBI and the Department of Justice (and indeed most of our once-respected institutions).

So, will this all eventually work itself out ala 1968? I have hitherto mostly believed that.

But I may be naive. A small handful of very powerful people in very powerful corners of our government now believe that their judgement as to who should win elections supersedes yours and mine – and they have the capability of acting on that belief. They have no intention of respecting the electoral choices of smelly, Wal-Mart-shopping deplorables.

That’s something new.

So, maybe the civil war is already underway and I’m just late figuring it out.

Paul Gleiser

Paul L. Gleiser is president of ATW Media, LLC, licensee of radio stations KTBB 97.5 FM/AM600, 92.1 The TEAM FM in Tyler-Longview, Texas.

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14 Responses

  1. Mike says:

    I am going to lead this off with some quotes from the Biden Press Secretary (who is a joke) and Biden himself: From Jean-Pierre, White House Press Parrot, “I was very clear when laying out and defining what MAGA Republicans have done,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “You look at the definition of fascism, and you think about what they’re doing in attacking our democracy, what they’re doing in taking away our freedoms, wanting to take away our rights, our voting rights, I mean, that is what that is. It is very clear and that’s why [Biden] made that powerful speech.”

    What is Biden’s powerful speech? “”For those brave right-wing Americans who say it’s all about keeping America, keeping America independent and safe, if you want to fight against the country, you need an F-15. You need something a little more than a gun,” said Biden.

    What is this all about? Those of us who are on the right, whether Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian are ALL domestic terrorist that must be dealt with and squashed in order to save our democracy. NOT OUR REPUBLIC; which is what America is; a Republic. Yep, as I said before, Ceasar has crossed the Rubicon. All us Deplorables are domestic terrorist and all our guns, ammo, and hunting skills will not save us from the Democommies who are hell bent on destroying our Republic in the name of democracy. Amazing all the so called “Treasonous” issues they accuse former President Trump, the Republicans, and MAGA supporters of is what they themselves are doing. The proverbial Skillet calling the Pot black. Houston, WE have a problem. And yes we are in a “Cold Civil War” and the Marxist are winning. The RINO’s, a.k.a. Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, etc. are waffling and positioning themselves to honor Ceasar.

  2. CT Taylor says:

    As usual, another homerun Paul. Can’t agree with you more. I’m 77 and lived through the sixties. Being retired military, I saw a lot and had my doubts at times where we would make it through the decade. Your columns are great, especially the last two.

  3. Greg R says:

    It’s been starting to look like Venezuela for a while now but what boggles my mind is that half the country is for this crap. I even see Tyler getting more and more infected. Is it just me? WAKE UP AMERICA!!

    • Mike says:

      AMEN Greg! My wife and I were at Olive Garden last week and there were the Beto pro-abortion radicals signs out and all female. Reminded me of 1960’s hippies. I asked the Matri die was a meeting going on and got an answer of, “Well we had couple large groups.” Not stereotyping these folks but they were colorful in both hair dyes and dress; and to top it all off, a couple of them got into a 1960’s Volkswagen van! I looked around to make sure I had not gone, “Back to the Future”. Must say they were respectful and not kicking up a fuss at that time. Thought that was kind of interesting.

  4. Buddy Saunders says:

    Until Donald Trump came along, it didn’t matter to the deep state elites who was president, Democrat or Republican. The swamp knew it owned both parties with virtually every politician in its pocket, We, the people, would cast our votes, trusting those we vote for to fulfill promises made. Then, the corporate powers took over with their lobbyists and endless millions in contributions.
    All that changed when we elected Donald Trump president. Here, for the first time in a long time, was a man who could not be bought by the special interests.
    Notice that until the arrival of Donald Trump, nothing we ordinary citizens wanted done ever really got done, even as the power of the elites multiplied and strangled Main Street and the middle class.
    You can be sure that the New World order types noticed, and were horrified that here was a president who could not be intimidated, managed, or bought.
    How do we identify these elite deep state New World Order swampers? One way is to consider the individuals and organizations that instantly declared the last election totally honest and fair because they got the outcome they wanted. Include in that crowd much of the Republican establishment and such organizations as the Wall Street Journal.
    The only way to beat the Deep State is to vote in fair and honest elections and then pay enough attention to hold those elected accountable on peril being voted out of office come the next election.
    And then onward to Pres. Donald J, Trumps second term in 2024!

  5. Linda M says:

    In 1968, I was only 16 years old, but could feel there was something looming on the horizon on down the road. We have been going through the “calm” before the storm. ALL by design mind you! Those 60’s radicals went underground to fight another day…to regroup and little by little so as to fly under the radar, they have waited for the right time to strike. We were lulled to sleep while the radicals were busy planning and plotting their take over. I believe that they were far enough along in their plot that they were genuinely thrown a curve ball when President Trump won in 2016 because they believed that he was a joke. Little did they see the popularity of such a person as President Trump. Suddenly people woke up from their nap and THAT was the reason for 2020. This isn’t the 1770’s, it is the 2020’s and people are just not willing to give up life and limb to save this REPUBLIC as sad as it is to say. The radicals have sat back and watched until the iron got hot to strike and we are the collateral damage! There are too many in our government who care more about lining their own pockets than doing what is right for this REPUBLIC and the citizens within. President Trump scared the crap out of them because he showed THE PEOPLE what could be if we got rid of the cockroaches. The radicals will DO ANYTHING, SAY ANYTHING…even to the point of DESTROYING this country to save their agenda.

