Supporters of Donald Trump were predictably apoplectic following the announcement on Thursday evening that the former president was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury.
Among the chorus of conservative voices shouting in despair, one stood out; a group of young Republicans who likened the former president to a personified American soul.
In a message posted by the New York Young Republicans Club, the group described Mr Trump as Americans' "total and indisputable champion."
"President Trump embodies the American people – our psyche from id to super-ego – as does no other figure; his soul is totally bonded with our core values and emotions, and he is our total and indisputable champion," the club wrote. "This tremendous connection threatens the established order."
The screed continued, attributing Mr Trump's ascent to power as an act of "love" more than a power grab by a former television host and real estate developer.
"The fix has always been 'in' against our President, but his motivation and love for the American people drove him to pursue the national excellence that his unique vision perceived lay within our reach," the club wrote. "In doing so, he opened so many eyes to reality."
The New York Young Republicans weren't the only ones to speak of Mr Trump as essentially a deity in the wake of the indictment. The Babylon Bee, a right-wing Onion-like site, published a parody news story headlined "Mike Lindell Draws Sword, Cuts Off Ear Of Officer Attempting To Arrest Trump."
The tongue-in-cheek headline is a reference to the Apostle Peter, who, in the Bible, cuts off a Roman guard's ear when they arrived at the garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus.
In the Babylon Bee version of events, Mr Trump, like Jesus, miraculously heals the man's ear and gives himself up to the authorities.
Mr Trump has warned of "death and destruction" in the event he was indicted, and posted a photo of himself wielding a baseball bat next to a photo of the head of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Since the announcement that he would be indicted over alleged hush-money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, Mr Trump has been reposting pundits and conservative lawmakers saying nice things about him on Truth Social, along with a few statements calling the entire investigation a witch hunt, insisting upon his innocence, invoking the "thugs" and "radical left monsters" coming after him, and bizarrely asking "WHERE'S HUNTER?"
In a brazen attempt to use his legal troubles for fundraising purposes, Mr Trump called for donations from his supporters, reminding them if they are doing well, it's because of him, and if they're not, well, that's not his fault.
"If you are doing poorly, as many of you are, do not send anything. If you are doing well, which was made possible through the great policies of the Trump Administration, send your contribution to donaldjtrump.com," he wrote on Truth Social.
