UPDATE: Donald Trump Rages, Launching Unhinged All-Caps Rant on Truth as New Indictments Looms
UPDATE: Former President Donald Trump and his supporters are once again deploying a familiar playbook in response to a third
Ivy Griffith
UPDATE: Former President Donald Trump and his supporters are once again deploying a familiar playbook in response to a third indictment against him. Rather than addressing the seriousness of the charges, they are deflecting with unrelated accusations, using misleading claims about the charges, and demonizing the prosecution.
Tuesday’s indictment is being framed as evidence of a conspiracy to bring down the Republican ex-president, perpetuating the narrative of Democrats, the media, and the so-called deep state trying to interfere with the nation’s elections.
Trump has long propagated the idea that elections cannot be trusted, presenting himself as a victim of corrupt persecution by the government and media. With this narrative gaining traction through conservative news outlets and social media, many of his supporters are inclined to accept it, according to Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University who studies authoritarian propaganda.
Original Story [June 8, 2023]: Former President Donald Trump could face a new series of criminal charges as early as today.
The Justice Department is reportedly asking the grand jury to vote on indictments, and they could vote today, or they could wait until the grand jury meets again next week to make sure they’ve received and processed all of the necessary evidence.
It’s been a fast-paced 24 hours, filled with conflicting reports, social media fake-outs, and confusion about who did what when.
But the one thing we can be sure of – Trump is spitting mad, and he took to Truth Social to vent his thoughts on today’s looming potential indictments.
Let’s back up and take a look at everything that’s happened in the past 24 hours.
First, news broke late yesterday that the DOJ was asking the grand jury to vote on whether or not to issue criminal charges and indict Trump.
See: DOJ READY TO ASK FOR DONALD TRUMP INDICTMENT ON ESPIONAGE ACT, OBSTRUCTION CHARGES
Trump, incensed, took to Truth Social to announce that no one had informed him that he was facing potential charges. Trump wrote, “No one has told me I’m being indicted, and I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong, but I have assumed for years that I am a Target of the WEAPONIZED DOJ & FBI, starting with the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, the ‘No Collusion’ Mueller Report, Impeachment HOAX #1, Impeachment HOAX #2, the PERFECT Ukraine phone call, and various other SCAMS & WITCH HUNTS. A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE & ELECTION INTERFERENCE AT A LEVEL NEVER SEEN BEFORE. REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS MUST MAKE THIS THEIR # 1 ISSUE!!!”
However, shortly after Trump wrote that, media outlets reported that federal prosecutors had in fact informed Trump that he was the target of the grand jury investigation.
Then came the parade of stories about former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows – some true, some not so true.
Some reports suggested that Meadows had “flipped” on his former boss, and was cooperating with the DOJ. Those reports said Meadows had entered a guilty plea in exchange for immunity, and was now special counsel Jack Smith’s star witness.
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But Meadows’ lawyer blasted those reports as lies.
And shortly thereafter, a convincing fake image started circulating online which purported to show Trump ranting on Truth Social about Meadows, saying, “WHEN MARK MEADOWS CAME CRAWLING TO ME WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES, SAYING SIR I NEED A JOB PLEASE HELP ME, I FELT VERY SORRY FOR HIM. I KNEW HE WAS STRONGLY HATED BY MOST OF HIS FELLOW CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS, BUT I HAD JUST FIRED MY PREVIOUS CHIEF OF STAFF. LIKE A DOG. SO I DECIDED TO HAVE MARK AUDITION FOR THE JOB, APPRENTICE STYLE. HOW DID HE THANK ME? BY HIRING VISCOUS RINOS & RATS WHO TURNED AND THROUGH ME UNDER THE BUS WITH THE RADICAL COMMUNISTS OF THE J6 COMMITTEE AND THEN A MAD DOG LEFTIST PROSECUTOR. I WAS GOING TO FIRE MARK IN 2021 BUT THE ELECTION WAS STOLLEN FROM ME!”
Just to repeat, the above “social media post” is a fake. But it was convincing enough that several high-profile politicians retweeted it, including Adam Kinzinger, who later deleted it and addressed it as a fake.
And on Twitter, “stollen” trended as people mocked the former President’s alleged misspellings.
Late last night, the whole situation seemed to come home to roost for a frustrated Trump, who took to Truth Social with a real rant this time.
Trump posted, “SHOCKING! ONE OF THE TOP PROSECUTORS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF INJUSTICE WAS REPORTEDLY SO OBSESSED WITH ‘GETTING TRUMP’ THAT HE TRIED TO BRIBE & INTIMIDATE A LAWYER REPRESENTING SOMEONE BEING TARGETED & HARASSED TO FALSELY ACCUSE & FABRICATE A STORY ABOUT PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP & A CRIME THAT DOESN’T EXIST. THIS CRIMINAL & SALACIOUS ACT FROM WITHIN THE DOJ HAS BROUGHT SHAME & EMBARRASSMENT TO THIS ONCE GREAT & RESPECTED INSTITUTION. BECAUSE OF THIS, THERE IS NOW EXTREME TURMOIL INSIDE THE DOJ…..”
And added, “Page 2. A TOP OVERZEALOUS & DISHONEST DOJ PROSECUTOR OFFERED A WITNESS’ LAWYER AN IMPORTANT ‘JUDGESHIP’ IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IF HIS CLIENT ‘FLIPS’ ON PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHO HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG! THE HIGHLY RESPECTED LAWYER WAS INCENSED & DISGUSTED AT THIS CORRUPT & ILLEGAL OFFER. THE FAKE ‘CASE’ AGAINST ME MUST BE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED, AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SHOULD LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS & THE MANY OTHER ALL TOO OBVIOUS WRONGDOINGS & CRIMES TAKING PLACE AT THE DOJ & FBI!”
This time, the words came straight from the hands of one Donald J. Trump.
Whether or not Trump receives indictments this week or next week, it’s become increasingly obvious that he will face some legal jeopardy over the mishandling of classified documents.
According to law experts watching the case play out, Trump could be charged with both obstruction and under the Espionage Act. If they do charge him under the Espionage Act, it’s expected that they will use a subsection of the legal code that prohibits people who “legally possess” documents from sharing them with nefarious purposes.
Therefore, it won’t matter whether Trump was able to declassify them by thought – as he has claimed in defense multiple times – it will only matter that he put American security at risk by showing off state secrets.
For now, that’s all speculation and allegation.
Trump is still innocent until proven guilty, and there have been no charges in the case yet.
But everything is expected to change rapidly once things start moving.