Papa John’s Founder Compares US to Nazi Germany After MyPillow’s Founder Phone Is Seized

As the FBI investigates a variety of cases stemming from the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, some are suggesting that the U.S. is starting to resemble Nazi Germany. During an interview on The PBD…

Bradley CortrightSep 15, 20223 min read

Watch the video below:

Just stop, please.

The mere fact that an investigation focuses on figures who are part of or supportive of the opposition party does not mean that the FBI is a politicized weapon.

It would be helpful if the FBI and Justice Department could be more open and transparent about their investigations.

However, there are legitimate reasons that law enforcement officials do not call a press conference and explain their actions and what evidence they have.

But if the FBI was really behaving like the Gestapo or the KGB trying to take down a political opponent, the chances are low that Lindell would have been left to order his meal from Hardee’s and then live stream himself talking about the encounter.

Still, it is fair to question whether the tactics of the FBI, of seizing Lindell’s phone in a public setting, were appropriate or warranted. Having the specter of a federal investigation hanging over someone for months or even years can damage their reputation, so the sooner people can be cleared or indicted and face trial, the better.

In the U.S., we operate on a presumption of innocence, and it is incumbent upon the government to prove someone’s guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt. And law enforcement actions that veer into the political realm should be met with a healthy dose of skepticism until evidence of wrongdoing is produced and weighed in a trial.

But the absence of information or even the perception that political opponents are being targeted does not mean that investigations are politically motivated, or that the U.S. is becoming something akin to Nazi Germany.