In the spring of 2017, soon after Donald Trump assumed the presidency, a tragic event unfolded when an armed assailant targeted Republican members of Congress during a baseball practice. This shocking attack resulted in severe injuries, including those sustained by House Whip Steve Scalise, and it was only due to the presence of Capitol Policeāassigned because of Scalise’s leadership roleāthat the situation was contained.
The perpetrator, James Hodgkinson, was identified as a volunteer for Bernie Sanders’ campaign and an ardent follower of Rachel Maddow. This connection seemingly contributed to the media’s rapid descent into silence regarding the incident.
A recent report from the House has revealed that the FBI conducted a deeply flawed investigation into the shooting, dismissing the gunman’s anti-Republican sentiments despite possessing tangible evidence. This raises serious questions about the integrity of the probe.
The entire episode, from the initial chaos to the subsequent media coverage, has been characterized by mismanagement and misrepresentation.
The New York Post reports:
FBI ābotchedā 2017 congressional baseball shooting probe, downplayed anti-GOP motives of gunman, blistering report concludes
The House report has slammed the FBI for its catastrophic handling of the investigation into the 2017 congressional baseball shooting, asserting that the agency minimized the gunman’s evident anti-Republican motives despite having access to handwritten documentation that indicated otherwise.
Following Hodgkinson’s attack on June 14, 2017, during a Republican practice session in Alexandria, Virginia, the FBI initially produced an intelligence briefing suggesting that the shooter was seeking “suicide by cop.” Yet, in a surprising pivot four years later, the FBI revised its assessment to label Hodgkinson’s actions as stemming from domestic violent extremismāwithout any new evidence to justify this change, according to the recent findings.
This scenario illustrates a glaring need for a thorough overhaul of leadership within the agency.
The FBI being corrupted by partisans who play politics with law enforcement to enable democrat messaging is the number one requirement for @FBIDirectorKash and @PamBondi to excise and prevent from ever happening again. https://t.co/JhH2A333gt
ā Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) May 6, 2025
āThe guy had a hit list in his pocket,ā Jordan said. ā[Former FBI director James] Comey, [former FBI deputy director Andrew] McCabe, [former FBI director Christopher] Wray, they all knew it was domestic terrorism, but that didnāt fit their narrative.ā https://t.co/Kd97vW2mmV
ā Mary Ladd (@Mary_Ladd_IL) May 6, 2025
One can’t help but wonder how the narrative would have shifted had the roles been reversed. Imagine if a conservative activist, perhaps a Sean Hannity aficionado, had launched an attack against Democrats. It’s a safe bet that such a scenario would have dominated headlines for years, held up as a benchmark of Republican extremism.
