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Oct. 26, 2018 - Sargon of Akkad - Carl Benjamin
24:35
The Mystery of the #MagaBomber
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Investigators are zeroing in on the possible origin point of at least 10 suspicious packages targeting top Democrats, Trump critics, and media outlets.
KPIX5's Ronica De La Cruz tells us the latest package to prompt a police response turned up in California just hours ago.
Yeah, that's right, Ken.
The package was sent to the building that houses the LA offices of Senator Diane Feinstein.
It turned out to be just a CD, but it goes to show you people all over the country are clearly on edge tonight.
A CD?
What is this, the 90s?
Because honestly, I would prefer that.
The 90s were a better time.
But anyway, apparently there are quote-unquote pipe bombs being sent to various members of the Democratic establishment.
It's a really weird and eclectic mix of people who are being sent quote-unquote pipe bombs.
The FBI confirms the devices are similar to the crude pipe bomb sent earlier this week to at least six other Democrats, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The return address was the office of former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
What a strange selection of people to send quote-unquote pipe bombs to.
Obama, Hillary, John Brennan, Eric Holder, Maxine Waters, George Soros, Joe Biden, and Robert De Niro.
Why?
So, I mean, at the moment, there are absolutely no leads and no suspects, so we have nothing but speculation.
The options, I suppose, are a random loon who is doing this for no particular reason at all that one can discern, a Republican partisan, or a Democratic partisan.
And you might be thinking, well, hang on a second.
It's obviously a Republican because these are all Democrats.
Well, you say that, but these are what we would call corporate Democrats.
These are the old guard, or at least mostly, the Democratic establishment that was supporting Hillary Clinton that is being backed by big money.
Now, who's always complaining about the corporate Democrats?
What is Justice Democrats?
Okay, it's a new wing of the Democratic Party, and what it's aiming to do is bring the Democratic Party to what it was, which is strong and progressive.
Now, it hasn't been that way for at least 40 years because this is the corporate takeover.
Basically, what the donors have done is told the Democrats, hey, take it easy.
Don't be populist.
Don't attack multinational corporations.
Agree to our agenda of all the trade deals and all the tax breaks for Wall Street and the deregulation.
Pretend to fight the Republicans, but don't actually win on any of these issues.
And they neutered the Democratic Party.
Democratic Party used to be lions.
Well, there's really not much to disagree with there, is there?
There's no doubt that these are the corporate Democrats, and it is really weird that the Bernie Sanders types and the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez types didn't get any pipe bombs in their mail.
Really gets the noggin jogging.
Not that I'm saying that Jen Guger himself is organizing a scare campaign to try and push the corporate Democrats out of the Democratic Party so he can take it over.
But I mean, it's not like Young Turk subscribers haven't also been on mass shootings before.
Jokes aside, the particular targets of these suspicious packages are very interesting and strangely well connected.
And linking Debbie Wasserman Schultz on the return dress on the pipe bombs is also particularly peculiar because she was the woman who conspired with Hillary Clinton to screw Bernie Sanders out of becoming the Democratic nomination.
So there are aggrieved activists on both sides.
So the question is, where is the motive?
The Republicans control the entire U.S. government at this point, the House, the presidency, and the judiciary.
And the point of terrorism is to do via violence what cannot be achieved by voting.
But the Republicans have achieved all of their goals by voting.
So why would a Republican need to commit an act of terror?
It's not like there aren't plenty of aggrieved Bernie bros out there who are willing to pick up a gun and shoot someone.
But honestly, that's not where I'd put my money.
And I just want to be clear, I don't know who's done this.
In fact, it seems nobody knows who's done this.
All I can do is interpret the media reaction and make a judgment for myself.
And I can't help but feel that this is strange.
What's weird are the number of calls for civility all of a sudden.
Now, I mean, I personally don't consider sending quote-unquote pipe bombs to various famous Democratic politicians to be a lack of civility.
I consider that to be terrorism.
So it's weird when Joe Biden says, We've got to turn off this hate machine.
We've got to come together.
The American public have been all over the nation.
People want us to be more civil.
I mean, I totally agree with Joe Biden.
Not about being weird and creepy towards children.
Obviously, that's disgraceful, Joe.
You're an absolutely disgusting human.
But when it comes to having civility between Republicans and Democrats, I agree.
I think that's something that both sides need to do.
And I honestly think the Republicans would agree with me when I say that.
Do the Democrats agree, though?
You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about.
That's why I believe if we are fortunate enough to win back the House and or the Senate, that's when civility can start again.
