Frank Figliuzzi Says Trump ‘Cult’ Makes It Very Difficult To Flip Witnesses Like Mark Meadows

Former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi compared Donald Trump’s psychological hold on his cohorts to that of a “cult” when discussing whether prosecutors will be able to convince Mark Meadows to cooperate.

MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace brought up Trump’s quote on Meet The Press Sunday when he said he hoped Meadows was loyal and wouldn’t flip because “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yes, we can absolutely compare this to both an organized crime group and a cult,” Figliuzzi said. “That is, both are incredibly hard to get out, it tears people up as they try to determine their own fate and realize they have to choose between loyalty based on fear — fear of retribution, fear of physical harm, fear of being ostracized from the group. Or some positive motivation, a carrot, that says, maybe if I hang in with this guy, I’m going to get some kind of personal benefit. I’ll get a pardon if he wins. I’ll get some kind of role in the next administration if he wins — a big if. And that’s what’s going through Mark Meadows’ head right now.”

Figliuzzi continued:

And if you’re the FBI agent or the prosecutor that’s trying to flip him, it is incredibly difficult to do. Especially while every day, former President Trump is indeed intimidating a potential witness, is indeed inciting potential violence, whether he intends to or not. I don’t think he cares.

But we know from a University of Chicago study last July, over 12 million Americans support the idea of the use of force to bring back Trump into office. That’s got to also include in that universe, violence against witnesses. Violence against people like Mark Meadows. All of this going through his head, all of it being thought through by prosecutors and agents as they try to figure out the best way to get him to flip.

Meadows is one of 18 co-defendants charged along with Trump in the Georgia election subversion case. He has pleaded not guilty.

Watch the clip above via MSNBC.