Plus: President Joe Biden says "Democracy is at stake" in the upcoming election at a Park City fundraiser.
Good morning. Today’s temperatures: Logan: 56 - 88° 🌤️ Salt Lake City: 69 - 92° 🌦️ | 10% 💧 St. George: 71 - 97° 🌤️ | 10% 💧 With a Provo community still reeling from Wednesday's FBI raid that killed an elderly man who had made violent social media threats against President Joe Biden, I've highlighted reporting that asks experienced Utah law enforcement officials whether the FBI handled the situation appropriately. We will also go over the two addresses given by President Joe Biden during his brief visit to the state. Also on our mind: Why the GOP should embrace a pro-worker agenda, how massive Hawaii fires have affected Latter-day Saints and their neighbors, and what to know about Utah quarterback Cam Rising’s status.
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| Did the FBI do the right thing? Analyzing the raid that killed a man making social media threats against Biden |
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| | Criticism of the FBI killing of a Utah man who had made death threats against President Joe Biden on social media quickly made its way through far-right circles with some calling it an “assassination.” But law enforcement and legal experts say based on the information available, the FBI’s actions were likely appropriate and justified given the man’s access to guns and the violent specificity of his threats, which went well beyond the bounds of free speech protections. “The First Amendment only goes so far. Not all speech is protected, and he crossed a line,” said Karl Schmae, a retired FBI supervisor and special agent who worked in the FBI’s Salt Lake City division for much of his 22 years of service, including as a supervisor of the domestic terrorism squad and 10 years on the SWAT team. Even though Robertson’s neighbors say they were shocked that the FBI would raid his home — describing him as a 75-year-old, overweight man with limited mobility — Schmae said the man’s access to guns made him a credible threat. Early Wednesday morning, FBI agents went to Craig D. Robertson’s home in Provo to serve arrest and search warrants. Robertson had been under FBI surveillance for a number of months for making violent threats on social media against Biden and other top Democrats, including one Monday that said, “I hear Biden is coming to Utah. Digging out my old ghille suit and cleaning the dust off the m24 sniper rifle. Welcome, buffoon-in-chief!” |
Read more about what law enforcement experts said about Wednesday's tragedy. And read our coverage of how the victim's family responded: Family of man shot by FBI mourn ‘senseless and tragic killing,’ say he was ‘frustrated and distraught’ by current events (Deseret News) |
| At an invite-only fundraiser in Park City Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden said democracy and our institutions are “at stake” in the upcoming presidential election. “In a participating democracy, if we can’t bring people together, we’re done,” the president said. “We are falling into warring camps.” Hours after delivering a speech in Salt Lake City to veterans, Biden spoke at the fundraiser about a potential 2024 rematch with former President Donald Trump and China’s growing threat to the U.S. The fundraiser was held at the Snyderville Basin home of Nancy and Mark Gilbert, former U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. Entrance cost several thousand dollars. The Gilberts hosted Michelle Obama at their home for a fundraiser in 2012. Biden traveled to the fundraiser from the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Police officers cleared Foothill Drive of traffic to allow the motorcade to travel through Parley’s Canyon to Park City. As the motorcade passed, onlookers waved flags and gave thumbs up, thumbs down or, in some cases, made obscene gestures. In his morning speech at the Wahlen VA center, Biden spoke about the nation’s responsibility to help veterans, saying there is a “truly sacred obligation” to care for U.S. veterans and their families. Read more of what Biden said about the importance of taking care of our veterans. |
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