GOP rep accuses DOJ of setting trap to imprison Trump supporters: ‘They want J6 again’

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) has accused the Justice Department of setting a trap to imprison supporters of former President Trump, who has called for protests in response to his latest indictment over allegedly mishandling classified documents.

Trump arrived in Florida on Monday, ahead of his arraignment Tuesday in Miami, where thousands of protesters are expected to turn out Tuesday.

Higgins cast the case as a threat to America, but he urged fellow Trump supporters not to “fall for the trap,” drawing a parallel to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which has seen hundreds of federal prosecutions of those involved.

“My fellow conservatives, the DOJ/FBI doesn’t expect to imprison Trump, they expect to imprison you. They want J6 again, in Miami and in your city and in mine. They want MAGA conservatives to react to this perimeter probe and in doing so, set yourselves up for targeted persecution and further entrapment,” Higgins said in a Sunday release from his office. 

“They want to intercept a busload of conservatives en route to protest and create conflicts during the stop. They are hoping to provoke conservative Americans. Don’t fall for the trap,” the Louisiana lawmaker said, adding “don’t become an incarcerated pawn in the agenda driven DOJ/FBI strategy to oppress conservatives across America.”

Trump, who is running for president again in 2024, was indicted last week on 37 counts in connection with the alleged mishandling of classified records at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and is set to appear in court to be arraigned at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Florida. 

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) said during a press conference Monday that the city is prepared to handle any protests and demonstrations that may occur but warned of possible “disruption” to traffic patterns surrounding the former president’s high-profile appearance.

The latest development in the former president’s legal woes has fueled GOP claims that the federal government has been weaponized by President Biden and Democrats, a sentiment echoed by Higgins in his statement Sunday.

Higgins’s warning, which he ends by saying “We the People must fight against oppression legally, peacefully, and within the parameters of our Constitution,” comes after one of his tweets last week drew some scrutiny and added to concerns about a violent response to the indictment.

“This is a perimeter probe from the oppressors,” Higgins wrote in response to Trump announcing that he had been indicted. “Hold. rPOTUS has this. Buckle up. 1/50K know your bridges. Rock steady calm. That is all.”

He followed the tweet up with another post urging “Let Trump handle Trump, he’s got this. We use the Constitution as our only weapon. Peace. Hold.”

Higgins made headlines last month over a video of the congressman manhandling an activist at a press conference in front of the Capitol.