In New York, Donald Trump showed rare restraint. His advisers said he would make a statement, but he was persuaded to remain silent by the team of lawyers. He eventually communicated through his social network Truth Social – according to predetermined, responsible for shrinking his fortune by $550 million – when he had already entered the Manhattan courthouse. “It feels so surreal. Wow, they are going to arrest me. Can’t believe this is happening in America,” he wrote.
Arriving at the Mar-a-Lago residence and hotel, the first former U.S. leader to be indicted ignored Judge Merchan’s warning not to make comments “that could incite violence or civil unrest” and started in almost every direction to shoot, also at Mercan. How a candidate can campaign for the presidential nomination and then for the presidency when he has this case in court – and even three more serious ones – was the question that quieted in the United States.
To the sobriety of the accused Dr. Donald followed the well-known tactics of the political communication monster Mr. Trump. With his family (except his wife, Melania), some of his closest allies like Roger Stone (the political adviser who freed Trump from prison and pardoned him for the crimes of lying to Congress, intimidating witnesses and obstructing justice) and anonymous followers, the New York businessman was the star of a ballroom in the resort town of Mar-a-Lago in a festive atmosphere.
Even some of the attendees noticed the oddity. “It’s strange to see all these people celebrating,” he told the The Washington Post supporter and fundraiser Caroline Wren. From Donald Trump, not a word to explain or justify the charges ahead.
“The only crime I have committed is to fearlessly defend our country against those who would destroy it,” he came closest to the case in which business documents were falsified to cover up payments to personal attorney Michael Cohen, who turn had bought the silence of Stormy Daniels, who was going to reveal the alleged extramarital affair with Trump.
(Daniels, formerly Stephanie Clifford, has since been ordered by a San Francisco federal court to pay Trump $122,000 in legal fees for a libel suit he filed and lost.)
Playing at home, Trump said the judge and his family hate him and that prosecutor Alvin Bragg is a “beast” and a “racist.” He also left treats for special attorney Jack Smith – “crazy” – who oversees the investigations that could prove more complicated for the Republican pre-candidate, the attempt to undermine the election result with the invasion of the Capitol, and the covert documents he kept in his possession after being ordered to return them.
And also for Georgia attorney Fani Willis, who will announce in the coming weeks what charges she will be filing over attempts by Trump and his circle to try and reverse the results in that state. “They have a racist, Democratic district attorney in Atlanta who will do anything to make me pay for an absolutely perfect phone call,” he said.
More than one Trump phone call is being reviewed, but the one that became famous was the one where he asked the Georgia Secretary of State to “find” the votes needed to win. Trump also called the call to Zelensky “perfect,” in which he pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden’s son — and earned him the first impeachment trial.
With more impeachments, Trump can mobilize his supporters as much as possible, but it will be difficult to convince independents. Right now, 6 in 10 Americans say Trump should no longer be president, and among them are two-thirds of independents, a poll for PBS and NPR concludes.
Source: DN
