As jurors deliberate in Donald Trump’s criminal trial on 34 counts of falsifying business documents to protect his 2016 campaign, Republicans and right-wing pundits are helping Trump spread lies about the trial using terms that could lead to violence.
Over the weeks of testimony, Republicans have made Trump’s legal issues central to their own campaigns. A revolving list of representatives and senators have made the pilgrimage from Washington, D.C., to New York City just to provide Trump a means of getting around a gag order designed to protect jurors and witnesses.
Statements that Trump made while exiting the courtroom after the jury began its deliberations on Wednesday suggest that he believes conviction is likely. The misinformation campaign is part of a broader strategy to delegitimize the trial and galvanize his base, and now the race is on for right-wing media and Republican politicians to help Trump by planting the idea that the trial has been rigged.
The statements and lies about the New York trial mimic the way Trump insisted that he could only lose the 2020 election if it was rigged. And events in the past two days have already provided a hint of the potential violence to come should Trump be held accountable for his crimes.
Most of Republicans’ recent false allegations have focused on the instructions that Judge Juan Merchan provided to the jurors before they began their deliberations, including widespread claims that Merchan said Trump could be convicted without a unanimous verdict.
Sen. Marco Rubio is among those who are repeating the false claims, tweeting that the judge “told jury they don’t have to unanimously agree on which crime was committed as long as they all at least pick one.” Several Fox News talking heads have also been playing up this nonexistent angle as proof of Merchan’s hostility to Trump.
From the beginning, Trump has portrayed the trial as another “witch hunt.” He has attacked Merchan throughout the trial—as he has attacked judges in previous civil trials—earning ten fines for contempt of court. In April, Merchan was forced to expand the scope of the gag order after Trump used social media to attack the judge’s daughter. But stifling Trump’s direct attacks hasn’t kept his Republican proxies, or even his family members, from continuing the attacks.
Rep. Lauren Boebert is already attacking the jurors even before a verdict is in. Alina Habba, Trump’s losing attorney in his fraud trial, has accused jurors of being blinded by “Trump derangement syndrome” and insisted they’ll defy Merchan’s instructions and watch media that slants them against Trump.
In what could perhaps be most consequential for the 2024 election, Trump has repeatedly lied that this case, brought by the state of New York, is actually being directed by President Joe Biden. Trump is so wedded to this lie to generate anger against Biden and bolster his own victimhood narrative that he has been smacking down reporters who refuse to go along with his lies—even when those reporters are from Fox News.
This isn’t the first time that Trump has tried to generate anger against everyone involved in this trial. He’s repeatedly called for supporters to rally around the courthouse, but if he was expecting a second insurrection, he has been badly disappointed. Instead, Trump has been forced to lie about conditions outside the courthouse to explain why his mob isn’t turning up.
But that doesn’t mean there’s no threat of violence ahead.
A hint of the danger posed to everyone involved was illustrated on Tuesday evening when the mother of police officer Michael Fanone was "swatted" shortly after her son spoke outside the courthouse. That event included a grotesque “manifesto” falsely attributed to Fanone claiming that he had murdered his mother and was planning a school shooting.
Fortunately, no one was injured when SWAT team members turned up at the door of Fanone’s mother’s home, but they easily could have been. And Trump is pushing a new video that seems designed to inflame his supporters.
Republican allies and right-wing media figures are playing a crucial role in Trump’s effort to erode faith in the trial by spreading false claims about Merchan, jurors, and court proceedings. This coordinated attack on the judicial process undermines trust in the legal system and poses a significant threat to public safety.
Every day brings a new prognostication that is making President Joe Biden's campaign operatives worry or freak out. Is Donald Trump running away with the election? No. Not even close.
Campaign Action