Supporters of former President Donald Trump flooded pro-Trump websites with calls for riots, revolution, and violent retribution. They are enraged by his conviction on 34 felony counts.
Supporters post violent posts threatening judge, jury
Trump supporters have responded with dozens of violent online posts on at least three Trump-aligned websites. These are the former president’s own Truth Social platform, Patriots.Win, and the Gateway Pundit. Some called for attacks on jurors, the execution of the judge Justice Juan Merchan, and outright civil war.
One commentator on Patriots.Win said. “Someone in NY with nothing to lose needs to take care of Merchan,”
One poster suggested shooting liberals after the verdict on Gateway Pundit.
“Time to start capping some leftys.”
Violent posts soared after 2020 polls
Threats of violence and intimidating rhetoric soared after Trump lost the 2020 election. Trump has baselessly cast the judges and prosecutors in his trials as corrupt tools of the Biden administration in his campaign. He says they are intent on sabotaging his White House bid.
A 12-member jury found Trump guilty on Thursday of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star’s account of a sexual encounter ahead of the 2016 election. The sentencing will be on July 11.
Trump is expected to appeal.
Online attacks continue after verdict
The former president continued his attacks online after the verdict.
On Truth Social, he called Merchan “HIGHLY CONFLICTED” and criticized his jury instructions as unfair. One commentator responded by posting a picture of a hangman’s platform and a noose with the caption: “TREASONOUS MOBSTER OF THE JUSTICES SYSTEM!!”
A spokesperson for Truth Social said, “It’s hard to believe that Reuters, once a respected news service, has fallen so low as to publish such a manipulative, false, defamatory and transparently stupid article as this one purely out of political spite.”
Wirh inputs from Reuters
