According to the New York Times on Sunday, June 4, the United States Secret Service is investigating comedian Kathy Griffin because of the video of her holding what looks like the decapitated head of President Donald Trump and the message that was implied.
It is the job of the Secret Service to investigate and get to the bottom of comments or any actions that allude to the death of a president in any way. Griffin is not the first one to be investigated for similar remarks or actions that the Secret Service think might be threatening.
Griffin's lawyer
Kathy Griffin's lawyer Dmitry Gorin says the Secret Service will get their full cooperation during the investigation even though he said at a news conference that an investigation should never have been initiated. The Los Angeles criminal lawyer argued that the comedian was exercising her First Amendment right to tell a joke. He added that never before has an entertainer come under criminal investigation for telling a joke. He described the investigation over a joke to be outrageous. He concluded that he believes the investigation will be conducted quickly and Griffin to be cleared.
Apology
Shortly after the joke with a facsimile of President Donald Trump's severed head appeared, Griffin apologized.
She said she crossed the line, moved the line and went too far. Now the comedian is saying she is the victim, and she is not afraid of Donald Trump. She indicated that she will continue to joke about Trump and mock him because as a comedian she has a right to do so. She calls the president a bully, but she is not afraid of him and will not back down.
The 56-year-old comedian explained that she took Trump's own words and made a parody out of them. She was referring to Trump's remarks last summer when he told former Fox News Channel journalist Megyn Kelly about women having blood coming out of their eyes and blood coming out of wherever.
Even though Griffin apologized through sobs, she has received numerous death threats, and five of her scheduled shows have been canceled.
Last Friday, Senator Al Franken dis-invited her from an event promoting his new book.
Other than President Trump speaking out himself, others have criticized the joke, including First Lady Melania Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Chelsea Clinton and CNN host Anderson Cooper. Cooper and Griffin have worked together every New Year's Eve, but now CNN has fired her from that assignment.
