Doubling Down On Doubling Down

Trump plans to 'double down' on war against Judge Merchan if he gets jail time: insidershttps://t.co/uFFXyWaxIK

— Raw Story (@RawStory) June 8, 2024

Trump is likely to double down on his attacks against Merchan, directing his supporters at rallies and in Truth Social posts to take up their grievances with the judge, one of the sources added," Lowell wrote before adding, "Trump’s supporters have a history of making threats against judges Trump has assailed, including death threats to Tanya Chutkan, the US district judge who is presiding in his federal 2020 election interference case, and to the chambers of the New York judge who oversaw his civil fraud trial." 

The report continued, "If a jail sentence does come, one of the sources said, they expected Trump to lash out in anger," before adding, "... if Merchan does actually sentence Trump to jail, the judge would be thrust forward by Trump as responsible for any fallout and any unrest from his supporters who have a history of engaging in political violence merely on the former president airing grievances." 

"The pre-sentencing report is typically one major opportunity that defendants have to make a good impression on the judge, including by expressing contrition. Trump has suggested none of that since his conviction, including by attacking the verdict the very next day," Lowell added.

As I’ve said before, Trump has never faced a criminal charge, much less a trial and conviction. He railed against E. Jean Carroll, and that earned a second civil judgment. But the similarity between civil and criminal ends long before that. 

Criminal trials don’t end with the verdict. Sentencing takes into account many facts not presented at trial (since most of them would be prejudicial). A civil court can hear evidence of wealth in order to determine damages; a criminal jury only decides guilt. The judge at sentencing can hear evidence, from an officer of the court, of wealth in setting the fine; or conduct, from many sources, in assessing imprisonment.He can also take notice of all the other threats against all the other judges. Trump’s noise is not going to beat the system. Trump’s noise is going to beat Trump.

And after sentencing? Well, let’s just say Trump does himself no favors with the appeals courts by continuing to attack the trial judge. He’s in the hands of the system now, and that system doesn’t need another trial and new grounds to punish him.

As for the threats of violence: 1) again, that works against Trump. 2) it will be no more than noise and, possibly, lone wolves. That’s bad, but Trump still believes if he’s loud enough, something like J6 will be repeated. But there was nothing spontaneous about J6. And Trump has proven time and again he can’t rally anybody but his “Dead Heads,” and even they are getting bored.