In late 2016, shortly after President Trump was elected, the anti-Muslim group ACT for America boasted of having “a direct line” to the future president, specifically bragging about its relationship with then-Rep. Mike Pompeo, who was set to become the director of the CIA.
In a piece of direct mail sent late last year, before the recent news that Trump would nominate Pompeo to be secretary of state, ACT’s Brigitte Gabriel continued to boast of her organization’s role advising Trump’s presidential campaign and its close relationship with Pompeo. She also wrote that “two members of ACT for America’s board of directors have advised President Trump on national security matters,” likely a reference to Walid Phares and to disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
(Gabriel announced that Flynn, then a Trump campaign adviser, had joined ACT’s board “in an advisory capacity” in June 2016, shortly before Flynn signed a contract to work for the Turkish government investigating U.S. based cleric Fetullah Gulen.)
From the direct mail piece (emphases are ours):
ACT for America played a pivotal role in mobilizing the grassroots nationwide through our 1,000 chapters during the presidential campaign.
We provided Donald Trump and his staff with the facts and figures about radical Islam, and I personally spent the last six weeks before the election educating the American people about the threat we face, and the choices we need to make.
We worked with the Trump team throughout his campaign, giving substantial input on national security, and foreign affairs.
New CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been a steadfast ally of ours since the day he was elected to Congress.
In fact, he sponsored our most recent legislative briefing for our members during our National Conference last September.
As a sitting member of the Select Committee on Benghazi, he worked very closely with our Director of Government Relations, Lisa Piraneo, and was bestowed our organization’s highest honor of National Security Eagle Award for 2016.
In addition, two members of ACT for America’s board of directors have advised President Trump on national security matters.
Talk about having friends in powerful places!
The mailer boasted of ACT’s work to “eliminate” the refugee resettlement program and advocate for federal legislation to give national security agencies “the ability to criminally profile possible enemies based on likelihood to commit terrorist attacks, without regard for political correctness.”
Gabriel continued:
It’s time we cast of the shackles the Obama administration placed on us.
It’s time we stop bringing un-vetted individuals into this country, with absolutely no verifiable way to vet them for radical Islamic ties.
It’s time we start monitoring the radical Mosques, which preach poisonous, anti-American hatred to their attendees.
It’s time we stop doing enhanced screening on elderly nuns at our airports, while young Saudi men walk through unscathed, so as not to offend, or step outside any multicultural boundaries.
The mailer also contained an insert titled “Facts About Islam You Need To Know,” such as: “There are now 2,800 mosques in the U.S., 2,200 of which were opened after September 11, 2001. Some experts believe that over 80% of these are operated by the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization!” And: “The goal of the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremist Islamic groups is to wage jihad against the West for the purpose of establishing Sharia law and a worldwide Islamic caliphate.”
Also included in the mailer was a “survey” asking such questions as “Do you believe Islam is a religion of peace?” and “Did you know that the Washington Establishment is trying to dramatically increase the number of immigrants and refugees from known terror states like Syria?”
