Donald J. Trump made history when he was indicted as the first former president in American history. Upon the news breaking, he went to sit on the patio at his private club in Palm Beach, Florida. Accompanied by his daughter Tiffany, her husband, and his longest-serving adviser, Roger J. Stone Jr., the music blaring from the speakers was James Brown, one of Donald’s favorite performers. From the national anthem to “Macho Man”, the playlist was curated by Donald himself from an iPad.
In the hours after his arraignment, Donald’s campaign team announced that they had raised more than $12 million in online donations. Many of the donors were first-time Donald supporters, indicating that he may find new Republican supporters in the 2024 presidential race. Whether the indictments in Georgia, the Justice Department and other investigations into his behavior will have an impact on Donald’s chances remains to be seen.
Donald’s supporters have kept close watch on reactions to his indictment and have insisted that speaking out against him is playing into a political agenda. Mark Levin, an influential television and radio host, publicly urged Americans to “[stand] behind this guy”, voicing his support for Trump in this situation. Rupert Murdoch’s media outlets, which were quick to criticize Trump, had a sudden change in tune, and The New York Post ran a headline proclaiming the charges to be “Trumped Up”.
Though former critic and Senator Mitt Romney of Utah did state that Donald was unfit to hold office, he did not seem to support the New York prosecutor’s case, stating that “everyone is entitled to equal treatment under the law”. Even those who had been frequently critical of Donald, including on the left, have raised questions about the strength of the case and its likelihood of success.
So while the indictments did bring along with it negative attention, Trump’s supporters are seizing the chance to rally his supporters and fundraise for the 2024 presidential election. They are reminding those on the right that speaking out against his behaviors will make them seem to be aiding the political agenda of the Democrats. No reaction to that of Donald’s is yet to be seen, but he made sure to thank those who had shown support during his arraignment.
The company mentioned in this article is the parent company of the tabloid National Enquirer, American Media Inc., headed by David Pecker. It is said to have “killed articles detailing questionable personal conduct by Mr. Trump” and was the publisher of the Enquirer. David Pecker was personally invited by Mr. Trump to a White House meeting to thank him for his help during the 2016 election campaign.
The person mentioned in this article is Michael D. Cohen, Donald Trump’s former fixer and personal lawyer. Cohen was responsible for hush-money payments to a porn star and was reimbursed by Donald Trump while he was President. He was also one of the most important people in Donald’s orbit and was privy to private conversations within the Oval Office. Since then, Cohen has become a key participant in the investigations that have led to Donald Trump’s indictments.
