Trump Supporters Demand Riots and Retribution Post-Verdict

Photo : PTI

Supporters of former President Donald Trump, angered by his conviction on 34 felony counts by a New York jury, unleashed a torrent of violent rhetoric on pro-Trump websites. Following Trump's unprecedented status as the first US president convicted of a crime, numerous violent comments flooded platforms such as Truth Social, Patriots, Win, and the Gateway Pundit.

Some individuals advocated for attacks on jurors, the execution of the presiding judge, Justice Juan Merchan, or even called for civil war and armed rebellion. One commentator on Patriots, Win, suggested someone "take care of Merchan," expressing hopes that he would encounter harm from undocumented immigrants. On Gateway Pundit, another commenter proposed shooting liberals, asserting that the issues at hand could not be resolved through voting.

This surge in threatening language follows a trend of escalating rhetoric and intimidation tactics employed by Trump loyalists since the aftermath of the 2020 election, during which Trump baselessly alleged election fraud. As Trump campaigns for reelection, he has consistently portrayed the legal proceedings against him as politically motivated attacks orchestrated by his opponents.

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Trump's conviction on charges related to concealing payments to silence a porn star before the 2016 election further fueled his supporters' anger. Despite the guilty verdict, Trump continues to deny any wrongdoing and plans to appeal.

On platforms like Truth Social, Trump denounced the trial as rigged and attacked the judge, while his followers echoed his sentiments with violent imagery and language. Despite policies against violent content, some of these posts were later removed.

The guilty verdict has galvanized Trump's supporters, with many expressing outrage and calling for drastic measures to address what they perceive as a broken political system. Some advocated for mass protests in Washington, while others suggested violence against Democrats. While many of these comments stop short of prosecutable threats, experts warn that the conviction could embolden extremist elements within Trump's base to resort to violence.

The proliferation of violent rhetoric underscores the deep political divisions and the potential for unrest in the United States. As Trump continues to challenge the legal system and rally his supporters, concerns over the specter of political violence remain high.