And I want to tell you, for these members of his cabinet who remain and try to defend him, they're not going to be able to go to a restaurant.
They're not going to be able to stop at a gas station.
They're not going to be able to shop at a department store.
The people are going to turn on them.
They're going to protest.
They're going to absolutely harass them until they decide that they're going to tell the president, no, I can't hang with you.
Well, that seems pretty cut and dried.
I mean, do we need to elaborate any further on that?
Hillary Clinton, we can't be civil.
Maxine Waters, we need to harass people.
And in response to these quote-unquote pipe bombs, Donald Trump and Mike Pence and everyone else in his administration that I've seen are condemning it.
The safety of the American people is my highest and absolute priority.
I have just concluded a briefing with the FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Secret Service.
As we speak, the packages are being inspected by top explosive experts, and a major federal investigation is now underway.
The full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation and bring those responsible for these despicable acts to justice.
We will spare no resources or expense in this effort.
And I just want to tell you that in these times, we have to unify.
We have to come together and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America.
Well, that was remarkably presidential for Donald Trump.
I don't really know what else we're supposed to say about that.
There's a full federal investigation with no resources spared.
So what's the problem?
But I tell you what, when you look into the rest of the response to this, it really is activating my almonds.
It's wobbling my walnuts.
It's handling my hazelnuts.
You know what I mean?
I just, I can't figure out exactly why the Democratic Party can't calm the fuck down and just accept that this time in this election cycle, they happen to have lost.
I assume it's because of the catastrophic failure of the Democrats and the apparent failure of the blue wave.
But why can't they just say, well, okay, we lost this round.
Next time, Donald Trump, next time.
So anyway, what do the experts think about these mysterious devices that have been sent to various high-ranking members of the Democratic Party?
I think they were meant to be found, and again, just to deliver the message of fear and terror and to, you know, garnish attention.
Because ultimately, it doesn't really look like these pipe bombs, quote unquote, were actually pipe bombs and rigged to explode.
Because, I mean, look at the design of it.
And of course, none of them went off.
There is more breaking news tonight in a terror attack that is still unfolding and still being investigated as we speak.
Today, the FBI said they're treating the devices that were sent as real and not hoax devices.
We still don't know if they were capable of detonating, but we do know that whoever sent them is still on the loose.
Oh, yeah, that's the right thing to do.
I think we should treat these as exactly as if they are real, even though they don't appear to be real and capable of exploding.
But sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you, Anderson.
You were busy hyping this up.
Remember, had those devices reached their targets and actually exploded, the country right now would be making funeral arrangements for two murdered ex-presidents, a former vice president, a former Secretary of State, a sitting congresswoman, a former head of the CIA, a renowned actor, and the people that we work alongside every day, not to mention potentially postal workers and police or any number of bystanders.
Yes, but that didn't happen, did it, Anderson?
I mean, none of that happened.
Remember, this could have happened if these things were real.
And even then, I'm not even sure if it could have happened.
As the Secret Service said in a press release, the protectees did not receive the packages, nor were they at risk of receiving them because these people don't open their own mail.
If you can believe it, there are actually security measures in place that prevent people from just randomly mailing pipe bombs to politicians.
So I can't help but agree with the former FBI expert who said that this was probably some kind of attention-seeking stunt.
And the question then is to whose benefit.
But sorry, carry on, Anderson.
And though Mr. Trump solemnly called for national unity yesterday, those words, which he read off a teleprompter, sounded hollow this morning when he tweeted this.
A very big part of the anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the mainstream media that I refer to as fake news.
It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description.
Mainstream media must clean up its act fast.
Well, that's true, isn't it?
I mean, you really should be cleaning up your act, but instead, you are acting like the opposition party, as many other people have noted.
You just seem to attack him day after day after day.
Are you aware that a recent study found that 92% of media coverage of Donald Trump is negative?
92%.
I mean, do you think that Donald Trump might have a point?
I mean, do you think your coverage at this point is anything other than Orange Man bad?
Now, given a chance to frame these devices as an attack on all of us, on all Americans, the president chose instead to blame one of the intended targets, a target that he himself views and has called publicly an enemy of the people, a target he has constantly railed against and encouraged stadiums full of supporters to rail against as well.
All of the intended recipients of these devices are viewed by the president as enemies.
True, but like we've just seen, you clearly view him as an enemy too.
So let's not pretend that this is all one-sided and CNN didn't do nothing because come on, let's be real.
Come on, Anderson.
Come on, buddy.
