Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip and outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, tweeted an ultimatum at the United States government following the FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, telling the FBI they had “48 hours to explain” what they’d done.
I will allow my government 48 hours to explain itself. https://t.co/sjlGZKcdG3
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) August 8, 2022
Today, following the 48-hour window he gave the government to justify its raid on Mar-a-Lago to his satisfaction, Adams tweeted that “phase 2” would now begin.
What is Phase 2? That's the part where things gets fixed. One way or another. All options are on the table.
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) August 11, 2022
Adams wrote in his vague tweet that “all options are on the table,” and while no real explanation was given, many on Twitter interpreted it as an allusion to possible violence against the government.
Phase 2 is drawing Dilbert holding a gun pic.twitter.com/4U17gruhZW
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) August 11, 2022
Dilbert is gonna storm the J Edgar Hoover Building with an AR-15 and 20lbs of C4 strapped to his body. https://t.co/VfED0DFG6w
— MAX PROPAYNE III (@Black24Payne) August 11, 2022
Adams has been known to post out-there tweets in the past, leading some left-leaning people and other social media users to dismiss and mock his comments.
Twitter is so wild because you can watch the creator of Dilbert confess he’s glad his son overdosed and chose not to intervene and also vaguely threaten to do terrorism or something, just teetering on the edge.
— PropaGandalf 🌾 (@xghostnotesx) August 11, 2022
i'm glad it was the dilbert man who lost his mind in this unsettling way and not calvin & hobbes or bloom county
— flglmn (@flglmn) August 11, 2022
As his "phase 2" message began generating viral discussions, the Dilbert creator responded to his critics, taking credit for making the hashtag "#Dilbert" trend on Twitter today.
Today so many of my critics told me I was irrelevant and powerless that “Dilbert” started trending on Twitter.
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) August 11, 2022
Fears of violence against the FBI were then amplified earlier this morning after a gunman attempted to enter an FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio and, once detected, fled the scene, reportedly engaging in a shootout in a cornfield.
At approximately 9 AM this morning an armed subject attempted to breach the Visitor Screening Facility at #FBI Cincinnati. After an alarm and a response by FBI special agents, the subject fled north onto Interstate 71. pic.twitter.com/vFZHnpbM9L
— FBI Cincinnati (@FBICincinnati) August 11, 2022
everything is fine. the Dilbert guy has a plan.
— Robert Evans (The Only Robert Evans) (@IwriteOK) August 11, 2022
Following the incident, many right-leaning media outlets and Republican politicians seemed divided about how to respond. Some, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, are calling to "defund the FBI" and sharing unfounded claims about the agency.
Others are attempting to square the party’s longtime backing of law enforcement with its support of a former President who now finds himself at odds with law enforcement. Many called for peace and moderation while criticizing the FBI heavily. There are also reportedly plans for rallies and protests at FBI offices around the country, including Washington, D.C. on Sunday, August 14th.
yesterday Rand Paul was alleging that FBI agents somehow planted evidence
Now Scalise says FBI agents are going rogue
All without evidence https://t.co/3smKpiMdb2— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) August 11, 2022
Charlie Kirk responds to alleged attack on Cincinnati FBI office: "They're now going to try to play the victim after they occupied Donald Trump's home, a military occupation" pic.twitter.com/hc9Ih6Cmzj
— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) August 11, 2022
On the other side, many on the left were highly disturbed by the rhetoric surrounding the FBI raid and by the cornfield car chase and gunfight.
When the FBI reopened its case against Hillary Clinton for allegedly mishandling government records, with just 11 days to go till the 2016 election, not a single liberal threatened violence or civil war.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) August 10, 2022
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