Two pundits have contrasted the drive to prosecute former US President Donald Trump with the whitewash of the FBI's attempts to link the one-time commander-in-chief to Russia.
Special counsel John Durham drew fire from Republicans after he released the findings of his inquiry into former FBI Director James Comey's operation Crossfire Hurricane probe into false claims Trump colluded with Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Durham said the FBI trawl was based on "raw, un-analyzed and uncorroborated" intelligence and should never have been launched, adding that there had been misconduct at the agency which now needed reform. But he failed to recommend action against any of those responsible.
Journalist Dan Lazare told Sputnik it was striking "how much the two sides hate and despise each other."
"It's poisonous. There's a complete government breakdown," he said. "Clearly this hatred stems from a deep structural crisis."
"Trump has been indicted with violations of the Espionage Act. He could literally go to jail for the rest of his life," Lazare stressed. "Republicans see this as a basically an all-out attack on their own, their leader. They are furious. They're out for blood. The warfare is nearing new heights."
Trump has already begun campaigning for the 2024 presidential election. He leads an ever-growing field of rivals with more than 50% support among registered Republican voters, and leads US President Joe Biden by six points in one recent poll.
"Trump has made it clear that if he you know, if he runs in 2024, which he almost certainly will. He's made it clear that that if he doesn't win, it'll be for one reason, and that is because the Democrats rigged the election," Lazare noted. "So we're essentially set for a replay of 2020, only even angrier, even more poisonous, even more brutal."
"America is dissolving into a civil war. And this clearly, this indictment is another step in that direction," he said.
Jason Goodman told Sputnik that he "wanted to have a positive feeling about Durham."
He said Durham's report was a "limited hangout," revealing the least dangerous information in the hope of placating the press and voters.
"It's amazing how these limited hangouts work, because the whole time you're thinking, he's fighting for the things that I think most people want to get rid of, corruption in the FBI and all that kind of thing."
The commentator said Trump was the victim of a "lawfare" campaign orchestrated by the intelligence establishment.
"I think that what we have learned is that John Durham is a CIA lawfare operative put in place by Bill Barr to waste a lot of time to let the statute of limitations run out too," Goodman said. "They made a big point also of the fact that he indicted only three people and that nobody went to jail."
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