‘Decapitating all of its expertise in service of loyalty’: Nicolle Wallace on Trump’s FBI purge

FBI & Justice System - The FBI fired at least three special agents who worked on Jack Smith's probe into Trump, raising concerns about the decapitation of expertise in service of loyalty [1][3] - Concerns are raised about the impact of purging and leadership changes on the FBI's ability to fight domestic and international threats and hold those in power accountable [7] - Allegations that the FBI had 274 agents stirring up the crowd on January 6 are patently false and considered a conspiracy theory [10] Political Landscape & Republican Party - The Republican Party is perceived to be prioritizing power and loyalty to Donald Trump over the rule of law and the Constitution [5] - Republicans are seen as unable to admit Trump lost the 2020 election, casting doubt on the results instead [4] - 62% of Americans, including 40% of Republicans, believe that Trump improperly encouraged federal investigations of his political opponents [19] National Security & Global Threats - The threat from international terrorism and global jihadist groups is higher than before September 11th, with the global jihadist movement estimated in the tens of thousands across two dozen countries [13] - With 25% of FBI agents reportedly working on immigration matters, concerns arise about the agency's ability to counter terrorism and prevent future attacks [14] - Adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran may exploit perceived weakness in the US to gather information and intelligence [15]