An Arizona man who is charged with threatening to kill Rep. Adam Schiff blamed his threat on something that he saw on Fox News.
A motion filed late last week by Meister’s attorneys revealed a portion of his interview with police during which Meister apologized for making the call and said that he may have been reacting to commentary on Fox News.
“Meister responded that he watches Fox News and likely was upset at something that he saw on the news. He stated that he strongly dislikes the Democrats, and feels they are to blame for the country’s political issues,” according to the police summary of the interview. “Meister stated that he likely Goggled [sic] the congressman’s office number to make the call.”
Meister is a convicted sex offender with a long criminal record, so he is the standard Fox News viewer in the era of Donald Trump.
The case of Jan Peter Meister is an example of the danger in the rhetoric that is pushed by Fox News and conservative media. Fox News is mirroring the anger and divisiveness that is being sown by Trump and the Republican Party.
Anger is the primary motivator that Trump’s Republicans to keep their supporters engaged. When that rage is triggered in violent and unstable people the consequences can be deadly.
Using hate as a political weapon is dangerous, and in this case, the country is lucky that Rep. Schiff was not harmed.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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