Dems Blame Trump, Fundraise Off of HQ Arson - Turns Out Ex-Volunteer Admits Starting Blaze
In Phoenix, Arizona — the largest city in a state that’s just recently come into play for the Democrats — the Maricopa County Democratic Party’s headquarters went up in flames last week, the target of an arson.
You can guess what liberals guessed. The outrage was swift and leftists were sure of the concatenation of events that led to the crime: One of those Trumpbots that does nothing but sit in front of their TV and watch Fox News all day no doubt took the president’s toxic rhetoric seriously. Convinced the Democrats were going to destroy America, he was going to destroy the Democrats first.
In the liberal mind, the picture was clear: Armed with nothing but a Molotov cocktail, his MAGA hat and his three neurons — because we’re all intellectually challenged domestic terrorists with distinctive red headwear, natch — he stumbled out of his rented trailer and into his pickup truck. (Because of course it was a trailer, and of course it was a pickup truck.) He aimed the 1989 Chevy S-10 toward Phoenix, cursing cultural Marxists all the way — even though he didn’t know who Marx was and he definitely didn’t know what culture is.
Arriving at the Democratic Party’s headquarters, he moved swiftly. He lit the rag, threw the bottle through a window and watched it burst into a pool of flames on the floor. “That one’s for Rachel Dolezal!” he screamed, before screeching his tires and disappearing into the night.
Evidence for this (or something like it) happening: zero. Twitter outrage over it: plenty.
Now who do you think started this fire ??? Someone must be getting nervous that Democrats are on the rise in Arizona!
— Concerned Grandma (@democracydanger) July 24, 2020
This President has brought out the worst in the worst.
— TN Centrist (@carolbmos) July 24, 2020
@realDonaldTrump @TheJusticeDept Wondering if maybe Trump & Barr storm troopers made a detour to Phoenix on their way to Seattle. Coincidental, I’m sure, although we all know neither are above this. Maybe their Russian assets assisted! https://t.co/e7Muem3bw2
— We need Help (@Wesley571995A) July 25, 2020
What hasn’t #45 sent his goons here to investigate? I’m guessing its because it was one of his people? But then again if they get charged either he or the governor of the state will be pressured into a pardon. pic.twitter.com/t006V2QJ8N
— Dr. Ajle (@AjleDr) July 25, 2020
Every night on Fox News, @IngrahamAngle @seanhannity @TuckerCarlson talk about how Democrats are a danger to everything their viewers value. This is the result of the fear mongering from the right.
— Sheila in SE Michigan ???? (@iamhereinmich) July 25, 2020
Here comes the fascist response to Americans protesting against fascism, brought on by trump and barr’s gestapo. buckle up folks, your city is next.
— TwoScoops (@GallagherPDX) July 24, 2020
Our national is under seige! Trump is loosing and inciting violence & destruction!!!! He’s unraveling right before our eyes. He’s no different than Hitler by the # of deaths because of Coronavirus.
— Les (@Politisourceful) July 25, 2020
And as the Arizona Republican Party pointed out, there was even an Arizona Democratic Party official who blamed the fire on President Trump:
Will @azdemparty be issuing an apology for smearing President Trump and Republicans for instigating an attack by one of their own Democrat activists? pic.twitter.com/gQzzzprzVO
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) July 30, 2020
The Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced that this was “incredibly sad news” and that they needed your donations.
We still have work to do, and we are focused on flipping the state legislature blue on November 3rd. Chip in if you can and help us change Arizona: https://t.co/cfI8UjcQkD
— ADLCC (@A_DLCC) July 25, 2020
Here’s what the Coastside Democrats from San Mateo County, California, had to say:
Maricopa County Democratic Party HQ in Phoenix, Arizona was damaged in fire; authorities suspect arson. @MaricopaDems is the Democratic heart of one of this election’s swing districts. To help them rebuild, please visit fundraiser here https://t.co/BVMJUJOKS4
— Coastside Democrats (@CoastDemocrats) July 26, 2020
While they’re fundraising to replace their headquarters, perhaps they can also fundraise for the defense costs of a fellow Arizona Democrat, Matthew Silvanus Egler.
According to CBS News, the 29-year-old Egler was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of arson of an occupied structure after authorities say surveillance video and social media postings led them to believe the former Maricopa County Democrat volunteer burned down the party’s headquarters.
