Supporters of Trump demand physical aggression following a court verdict.
In a court case regarding payments for silence, former president Trump has been found guilty of all charges. The sentencing announcement is set for July. Supporters of the ex-leader are not accepting this decision, taking to social media to call for protests and even violence. An examination by Reuters of statements on three pro-Trump websites - Truth Social, Patriots.Win, and Gateway Pundit - shows that Trump's backers view the jury's verdict as a sign that the political system is broken. One commentator on Patriots.Win suggested targeting Judge Juan Merchan, writing, "Someone in New York who has nothing to lose should take care of Merchan." On Gateway Pundit, there was a post encouraging people to "kill a few leftists. That can't be regulated through elections."
Some of Trump's followers are calling for violence against Democrats, with one user on Patriots.win suggesting, "1 million (armed) men should go to Washington and hang them all." Another user added, "Trump should already know that he has an army ready to fight and die for him." The anger has spread to Trump himself, who has denounced the verdict as "a disgrace, a rigged process by a judge who was involved and corrupt." The author of "God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America," Jacob Ware, cautions that Trump's refusal to accept the process could trigger a violent reaction from far-right extremists.
Patriots.Win and Gateway Pundit initially did not respond to requests for comment. A representative for Truth Social said, "It's hard to believe that Reuters, once a respected news agency, has sunk so low that it publishes such a manipulative, false, slanderous, and obviously stupid article like this." All three platforms have policies against violent rhetoric, but some of the posts that violated these policies were later taken down. Trump did not respond to requests for a statement.
However, Trump's trial has once again sparked conversations about the dangerous potential for violent reactions from his most ardent supporters. Whether or not he ultimately accepts the verdict, the power of his words to incite his followers can't be ignored.
In a separate trial, another former official close to Trump, Rudy Giuliani, is facing criminal charges. Meanwhile, Trump is still under investigation for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and for his handling of classified documents.
The verdict in Trump's case shows that even the most powerful people can be held accountable for their actions under the law. But it also presents a challenging question: How can the country heal when so many people refuse to accept the results they don't like? With parties increasingly polarized and political discourse growing more heated, finding common ground will become even more critical if we want to maintain a functional government and society.
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In response to the guilty verdict, some Trump supporters have escalated their rhetoric on social networks, calling for protests and even advocating for violence against political adversaries in Washington and beyond. Amidst this, Trump himself has condemned the verdict as a "rigged process," potentially stoking further unrest within his fervent base in the USA.
