Dean Obeidallah Compares Trump’s Attacks on Alvin Bragg ‘To An Isis and Al Qaeda Recruiter Radicalizing People’

Dean Obeidallah likened Donald Trump‘s attacks on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to “an Isis and Al Qaeda recruiter radicalizing people.”

The SiriusXM radio host told MSNBC’s Ali Velshi on Friday that just as the terrorist organizations recruit people to commit violence on their behalf, “Donald Trump is doing it on his behalf. I’m not over the top by saying that. I have talked to extremist experts who said that is true.”

Obeidallah’s comments came as Trump has continued to ratchet up his attacks against Bragg over the past week. Bragg is expected to announce a possible Trump indictment any day on charges he covered up a 2016 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

On Friday, Trump posted a split-screen photo of the former president holding a baseball bat and a photo of Bragg’s head. The same day, Bragg received a letter in the mail that included a white powder and the words: “Alvin: I’m gonna kill you!” Trump removed the offending post after being roundly criticized by outlets such as Fox News and Drudge Report.

In addition to the menacing posts, Trump announced he’ll hold a rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, in the middle of the 30th anniversary of the Branch Davidian siege that left 86 people dead, including four federal agents. Waco has long been used as a rallying cry for far-right extremists, including Timothy McVeigh, The Proud Boys, and The Oath Keepers.

Velshi said Trump is “really undermining the judiciary, law enforcement, the FBI. We saw after the Mar-a-Lago search somebody opened fire on an FBI office. Waco is really ground zero for opening fire on the FBI.”

Velshi said Trump has “crossed the line” into lawlessness and Obeidallah agreed, shining a spotlight on “silent” Republicans he called “complicit.”

“I have to be blunt,” Obeidallah said. “This is akin to an ISIS and Al Qaeda recruiter radicalizing people to commit violence on their behalf.”

“Here’s the frightening thing to me,” he continued. “I don’t believe GOP leaders are silent because they fear Trump; they’re silent because they agree with Trump. Either the violence, or they agree with the power that it gives them by being silent. They’re complicit.”

Obeidallah cited a 2022 CBS poll that found some 51% of Republicans see the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as an act of patriotism.

“We’re dealing with… a fascist movement on U.S. soil and it must be called out by Democrats. Don’t be timid about it,” Obeidallah said.