Police say Egler “had posted information on social media linking him to the crime” and had “threatened more violence.”
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by today’s news, but appreciate the swift action by law enforcement to ensure that the suspect is in custody,” a joint statement from Felecia Rotellini, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, and Steven Slugocki, chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, read.
Egler had previously served as a precinct committeeman with the party from 2016 to 2019, according to The Arizona Republic. He’d been banned by the party from volunteering “due to the nature of his previous behaviors” and was rejected again this year. Police say that anger at that rejection was the motive behind the attack.
According to the Republic, Egler’s Twitter handle is @ValleyLeader.
On July 20, the Republic reported, Egler posted a video of himself lighting what The Arizona Republic said were voting guides on fire.
“That’s all you can do, guys,” Egler said in the video. “Light things on fire, here I go.”
“This is from the 2016 election, when I got rid of Joe Arpaio for the Latinos,” he added, referencing the former Maricopa County sheriff, a Republican, who lost a re-election bid in 2016. “Called the state legislature today for an emergency session.”
Egler’s stated reasons for wanting an emergency session weren’t evidence of a well man. The Arizona Republic reported he had emailed state lawmakers just hours before the fire, asking them “to change the dates of the elections because of an intimate relationship he claimed to have with Ivanka Trump and his assertion that he may be chosen as the GOP vice presidential nominee.”
In the wake of the fire, he began sharing videos and news reports about the blaze, the Republic reported. In one, according to the newspaper, he said he “wasn’t very sad” about what happened.
“Pretty sure Steven could understand why he’s bombed,” Egler said on the video, referencing Slugocki, the Democratic county chair, the Republic reported. “If he doesn’t understand that, then I call the man a damn liar. I’m sorry that your donations that you’ve sent to Maricopa County Democratic Party as a result of that fire are being wasted.”
ARREST MADE: 29-year-old Matthew Egler has been arrested in connection with the fire set to the Democratic Party Headquarters. The fire happened after midnight on Friday, July 24 near Central and Thomas in Downtown Phoenix. The fire caused substantial damage to the building. pic.twitter.com/6cXhOppySA
— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) July 29, 2020
Sharing another story about the fire on Tuesday, according to the Arizona Republic, he wrote: “I BOMBED THIS BUILDING DO YOU NOT SEE THAT!?!?! I BOMBED IT!!!!”
He later posted, according to the newspaper: “I BOMBED THIS BUILDING LISTEN TO WHAT IM SAYING.”
I BOMBED THIS BUILDING DO YOU NOT SEE THAT!?!?!I BOMBED IT!!!!?????????????????? https://t.co/ApxngpCTw3
— ValleyLeader™ (@ValleyLeader) July 29, 2020
https://t.co/khrLeyE56Z I BOMBED THIS BUILDING LISTEN TO WHAT IM SAYING…??????????????????
— ValleyLeader™ (@ValleyLeader) July 29, 2020
Police listened, as well as tracing the Pontiac Vibe that was seen in the surveillance video. He was arrested at a family member’s home in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria, CBS reported.
This isn’t to adduce a link between Democratic Party volunteers and arson, mind you. I’m not a psychiatrist, but I know enough to guess when an alleged criminal may have acted out of mental illness.
(Claiming an intimate relationship with the president’s daughter is one clue — especially when that daughter is married with children. Claiming to be a potential vice presidential choice is another — especially when the person doing the claiming isn’t old enough, under the Constitution, to serve as president.)
Nor is this to say that every Democrat took to social media to claim that Republicans were somehow to blame for the crime.
That said, there were a whole mess of liberals perfectly willing to point the finger at President Trump, Fox News, Bill Barr, Tucker Carlson, “Russian assets” and Sean Hannity for playing a role in inciting this. They all believed this was their imagined Trumpbot with the Molotov cocktail and the MAGA hat. Imagine their surprise when they found out when police said it was actually one of their own.
That wasn’t all, though: There was almost no Democrat in these threads pulling their fellow party members back, urging them to wait for more evidence and noting that even if it were a Republican arsonist, Laura Ingraham and her colleagues weren’t responsible for that person’s actions.
You also don’t see apologies — not even from the party official injudicious enough to blame President Trump when it was one of his own volunteers who stands accused of the fire.
What a surprise.
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