"IN THE FIRST WEEK OF HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL, Donald Trump raised about $5.6 million online by warning his small dollar-donors that the 'Deep State' was out to lock him up."
Trump sent out an email when jury selection began, saying Biden's attacking him, and his disciples responded by sending $1.6 million in response to the email. He took in another $1 million the rest of the week, mostly from small donors.
@wdlindsy I wouldn't put it past the GOP to be seeding those small dollar donors so that it appears he has groundswell support. Many of his die hard supporters are in debt up to their eyeballs and have no extra money for him. My guess is there is cash under the table going to them from Russian and Saudi Arabian sources with the express purpose of the individuals contributing and spreading out the money.
@azphilosopher Yes, that's entirely possible. But it seems he still has – even now! – the solid support of a core of Americans who will do almost anything for him, including standing on their heads if he commands.
"Today is the fourth anniversary of the press conference in which former president Donald Trump suggested injecting disinfectant to get rid of Covid, prompting the maker of Lysol to warn people not to use their disinfectant cleaning products internally. Four years later, Trump spent the day in a Manhattan courtroom, where his former friend David Pecker, who ran the company that published the National Enquirer tabloid magazine, testified for the prosecution."
"Trump seems aware that his power is waning. Early yesterday, he called for supporters to 'RALLY BEHIND MAGA,' but only a handful of people gathered outside the courthouse. Today he claimed that the turnout was low because police had 'completely CLOSED DOWN' the streets around the courthouse. That was a lie: the streets, the sidewalk, even the courthouse have remained open to the public."
Noah Berlatsky on how the corporate media and not just Fox help serve Trump's interests:
"Trump is a creature of publicity and propaganda, with a talent for shameless self-promotion and self-marketing. He’s put his brand on everything from Trump steaks to Trump bibles. As a recognizable figure who regularly says controversial and shocking things, he’s a riveting story for journalists."
"Trump's supporters failed to show up again on Tuesday, so Trump posted a lie on Truth Social that claimed they were being kept away by a massive police presence that closed roads near the courthouse."
"Trump and his allies like to complain at length about imagined 'collusion' between the Democratic Party and the media. But on Tuesday, former National Enquirer boss David Pecker lifted the curtain on the actual media collusion that took place in the 2016 election."
"Pecker revealed in granular detail how Trump worked hand-in-hand with the infamous national tabloid to boost his candidacy and, perhaps far more importantly, simultaneously smear his political opponents with shameful lies and innuendo.
'I said what I would do is I would run or publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and I would publish negative stories about his opponents,' Pecker said under oath…."
"Trump is clearly quite angry at Maggie Haberman, who has led the way reporting on the Trump snooze spectacle (which almost all major outlets still continue to strangely ignore). Trump attacked Haberman in a particularly vicious and reprehensible manner, dehumanizing her on Truth Social as a ;maggot.'"
@wdlindsy@Savvyhomestead $100 says Trump brags about how clever he was to think of 'Maggot' at his next rally, and $5000 on the sweaty Deplorables clapping and cheering till their hands and throats bleed.
"Fox News doesn’t want you to believe in our elections or our justice system. It wants you to simply give up on democracy and hand over the reins of power to rich Republicans.
This has been obvious for a long time and was made more so last week in Fox’s coverage of Donald Trump’s trial."
@wdlindsy
I saw Mary Trump on Lawrence O'Donnell the other night, and she said that the sleeping in court issue is the gravest strike to his psyche. He was raised to show zero vulnerability, and this shows him to be weak.
@wdlindsy “The trial isn’t about Trump’s exciting game show life… It’s about Trump using his power & connections to keep info about his character from the American public in an effort to influence & distort the 2016 presidential election. Jurors aren’t game show contestants who have agreed to be public figures; they’re randomly selected citizens who are trying, despite some real personal danger, to do their part to defend democratic systems & the rule of law.”
@wdlindsy
MSNBC turned its cameras to the wider area - the street, the building itself, the designated areas for folks to gather - there were a few people with anti-Cheezus signs and no one was being bothered. Normal traffic. Cheezus is a lying conman. Why doesn't everyone get that by now?
@CatHerder I ask myself, too, why everyone doesn't get that. Who are these folks who immediately turn loose of their hard-earned donors — small donors is what they are — to flood his accounts with money when he says Biden is attacking him in court? How can they possibly be so blind?
@wdlindsy
My contribution to the future is that I raised children with curious minds and to ALWAYS challenge the sources of information.
They're up against a a wall of people who don't do any of that. Scary!
@CatHerder A wall of people is such a great phrase — so right on target to describe what we're up against. Good for you that you raised children to value intellectual curiosity and to ask questions.