Washington: Former US President Donald Trump's supporters have called for violent retribution, revolution and riots in fury after he was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to influence the 2016 elections by paying hush money to a porn actor. Trump, along with his supporters in the Republican party and elsewhere claimed the trial was 'rigged' and that the Republican contender for the upcoming election was a victim of political persecution by a weaponised justice system.
A Reuters review of comments on three Trump-aligned websites - his Truth Social platform, Patriots.Win and the Gateway Pundit, revealed dozens of violent online posts by enraged Trump supporters after he became the first US President in history to be convicted of a crime. Many of his supporters said his conviction was proof that the American political system was broken and could only be saved by violent action.
“1,000,000 men (armed) need to go to Washington and hang everyone. That's the only solution,” said one poster on Patriots.win. Another added: “Trump should already know he has an army willing to fight and die for him if he says the words...I’ll take up arms if he asks.” Some supporters called for attacks on jurors, the execution of the judge, Justice Juan Merchan and outright civil war and armed insurrection.
Violent protests mirror post-2020 election
“Someone in NY with nothing to lose needs to take care of Merchan,” wrote one commentator on Patriots.Win. “Hopefully he gets met with illegals with a machete,” another post said in reference to illegal immigrants. On Gateway Pundit, one poster suggested shooting liberals after the verdict. “Time to start capping some leftys,” said the post. “This cannot be fixed by voting."
Other posts specifically urged targeting Democrats, in some cases suggesting they be shot. “AMERICA FULLY DESTROYED BY DEMOCRATS. LOCK AND LOAD,” wrote a commentator on Gateway Pundit. Most posts fell short of the legal standard for a prosecutable threat, but many speculate that the conviction could inspire violence by reinforcing that Trump was a victim of a conspiracy hatched by his enemies.
The calls for violent retribution after Trump's conviction are starkly reminiscent of the threats of violence and intimidating rhetoric that followed after he lost the 2020 election to current President Joe Biden after he raised unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud. This eventually culminated in an insurrection on the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021, days before Biden's inauguration.
As he campaigns for a second White House term, Trump has baselessly cast the judges and prosecutors in his trials as corrupt tools of the Biden administration, intent on sabotaging his White House bid. His loyalists have responded with a campaign of threats and intimidation targeting judges and court officials. After he was found guilty, Trump said the trial was 'rigged' by a 'corrupt' judge.
A 12-member jury found Trump guilty on Thursday of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star’s account of a sexual encounter ahead of the 2016 election. Sentencing is set for July 11, days before the Republican Party is scheduled to formally nominate Trump for president ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Trump has denied wrongdoing and is expected to appeal.
Republicans pool millions of dollars to Trump's campaign
Meanwhile, Republican donors pooled millions of dollars to Trump's campaign after his conviction, reinforcing their support as he returns to campaigning as a convicted felon. Like his supporters, many conservative donors already viewed the New York hush money cash as political persecution. The conviction was highly criticised by Republican lawmakers who targeted Democrats for a 'sham' trial.
On Thursday, mega-donors including casino billionaire Miriam Adelson and hotelier Robert Bigelow lined up behind Trump, with their donations set to bolster a wave of pro-Trump ads, door-knocking and phone banking in battleground states. Bigelow sent Trump an additional $5 million, calling his conviction a "disgrace" while Silicon Valley tech investor, Shaun Maguire, said he donated $300,000 to aid the former President.
The donations suggest that Trump will retain significant financial firepower against Biden including from Wall Street, tech and the oil sector. After setting out with a fundraising disadvantage against Biden, Trump for the first time in April outraised his Democratic rival, aided by fundraising events across the country. Trump will further use his conviction to fuel his campaign trail on Friday. "I’m confident that it’s gonna do more to help him win the White House than hurt him," said US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. His top aides on Wednesday released a memo in which they insisted a verdict would have no impact on the election, whether Trump was convicted or acquitted.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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