    • Buddy Saunders says:

      Good points, Linda, and very well said!. In 1968, I was a few years old than you, but I too saw this future unraveling of our nation. Now is not the time to give up and give in. If we can just keep our votes safe, we can win at the ballot box with vastly better ideas. Every time Donald Trump speaks he fills stadiums with thousands of supporters. Biden can’t do that, no politician can.

  6. Hoerschel Hoffman says:

    Paul, I appreciate the cogent and incisive analysis that seems increasingly rare these days. Listening to your commentary this morning was a far superior use of my time than tuning toward Fox News or virtually any other outlet has been of late. Regarding the Trump document fiasco, I’m troubled by sycophants (not suggesting you are one) who defend everything he does and justify giving him a pass because “what Hillary did was far worse.” As if two wrongs make a right. Of course she should have been prosecuted. And Trump needs to be held accountable too. So, are we at a point now in our country where patently illegal behavior can summarily be condoned for some of exalted status, when it is rightly condemned for everyone else? Not just no, but hell no. As a security clearance background investigator for 20 years, I know of other clearance holders who were fined and sent to prison for mishandling classified information not nearly as egregious as these two examples. We need to get back to basics in terms of civility and respect for law and order if this country is to survive. And it needs to start now–from the top. Joe and Hunter Biden included.

  7. C M Solomon says:

    Paul, maybe you might want to educate your readers about the Constitutional rights of classification regarding the President of the United States. The President IS the FINAL CLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY. He does NOT NEED to be granted classification rights or access to classified documents. Furthermore, he has the authority, AT WILL, to DECLASSIFY ANYTHING he believes SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC and would also require it for his own Presidential Archive or Library. The illegal FBI raid was intended to further the 6 year assassination attempt of Trump’s character and recover his collected evidence of illegal activity that the WOKE DOJ and the Marxist Democrats have perpetrated upon the American people, all of which was to discredit and eradicate the patriotic America First Conservative movement from the National scene.

    When are we going to have ENOUGH of the Leftist media disinformation propaganda regime (and their captive Federal agencies) that transfers their guilt to us with impunity? There is no TRUTH in the universe of the neo-Nazi and the Marxist inspired “Tyranny by Color of Law” as they try to crush our blessed Nation and make the Constitution and our fundamental human rights (as granted by Almighty God and NOT the Government) meaningless.

    • C M Solomon says:

      Please accept a small but necessary correction. I meant to say “Fascist-Marxist inspired” instead of “neo-Nazi and the Marxist inspired”. This is a better definition of the merger of authoritarian government with corporations to inflict PROPER behavior upon the American people such as the WOKE ideology and its associated restrictions of freedom to criticize government corruption.

    • Mike says:

      Case and point Mr. Solomon; Barack H. Obama’s stash of 30 million (Yes Million) documents from his administration in a warehouse in Chicago. One has to assume out of 30 million documents, some of those are Top Secret, Classified, and For Your Eyes Only. And, one only has to do a little research on the massive amount of scandal and corruption (Fast and Furious and Benghazi for starters) that occurred within that administration. Applying the same logic that went into raiding Mar-A-Lago; wouldn’t the DOJ/FBI want to know what is in 30 million government documents just lying-in boxes in a warehouse? What did Obama remove and hide?

      • C M Solomon says:

        As long as those who ASSUME ultimate power over us carry out their illegal activity against us without consequences, it will continue.

  8. C M Solomon says:

    Has it already started? I say YES. “So, maybe the civil war is already underway and I’m just late figuring it out – – – Paul Gleiser.

    One has to admire the tenacity (Irrational exuberance) of the DOJ and their foot soldiers in the FBI to raise the stakes in their quest to identify, raid, arrest, and indict the “domestic terrorists”, aka MAGA acolytes, otherwise known as Trump supporters, that threaten their (DOJ) definition of “Democratic Democracy.” The raid of Trump’s home in Florida appears to be the beginning of more “entertainment” as the FBI tries to warn MAGA voters NOT to start a “civil war” against the established guardians of the Federal Government and their increasing control of the Nation. Please see the following article.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/09/breaking-update-50-trump-supporters-homes-raided-doj-fbi-across-us-video/

    If the 2020 elections were indeed stolen by voting machines and fraudulent ballot harvesting, as increasing evidence is being uncovered by whistleblowers and elementary mathematical election analysis, can ANY future election be TRUSTED given the overwhelming threat of DOJ and FBI reprisals that are being demonstrated by their routine activity to suppress opposition to investigation of this fraud? The Federal Courts clearly don’t care to buck the “system” or even allow mountains of evidence to be considered.

    I admire the optimism of the MAGA movement to overwhelm the next election with record voter turnout in order to change the direction of the Nation. However, I seriously doubt that they will be successful since the entrenched power brokers in Washington and their WOKE billionaire technocrats, the CCP and their captive institutions, will ever let it succeed. All it takes is for the FBI to use their well practiced undercover methods to create a MAGA inspired, “false flag”, violent insurrection with massive deaths and destruction to “justify” invoking Martial Law by the so-called “legitimate” President Biden to cancel elections and take measures to install a new form of government that builds upon the COVID mandates to protect us from “MAGA anarchy”. The COVID dry run has already been successful and now the real test of our Republic can begin. On the anniversary of 9-11, it is easy to see how the history of “tyranny by fear” can repeat itself.

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