I have to admit this is something I’d have never imagined. MAGAs, including pundits are openly questioning whether Trump and his minions are telling the truth about the killing of Charlie Kirk. Trumpty is NOT going to take this well. He’s already trying and failing to control the MAGA bonfire about Epstein. If this continues to build Trump could be in real trouble. He’s already pissed off a whole lot of MAGA Nation and they have refused his orders to let go of the Epstein matter. That they are now engaging in CT about Kirk? The ice isn’t just cracking under Trump’s feet, his shoes are getting wet!
What CT you are probably asking and that’s where it gets interesting. Some pretty specific allegations are being made about the timeline and what the FBI alleges Tyler Robinson did with the murder weapon, this article from Alternet is an eye opener. Let’s start with something I wasn’t aware of but far right podcaster Michael Savage sure said plenty about. It seems according to the FBI Robinson dissembled his rifle before hopping down from the roof he shot from.
My first thought was WHAT? It wasn’t an M-16 or later variant that can be broken down into upper and lower receiver groups in a few seconds to fit in a large backpack. It was a Mauser bolt-action rifle. A hunting rifle. However as the linked article explains there are after market kits that make removing the barrel quick work. So the rifle was stored in a backpack during the first part of Robinson’s escape. He might have scampered across open ground away from the building but once away video showing him walking normally.
Just another college guy with a backpack you see everywhere on and around college campuses. So yes, he could easily have made it to his car and disposed of the weapon somewhere it wouldn’t be found. Instead the FBI tells us he stopped in the woods to RE-assemble it and wrap if up in something that contained his DNA which he had to know would tie him to the gun. Seems weird to me given how carefully the shooting and escape was planned. Savage, as the linked article relates had a more blunt assessment, calling bullshit on the whole narrative:
“Something is wrong with this whole f—— picture,” Savage said. “We are not hearing or seeing reality … We’re supposed to believe a guy is on the run after killing Charlie Kirk, and he pauses in the woods to reinstall a barrel. And he leaves it there for us to find, for the FBI to find?”
“I don’t believe a word of it,” “I can’t take it anymore. I can’t take the bulls—,” he added. “This f—— government is lying to us!”
I realize Michael Savage isn’t a name those who aren’t conservatives might recognize right off the bat. However when I used the word ‘pundits’ in the plural form was for a reason. Certainly Candace Owens is a person/name you recognize. She became known in conservative circles and Trump (and therefore the rest of us) when Charlie Kirk appointed her Communications for his influential group Turning Point USA back in 2017. She left in 2019 with the intention of running for political office. Owens would wind up working for conservative outlets but was a staunch supporter of Trump. And Trump was openly appreciative of her efforts.
She’s a CT promoter for sure. Most recently she’s been hawking the notion that French President Macron’s wife used to be a man and underwent gender reassignment surgery. That’s far from the only controversial stuff she’s immersed herself into. My point is that she’s in the news from time to time. News as in not just conservatives hear about her nonsense but regular outlets also report her crazy talk. And Trump hasn’t to my knowledge countered it, or tried to distance himself from her and her views. In any case Owens weighed in on the murder of her former boss:
Pro-Trump podcaster Candace Owens also suggested the administration was withholding information about Kirk’s murder in her latest episode. Owens pointed out that before Kirk was killed, he had taken a more critical stance against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, and that his comments led to a confrontation with billionaire Bill Ackman, who donates to pro-Israel causes. The Anti-Defamation League found that in the days following Kirk’s murder, a number of right-wing antisemitic social media accounts were suggesting that Israel was somehow involved in the shooting (no evidence has emerged tying Israel to Kirk’s murder).
Still not a big enough ‘name’ to make you take notice and think maybe this could become a problem for Trump? Fine. How about STEVE BANNON taking up the CT theory that the FBI is lying to us about Kirk. And that he might be a patsy! Yes, we are talking about THAT Steve Bannon. Steve ‘Two Shirts’ Bannon, or ‘Sloppy Steve’ as Trumpty has been known to call him. Bannon and Trump have had a strange relationship all along. Love/Hate. Trump would never have become President without Bannon and deep down he knows it. As for Bannon, he’s butt-hurt about Trump not being a full-blown burn-everything-down anarchist and getting himself cast from the MAGA Kingdom. Yet at times Trumpty has let him ‘visit!’
Anyway, Bannon is a big freaking name in RWNJ media. Everyone knows who he is, even if most of us wish we didn’t. And he’s got tons of followers and a platform of his own that isn’t going anywhere. Bannon’s words go far and wide in the right-wing echo chamber and he’s pretty blunt in his assessment of the Kirk killing and the investigation:
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon also doubted the veracity of the FBI’s investigation in a recent episode of his “War Room” podcast. He argued that the government’s timeline of events “makes no sense” and that Americans were being “spoonfed a narrative” that wasn’t true.
“Charlie Kirk was executed,” Bannon tweeted. “This isn’t a ‘single murder’; it’s a conspiracy.”
Take note of that last part. Bannon TWEETED it. Musk probably doesn’t know what the hell to do on this one. As far as I know the tweet is still up on Xitter. Even if he were so inclined this is too big a thing from too well known a person/user for Musk to order it deleted. But someone of Bannon’s stature brazenly but plainly saying Kirk was executed as part of a conspiracy is going to hit millions of MAGAs in the gut.
We are still a good ways from Trump completely losing his MAGA base. However they are already riled up because they believe (like the rest of us) Trump is stonewalling release of all the Epstein evidence. Trump has told them forget about it and they refuse to do so. So he’s lost control of the source of his power over the rest of the GOP on one major issue. If pundits, especially BANNON are saying Trump’s FBI (and make no mistake it’s under firm Trump control and no longer independent) is covering up a conspiracy to get rid of Kirk that’s another huge wound to Trump’s MAGA armor.
Given how influential Kirk was and Turning Point still is at first glance it doesn’t make sense Trump would have a problem with Kirk. Certainly not enough to want him dead. The only ‘rift’ that might put a bug up Trump’s fat ass is Kirk joining with other conservative influencers in saying this administration is giving too much latitude to Netanyahu/Israel about Gaza.
Kirk’s specialty as it were was being able to connect with young voters. On college campuses and even in red states with lots of young conservatives in their universities blind obedience to their elders on supporting Israel no matter what isn’t what it used to be. Still, for me it’s a leap across the Grand Canyon from Kirk questioning (and agreeing with his followers) Netanyahu’s action and sanctioning his murder. Then again, I’m not a MAGA cult member. Who the hell knows how or why they think some of the things they do?
The point though is that with someone like Bannon leading the charge CT that Trump is using Patel/the FBI to cover up what they say was/is a conspiracy could be as big a gaping wound as Epstein. Trump’s already got plenty of political blood flowing from the Epstein wound and try as he might he can’t staunch it. IF another opens up over Kirk? As I said it’s likely not enough to bring Trump down. However, it could provide enough open revolt that Congress Critters might break with Trump in large enough numbers to hamper Trump’s agenda. Stay tuned folks. This could blow up into something ‘bigly.’
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Whoa. If Savage doesn’t believe the RW gov’t that’s astounding. I used to listen to him years ago while driving. He eventually got way out there and buh by. Mr. Savage…..welcome to our world. We have NEVER trusted what Trumps gov’t says.
A house divided…
I have heard of Michael Weiner-Savage, though happy to say, never listened to or read his drivel
If you keep telling everyone that the truth is lies, eventually everyone stops believing your lies as well.
This was covered long ago in a children’s story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Unfortunately…it flies over the heads of my fellow ‘citizens’, who aren’t capable of critical thinking or insight.