Trump’s violent rhetoric: a threat to the US justice system?

“And so it begins,” said Eugene Robinson in The Washington Post. “The masks, or hoods, are coming off.” It was only a matter of time before the angry rhetoric directed at the officials holding Donald Trump to account became “explicitly violent and racist”.

In Texas, one of the former president’s supporters has been detained on charges of threatening to kill Tanya S. Chutkan, the judge presiding over the federal case against Trump for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election. In Georgia, meanwhile, Trump supporters seem to have been publishing the names and addresses of the citizens who served on the grand jury that last week indicted Trump on similar charges in the state. One message read: “These jurors have signed their death warrant by falsely indicting President Trump.” Surely even a Republican Party in thrall to Trump must recognise that a line has been crossed.

‘Behind bars for contempt’

Trump bears much of the blame for this situation, said Maggie Haberman in The New York Times. He has repeatedly attacked those involved in the criminal cases against him. He has described Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought the two federal indictments, as “deranged” and baselessly suggested that he takes drugs.

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On his social media website, Truth Social, Trump wrote of Chutkan: “She obviously wants me behind bars. VERY BIASED & UNFAIR.” He also declared there last week: “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” Some lawyers have argued that if Trump were an ordinary citizen issuing these attacks, he’d be behind bars for contempt by now. Chutkan has merely warned him against making “inflammatory” statements, while suggesting she may be forced to bring his trial forward to protect the jury.

‘Public servants not folk heroes’

Attempts to persecute judges and prosecutors are inexcusable, said Michael Schaffer on Politico. It doesn’t help, though, when people go too far the other way and treat them as folk heroes. As soon as Chutkan was assigned Trump’s case, T-shirts were made emblazoned with slogans such as “Judge Chutkan Fan Club”.

Other officials in Trump’s crosshairs have been similarly lionised. I understand the impulse to “show what side you’re on”, but liberals should desist. It only fuels Trump’s claims of bias. If progressives want to hero worship “people who battle Trump, they ought to stick to folks who go out and get elected – not public servants doing an officially apolitical job”.