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Politics
Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University

Trump’s rhetoric after his felony conviction is designed to distract, stoke fear and ease the way for an anti-democratic strongman

Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 felony counts. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

After a jury convicted Donald Trump of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a politically damaging relationship, he responded by warning viewers of his post-verdict news conference: “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone.”

That statement simultaneously invokes the ideal of an independent judiciary and attempts to delegitimize it.

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