You can't possibly think anyone is watching this and is stupid enough to think that you are some kind of neutral actor in this exchange.
And when you say this is an attack on all Americans, well, it wasn't, was it?
It was an attack on a very specific and very identifiable corporate network in the Democratic Party and the people directly connected to them, wasn't it?
Wasn't it?
I mean, it wasn't Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got a pipe bomb.
Bernie didn't get a pipe bomb.
You know, none of the Republicans got pipe bombs.
It's just you guys.
The people everyone hates.
So really, we're looking for anyone at this point.
It could literally be anyone.
And I can see why some people would say this looks like a false flag.
There was no particular danger to you guys.
It looks like you're benefiting by saying, look, we're the victims of Donald Trump, even though we can't identify who did this.
It just really makes you think.
That may explain why these people and this organization were targeted.
It may not.
We don't yet know the motive behind this terror.
But you've already blamed Donald Trump.
Good job, Anderson.
Good job.
I guess the reason that this looks so suspicious to a lot of people is that you seem to have managed to come packaged with a fully formed narrative about how you can use this alleged terror attack to get Donald Trump to do what you want, to make him dance to your tune.
It's amazing how you're twisting this around and saying, right, Donald Trump, even though we have no proof that you're responsible for this, you're responsible for this, and you should do what we want.
To actually exercise real leadership, not just for one's base, but for all Americans, as you once talked about, that would require this president to move past or rise above whatever personal slights he feels he might have received from the people who were targeted.
That would be real leadership, not words read off a teleprompter, forgotten by the next morning when the president is showing his true self on Twitter.
The president is not inclined to rise above or to move past.
He's shown that over and over again.
And he showed that last night, just hours into this attack, and just seconds after saying that he wanted to, quote, bridge our divides.
He then chose not to look inward and reflect on the things he has said or done.
Instead, he pointed a finger once again at news organizations like the one that had just been evacuated because of what appeared to be a bomb in the mail.
The media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories.
Have to do it.
Have to do it.
Negative tone, unciviled tone, false attacks.
He's blaming the media for that.
He does not look inward and reflect upon the times when he has done all those things.
Imagine saying that and being Anderson Cooper at the same time.
Bino, Anderson Cooper is not my favorite CNN anchor.
My favorite CNN anchor is Chris Cuomo, and we need to hear from him now.
All right, we now all know that bombs were sent out across the nation.
It is a moment that has given some pause to consider just what the hell we're doing to ourselves for political gain.
But the president seems to see it differently as a time to double down on divisiveness.
Last night, he refused to own any responsibility for what's been going on.
Instead, he blamed the media, which had just been targeted by a bomb.
Is there any commentary even necessary on this?
CNN, Trump is blaming the media and not accepting any responsibility for what's going on.
Okay, Mr. Black Pots, tell me about how black that kettle is.
The best he could do was haltingly read prepared remarks that we need more unity.
But that's exactly what you're doing, haltingly reading prepared remarks about how we need more unity.
This morning, he tweeted what unity seems to mean to him.
Here's what it was.
A very big part of the anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the mainstream media that I refer to as fake news.
It's gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description.
Mainstream media must clean up its act fast.
Do you think that he doesn't have a point?
Do you think when a stadium full of 20,000 people start chanting, tell the truth at the media, that there might be a problem with the media?
Then came Sarah Sanders, who came at the media as well and said it is we who need to change, not the president.
Good God, would you start listening to all of these people who are telling you that you have a real problem with Trump derangement syndrome and you need to get a grip?
Is it helpful for the American discourse for her to not recognize a single attribute or contribution of the president to this dynamic?
Well, I don't know if Sarah Huckabee Sanders can do it, but I certainly can.
Yeah, Trump is deliberately confrontational with the media, who appear to be deliberately confrontational to him in order to protect a corporate elitist agenda, which is why you derisively call Donald Trump a populist, as if in a democracy, being a populist is some kind of negative.
It used to be the role of the Fourth Estate to hold the elite classes to account, but instead the Fourth Estate decided they could join the elite classes instead, which is exactly what you've done.
Let's jump to you interviewing your brother, who is also a recipient of a very mysterious package.
Well, the first bombing was the Soros bombing, right?
Not correct.
Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York and brother of Chris Cuomo, the host that we're talking to.
Nobody as of yet has been bombed.
And basically, everybody held their breath.
To use a frightening analogy.
Did it remind you of 9-11?
For me, it reminded me of when the first plane hit the World Trade Center 9-11.
Imagine my shock.
And you said, well, maybe it's just an aviation accident.
And then the second plane hit.
