Former President Donald Trump害羞草研究所檚 in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters, with even some of his most ardent loyalists dismissing the idea as a waste of time or a law enforcement trap.
The ambivalence raises questions about whether Trump, though a leading Republican who retains a devoted following, still has the power to mobilize far-right supporters the way he did more than two years ago before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also suggests that the , not to mention the convictions and long prison sentences, may have dampened the desire for repeat mass unrest.
Still, law enforcement in New York is continuing to closely monitor online chatter warning of protests and violence if Trump is arrested, with threats varying in specificity and credibility, four officials told The Associated Press. Mainly posted online and in chat groups, the messages have included calls for armed protesters to block law enforcement officers and attempt to stop any potential arrest, the officials said.
The New York Young Republican Club has announced plans for a protest at an undisclosed location in Manhattan on Monday, and incendiary but isolated posts surfaced on fringe social media platforms from supporters calling for an armed confrontation with law enforcement at .
But nearly two days after Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday and exhorted followers to protest, there were few signs his appeal had inspired his supporters to organize and rally around an event like the Jan. 6 gathering. In fact, a prominent organizer of rallies that preceded the Capitol riot posted on Twitter that he intended to remain on the sidelines.
Ali Alexander, who as an organizer of the 害羞草研究所淪top the Steal害羞草研究所� movement staged rallies to promote that Democrats stole from him, warned Trump supporters that they would be 害羞草研究所渏ailed or worse害羞草研究所� if they protested in New York City.
害羞草研究所淵ou have no liberty or rights there,害羞草研究所� he tweeted.
One of Alexander害羞草研究所檚 allies in the 害羞草研究所淪top the Steal害羞草研究所� campaign was , who amplified the election fraud claims on his Infowars show. Alexander posted that he had spoken to Jones and said that neither of them would be protesting this time around.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e both got enough going on fighting the government,害羞草研究所� Alexander wrote. 害羞草研究所淣o billionaire is covering our bills.害羞草研究所�
That stands in contrast to the days before the Capitol riot when Trump stoked up supporters when he invited them to Washington for a 害羞草研究所渂ig protest害羞草研究所� on a Jan. 6, tweeting, 害羞草研究所淏e there, will be wild!害羞草研究所� Thousands of that day, busting through windows and violently clashing with officers in an ultimately failed effort to stop the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden害羞草研究所檚 victory.
Since then, about 1,000 participants have been arrested, many racking up steep legal bills and in court for their actions. Some have complained of feeling abandoned by Trump. And conspiracy theories that the riot was fueled or even set up by undercover law enforcement informants in the crowd have continued to flourish online, with Trump supporters citing that angst as a basis for steering clear of a new large-scale protest.
害羞草研究所淗ow many Feds/Fed assets are in place to turn protest against the political arrest of Pres Trump into violence?害羞草研究所� tweeted Rep. Marjorie-Taylor Greene. The Georgia Republican also invoked a conspiracy theory that an FBI informant had instigated the Jan. 6 riot.
害羞草研究所淗as Ray Epps booked his flight to NY yet?害羞草研究所� she tweeted on Sunday.
Epps, an Arizona man, was filmed encouraging others to enter the Capitol. Conspiracy theorists believe Epps was an FBI informant because he was removed from a Jan. 6 害羞草研究所渨anted害羞草研究所� list without being charged. In January, the House committee that investigated the Capitol attack said the claims about Epps were 害羞草研究所渦nsupported.害羞草研究所�
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab who has tracked the 害羞草研究所淪top the Steal害羞草研究所� movement online, said anxiety over being entrapped by so-called agent provocateurs feeds a 害羞草研究所減aranoia that if they go and do violence, they may get caught and there may be consequences.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t seems to reduce a lot of people害羞草研究所檚 willingness to make big statements about being willing to go out害羞草研究所� and engage in violence, he said.
A grand jury is investigating to women who alleged sexual encounters with Trump. Prosecutors have not said when their work might conclude or when charges could come.
The conflicted feelings over how far to support Trump in his fight against prosecution extends into the political realm. His own vice president, Mike Pence, who害羞草研究所檚 expected to challenge Trump for the Republican nomination, castigated Trump in an ABC News interview this weekend as 害羞草研究所渞eckless害羞草研究所� for his actions on Jan. 6 and said history would hold him accountable 害羞草研究所� even as he echoed the former president害羞草研究所檚 rhetoric that an indictment would be a 害羞草研究所減olitically charged prosecution.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 have no doubt that President Trump knows how to take care of himself. And he will. But that doesn害羞草研究所檛 make it right to have a politically charged prosecution of a former president of the United States of America,害羞草研究所� Pence said.
The opening day of the House Republican conference in Orlando, Florida, was quickly overshadowed with the news of a potential indictment. Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other House Republicans called the possibility outrageous and criticized District Attorney Alvin Bragg for what they called 害羞草研究所渞eckless crime害羞草研究所� in New York City.
McCarthy said he has assembled congressional investigators to probe if Bragg used Justice Department grants to pursue the Trump case. But despite the heated rhetoric toward Bragg, Republican leaders stopped short of Trump害羞草研究所檚 calls for protesters to 害羞草研究所渢ake our nation back.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think people should protest this. I think President Trump, when you talk to him, he doesn害羞草研究所檛 think that, either,害羞草研究所� McCarthy said.
害羞草研究所擡ric Tucker And Michael Kunzelman, The Associated Press
