Donald Trump’s Republican party is a virtual white nationalist party, just as his unbridled support of the new Mississippi senator, Cindy Hyde-Smith, shows. During his rallies, including the two that he jetted down to hold on her behalf, the president gins up the public with divisive speech. He calls the press the “enemy of the people” and talks about Mexicans as “rapists,” so often that his followers feel a sense of entitlement that they, too, can release their hate-filled emotions upon the country. This just happened.
After a Huntington Beach, California resident called in to complain about threats, the Laguna Beach Police Department (LBPD) followed up. When they searched the man’s home, they found over 90 Nazi flags, “over 50 firearms and rifles and several pounds of ammo.”
Sergeant Jim Cota, of the LBPD, posted this tweet:
‘Yesterday, LBPD detectives followed up on a complaint of threats against a local citizen. A search warrant was served at a house in Hunt. Beach which yielded over 50 firearms and rifles and several pounds of ammo. One subject has been arrested as the investigation continues. – at Laguna Beach Police Station.
‘Also located inside the residence…’
The LBPD arrested the man for allegedly making criminal threats. When they arrived at his home they found a virtual arsenal of fire power, “Nazi and Confederate paraphernalia, and hundreds of doves.”
Mitchell Todd had been involved in a business dispute with a Laguna Beach resident. Then, he began making threats, according KTLA.
Todd owns a company that provides doves to release at events. The target of his ire hired him to release doves at his son’s funeral, but for some reason, nothing happened. Todd still insisted that the man pay for the doves.
The arrested man sent his victim threatening text messages along with a voicemail. In the background of the voicemail, Todd could be clearly heard releasing a handgun slide. Coda said:
‘One of the messages was, “Maybe you need to be where your son’s at.”‘
After the police completed their search of Todd’s home, they had accumulated:
‘Some 57 firearms, including rifles, handguns and older weapons, as well as Nazi memorabilia and a Confederate flag… several pounds of ammunition and more than 200 doves, which appeared to be well-cared for.’
According to Cota, Todd had only registered 12 of the weapons. The LBPD taped videos of the doves and posted the photo of Todd’s “Nazi and Confederate flags alongside what appeared to be a picture of Hitler.”
Cota said that they took Todd into custody while they continued their investigation into the remaining unregistered weapons. In addition, the LBPD detectives are investigating whether Todd belongs to or had ever been involved with hate groups.
The sergeant added:
‘If so, this is somebody that should not be in possession of weapons.’
According to The Washington Post, Todd’s flags refer to “hate”:
‘Many white Americans still view Confederate symbolism as standing for “heritage” rather than “hate.” That’s not true for Nazi symbols. While some whites might like the explicitly racist appeals made at the Unite the Right rally, the growing popular linkage between Nazi and Confederate symbols might backfire.’
Featured image is a screenshot via LBPD Twitter page.