The Soros receipt of the bomb, people investigated, etc.
But we really didn't know what it meant.
Last night, about one o'clock in the morning, the Secret Service notified the state of police that the residents of the Clintons had intercepted a bomb.
And that's when we knew it wasn't just one situation.
This was probably going to be a pattern.
Did we know that this was going to be a pattern?
I mean, who'd done the investigating?
I thought the investigation had just begun.
I thought it was President Trump who orders the investigations.
We worked on it last night with the state police and the Secret Service, who were magnificent and JTTF.
I went past the Clinton's residence at 4.30 to speak to the Secret Service this morning, and everything was in order.
Right, so you just popped in to see the Secret Service at Hillary Clinton's residence.
You then went on your brother's show on CNN to tell us how everything was actually fine and in order and exactly as expected.
Really?
But at that point, you knew.
We knew, did we?
At that point, we knew.
Before any real investigation has been done, we knew.
You sure he didn't feel it?
I felt there was going to be more to come.
Yeah, why wouldn't you?
Because, I mean, you make it sound like the attendants at your last dinner party have all received a pipe bomb.
And then, as we know, you had the Obamas, you had the CNN bomb, etc.
So the first hope was it was a one-off.
It was just George Soros.
Can confirm that Andrew Cuomo hopes that the only pipe bomb that goes off is for George Soros.
Carry on, Andrew.
And that was terrible, but obviously this pattern is even much, much worse.
Well, thank God nobody was hurt.
And now they're trying to assess whether these bombs were functional.
And that means you've got to get the guy or the people who were involved with it because there could be more.
Or if it was just meant to look like something that could have been functional and that's bad enough.
And then they go fire him.
So then you have the larger context that we're all struggling with here, which is maybe it had nothing to do with our political environment.
But even if it did have nothing to do with it, even though that'd be one hell of a coincidence because everyone targeted is somebody that the president targets.
It's also a coincidence that everyone targeted seems to know each other and hang out probably.
Many, many coincidences.
I can see why there are so many conspiracy theories going around, to be honest.
People call this domestic terrorism.
I think we need a new word.
Terrorism we normally equate with a tension between this nation and another nation.
Even domestic terrorism is normally referred to as a lone wolf operating within this country, but in the interest of a foreign country.
That's not what this is.
This is political terrorism.
This is American terrorism.
This is red versus blue terrorism.
And that we have never seen before.
What?
That must be the dumbest thing I have ever heard anyone say in my entire life.
All terrorism is political.
That's how it's defined.
And you've never seen red versus blue or blue versus red terrorism.
Did Scales not get shot then?
Was it not a Bernie broke?
What the hell are you talking about?
I think this president certainly missed an opportunity tonight.
An opportunity for himself and a responsibility for the country.
He could have really stepped up and been the leader that the people want him to be.
He could have been the president of the United States.
Michael Eusem wrote a book, The Leadership Moment, that says sometimes leadership comes when the moment presents itself.
He had that moment today.
He missed that moment.
And as a matter of fact, I believe he reinforced the negative.
If you listen to his words, there's sharp divides, an important election, days away, the media is to blame.
It's almost as if he can't bring himself to admit his error and he can't take his foot off the gas.
He wants to fire up his base for the election.
That's what this is.
Let's be honest.
What?
That doesn't make any sense.
Governor Cuomo?
That makes no sense whatsoever.
You're the one saying that Donald Trump has been riling up his base and you're assuming that someone from his base, I guess a MAGA supporter.
I mean, the hashtag MAGA Bomber was trending on Twitter.
So we can see where the left is thinking this is coming from, has apparently sent like 10 suspicious packages, quote-unquote, pipe bombs to a network of high-ranking corporate Democrats.
And in some way, this is meant to rile up Trump's base.
Are you sure that's not meant to rile up whatever is left of the corporate Democrats base?
And it's not like you, Andrew, received anything that even approximates to a bomb.
You received a thumb drive with files about the Proud Boys on for some reason.
So to conclude, we did not see any bombs.
We saw mock-ups of bombs that, according to experts, are not capable of exploding, at least the ones that have yet been analysed.
But I think it's reasonable to assume that the rest probably weren't actually explosive either.
You know, those ones that weren't thumb drives and C Ds.
There is a nationwide manhunt going on that's being ordered by Donald Trump, so he's doing everything that he should be doing at this point.
At the time of recording, we don't have any suspects, so we don't know who to point the finger at, and it could be literally anyone, because it's practically the most unpopular group of people you can ever imagine that have all been targeted.
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