Closing arguments at Trump's Manhattan fraud trial were delayed on Thursday following a bomb threat at the Judge's home. Unfortunately, this is just the latest example of mob-style intimidation by Maga loyalists which has become disturbingly common.
In that same trial last fall, the Judge had to issue a gag order against Trump after he attacked her on social media. The court employee received up to 30 death threats a day on her personal cell phone and was subjected to antisemitic slurs- the employee ended up receiving around-the-clock security as a result. The incident is typical of the violent intimidation and dangerous behavior Trump has inspired in his supporters.
In December, a Colorado Supreme court justice faced death threats after ruling that Trump should not appear on the ballot. A week later, Maine's Secretary of State was targeted by a hoax emergency call that a man had broken into her home (known as "swatting") after she made the determination that Trump should not appear on the ballot in that state.
On Christmas day, DOJ special counsel Jack Smith was targeted by swatting-- someone called 911 and reported that Jack Smith had shot his wife, triggering police and EMT response to his house. Two weeks later, Judge Chutkan was at her Washington, DC home when it was "swatted"-- police responded to a false report that there was a shooting at her house. And that wasn't the first time Judge Chutkan faced down a threat-- last August, a Texas woman was arrested after calling the Judge's home and saying that she would be killed if Trump didn't get re-elected.
Trump has frequently encouraged this kind of behavior at this rallies, cloaking this rhetoric in comedy to deflect criticism. In 2020, one of his Maga supporters (Cesar Sayoc) drank too much purple Kool-Aid-- making a list of twenty people he considered enemies of Trump, and sending them pipe bombs in the mail. He was sentence to 20 years in prison.
In 2022, Nancy Pelosi's elderly husband was nearly killed in his home by a right-wing nut who believed all the nutty conspiracies fomented by Trump. Paul Pelosi had his skull fractured with a hammer and still suffers debilitating effects months after the incident. And what does Trump do in reaction to that incident? He still jokes about it at his rallies-- sending a message to everyone that listens to him that the attack was funny and that is was good that a man nearly killed Pelosi in his home. That it was hilarious.
And he continues to promote violence, promising that there will be "bedlam" if the appeals court doesn't accede to his ridiculous belief that he should received immunity for his criminal acts. This guy is a fucking menace and the GOP should have the common sense to nominate another candidate if Trump doesn't end up in jail before then.
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