Pot

This is a valid question since the US government, congress and other US entities have done terrible things to its citizens: Witch hunts against left leaning people, muslims, ecologists, and many more.

I had a Lineage device

Lineage OS is not a secure ROM, as a matter of fact the way it is hacked makes it a security nightmare, but you can breath new life to old devices and install adblockers that need root and set other features that allows you to avoid ads and Google, which is nice.

Is AMD safer? or are these people buying something else?

The israeli citizens are blocking humanitarian aid and are going to the torture chambers to take selfies while naked palestinians are being tortured by the army.