Trump rallies his supporters, calls for protests
The circus atmosphere that follows former president Donald Trump seems to be never ending. Just when we think it’s over and he’s faded away, some other detail or accusation crops up and he’s thrust into the spotlight again.
But let’s be honest, Trump isn’t trying to fade away. He’s the ring master of his circus.
The latest potential spectacle involves his alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, which he allegedly paid before the 2016 election.
The payments aren’t a new development, but the fact that he could be arrested is. He seemed so convinced that he would be go to jail Tuesday that he called for protests.
It’s a call to action that has authorities in New York on edge and as a result, they have installed security cameras and erected barricades, hoping to avoid an incitement of violence, the likes of which were experienced on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington.
Meanwhile, his allies in the House are doing what Trump taught them to do: Use government power to try to keep his legal threats at bay. After he predicted that he would be arrested, his allies used their new majority in the House to demand Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s testimony, hoping to thwart his investigation into the alleged payments to Daniels.
But isn’t this the same tactic the Republicans have accused President Joe Biden’s administration of using? They are weaponizing the powers of government to advance a partisan political end, aren’t they?
This strategy is familiar. Trump has launched preemptive and fierce attacks on the law or on government institutions that want to hold him accountable, all the while blurring the clarity about his culpability or conduct and igniting a political storm that taints their conclusions.
The campaign against Bragg is going a bit further than usual, however.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, called it a “political play.” He also said, on Monday, in a CNN report, that it was “perfectly acceptable for the ex-president’s allies to publicly lambaste a prosecutor as he conducts his work.” McCarthy hasn’t been shy about his support for Trump. In fact, his job may depend on Trump’s political patronage.
However, maybe Trump’s call to action is preemptive, as there are sufficient doubts that Bragg would assemble a possible prosecution. Plus, the potential charges relating to electoral law violations and business are unusual, so they are fueling questions from nonpartisan legal experts about the case not “living up to its billing.”
A source close to Trump’s legal team told CNN on Monday that they don’t have any guidance on a timeline of a potential indictment. They were also told that nothing was expected yesterday, which is the day Trump predicted he’d be arrested.
While an indictment could happen this week, it’s more likely that Trump will not make any court appearances until next week. That means that there’s at least one more week to allow tension in this situation to reach a boiling point.
We only hope that Trump’s supporters don’t repeat what happened on Jan. 6. They have every right to protest, but it should be done in a non-violent manner.