The MAGA attacks on Trump's jury are part of their anti-democracy push
Written by John Whitehouse
Published
As Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan proceeds, we've seen MAGA voices on Fox News and elsewhere zero in on jurors, going after them personally and urging pro-Trump people to get on the jury specifically to sink the case. At MSNBC.com, I explore how their actions should be seen as part of the MAGA anti-democracy push:
The core issue here is that Trump and his media allies don’t believe that they should have to be subject to the same legal system as the rest of us. Instead, there’s a clear and concerted effort by MAGA forces to use media pressure to give Trump more preferential treatment and to drive off any juror that they believe poses a risk to Trump. That’s why Fox Corp. personality Clay Travis is happy to publicly urge the former president’s supporters to “do everything you can” get on the jury and acquit Trump, regardless of the evidence at hand.
This coordinated attempt to use chaos to undermine public confidence in Trump’s trial should be understood as part and parcel of Trump and his supporters’ attack on democracy — and their media allies are fully on board.
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At the heart of what Watters and Bannon are saying is that Trump deserves special treatment because of his political following. Without getting into the minutiae of jury selection in New York state, their claims are preposterous. Democracy – both at the polls and in the courtroom — is about ensuring fairness by giving citizens the right to participate in the process. We knew after January 6 that Trump and MAGA media allies disregarded the votes of people they disliked. We now know they oppose their right to participate in court as well.
Even worse, this is a harbinger for the election. When Trump’s team starts throwing around wild election claims like four years ago, there’s no indication that anyone in conservative media will get in the way — even Fox News after its record settlement over claims about voting machines in the 2020 election.
So buckle up: The Trump/MAGA media feedback loop is just getting started. There will be a lot more chaos to come, both in court and for the country.