Donald Trump supporters have flooded pro-Trump websites with calls for riots, revolution and violent retribution.
After Trump became the first former US president to be convicted of a crime, his supporters responded with dozens of violent online posts, according to a Reuters review of comments on three Trump-aligned websites: the former president’s own Truth Social platform, Patriots.Win and the Gateway Pundit.
Some called for attacks on jurors, the execution of the judge, Justice Juan Merchan, or outright civil war and armed insurrection.
Threats of violence and intimidating rhetoric soared after Trump lost the 2020 election and falsely claimed the vote was stolen.
As he campaigns for a second White House term, Trump has baselessly cast the judges and prosecutors in his trials as corrupt tools of the Biden administration, intent on sabotaging his White House bid.
His loyalists have responded with a campaign of threats and intimidation targeting judges and court officials.
“This was a disgrace, this was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” Trump told reporters afterwards, echoing comments he often made during the trial.
A 12-member jury found Trump guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence an adult film actress’s account of a sexual encounter ahead of the 2016 election.
Sentencing is set for 11 July, days before the Republican Party is scheduled to formally nominate Trump for president ahead of the 5 November election. Trump has denied wrongdoing and is expected to appeal.
He continued his attacks online after the verdict.
On Truth Social, he called Judge Merchan “HIGHLY CONFLICTED” and criticised his jury instructions as unfair.
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After yesterday’s verdict, many of his supporters also said that his conviction was proof that the American political system was broken and that only violent action could save the country.
One poster on Patriots.win wrote: “Trump should already know he has an army willing to fight and die for him if he says the words…I’ll take up arms if he asks.”
Trump guilty verdict fires up Republican donors, who pledge millions
Major Republican donors rallied behind Trump, pledging millions of dollars in support on a tumultuous day for his election campaign.
Many conservative donors already viewed the trial as political persecution.
In a flurry of support, mega donors including casino billionaire Miriam Adelson and hotelier Robert Bigelow lined up behind Trump, with their donations set to bolster a wave of pro-Trump ads, door-knocking and phone banking in battleground states.
The verdict also spurred some longtime Trump donors to boost their financial support for Trump – and, in at least one case, make a big donation to him for the first time.
Robert Bigelow, who is one of Trump’s top supporters having already given over $9 million to an outside group supporting him, said criminal proceedings against Trump were a “disgrace.”
“I’m sending President Trump another $5 million as I promised him,” Mr Bigelow told Reuters.
Don Tapia, a former Trump ambassador to Jamaica, said he and a small network of family and friends with whom he donates had planned to give around $250,000 this election to support Trump.
After yesterday’s conviction, Mr Tapia told Reuters the group would aim to give over $1 million to the pro-Trump spending group MAGA Inc in coming weeks.
A Silicon Valley tech investor, Shaun Maguire, posted on social media site X after the verdict that he had donated$300,000 to support Trump.
“I believe our justice system is being weaponised against him,” said Mr Maguire, who described himself as a former Hillary Clinton supporter who switched to supporting Trump in 2021 after the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
