{"id":15596,"date":"2023-08-24T09:57:09","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T13:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/"},"modified":"2023-08-24T09:57:09","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T13:57:09","slug":"nagbabanta-si-donald-trump-sa-mga-korte-at-sinisira-ang-hustisya","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"Donald Trump: Nagbabanta sa mga Hukuman at Nakakasira ng Katarungan"},"template":"","class_list":["post-15596","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-blog-post"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"Former president Donald Trump and his allies targeted the judiciary in the days, weeks and months leading up to the January 6th attack, and their continued attacks on our courts and government institutions could lead to significant threats in the future, according a new report published today by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and Common Cause.","featured_image":null,"article_type":1103,"authors":null,"related_issues":[149,165,2082],"related_work":false,"location":null},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":null,"name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"To download a PDF of the report, <a href=\"https:\/\/commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/CREW_CC_TrumpSCv3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">click here<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, represented an inflection point in Donald Trump\u2019s sustained assault on democratic processes and institutions. It was the culmination of months of lies and fearmongering attacking a number of democratic institutions \u2014 from state legislatures to courts and polling places \u2014 in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump is now under criminal indictment in federal court and state court in Georgia for the actions he took in his effort to overturn the election and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-24352 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/2020-01-06-Capitol.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Targeting the Capitol on January 6th, rather than other buildings on other dates, was a strategic choice. The congressional certification of the electoral vote was just one of many crucial moments\u2013and Congress just one of many institutions\u2013where Trump attempted to exert pressure in the aftermath of the election. While Trump ultimately chose to focus on Congress\u2019s certification of the electoral vote, various other federal, state, and local institutions were potential targets in the leadup to January 6th. It\u2019s unclear exactly why these attacks did not fully materialize, but the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isdglobal.org\/digital_dispatches\/a-field-guide-for-assessing-chances-of-online-to-offline-mobilization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lack of a specific call to action<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> could have played a part. This is in contrast to Trump\u2019s specific call for his followers to come to Washington D.C. on January 6th for a \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump\/status\/1340185773220515840\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wild<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d event at the Capitol. Given the continued incendiary, anti-democratic rhetoric toward government institutions and officials coming from extremist groups and leaders, it is not inconceivable that Trump or a future anti-democratic leader could incite another mob to attack a different government institution.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This report focuses on the threat posed to the courts by the \u201cStop the Steal\u201d movement. Of course, litigation is a viable and legitimate strategy used by candidates, political parties, and advocacy organizations to ensure that our elections are carried out in accordance with the law. This includes litigation brought by Donald Trump and his campaign during and after the 2020 election. Further, it is not unusual or illegal for people, including public figures on both the progressive and conservative sides of the aisle, to criticize judicial decisions and the judges who make them. It is concerning, however, when that criticism includes veiled or explicit calls to violence. Both prior to and since January 6th, Trump and his supporters have used incendiary and targeted rhetoric to attack federal and state judges, including justices of the Supreme Court.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This report examines three aspects of the \u201cStop the Steal\u201d movement\u2019s focus on the courts in the weeks, months and years since the 2020 presidential election: first, the \u201c1776 Returns\u201d planning document considered by the Proud Boys, which called on extremists to forcibly seize and occupy the Supreme Court building and other federal buildings in Washington, D.C.; second, threats made against judges as a result of Trump\u2019s and his allies\u2019 inflammatory public comments about the judiciary; and third, the multiple \u201cStop the Steal\u201d rallies held on the steps of the Supreme Court prior to January 6th, during which speakers used violent rhetoric about the Supreme Court to incite crowds.<\/span><b><\/b>\r\n<h4><b>\u201c1776 Returns\u201d plan<\/b><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps the starkest example of the threat to the Supreme Court in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election is the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22060615\/1776-returns.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c1776 Returns\u201d plan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a detailed planning document that Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio considered and adopted in part on January 6th. Tarrio and other Proud Boys leaders were later <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/jury-convicts-four-leaders-proud-boys-seditious-conspiracy-related-us-capitol-breach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">convicted<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of seditious conspiracy for their actions on January 6th.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c1776 Returns\u201d laid out a plan to \u201cmaintain control over a select few, but crucial buildings in the DC area for a set period of time\u201d in order to force a \u201cnew election [to be] conducted,\u201d presumably one that would result in Trump\u2019s victory. Along with all six Senate and House office buildings and CNN headquarters, the Supreme Court was one of the buildings targeted by the plan.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court is mentioned by name four times in the nine-page plan:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, in a list of \u201cTargeted Buildings\u201d<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second, in a list of \u201cMan Power Assignments,\u201d seeking a \u201cLead,\u201d \u201cSecond,\u201d \u201cHypeman,\u201d and \u201cRecruiter\u201d for each location\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Third, as a \u201cMeet Location\u201d in a list of \u201cPatriot Plan Logistics\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fourth, if \u201cenough people are around,\u201d as a building to storm, following the signal of a \u201clead\u201d<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal of the plan was clear: seize and occupy the Supreme Court and other government buildings to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power and force federal officials to overturn election results.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-large wp-image-24353\" src=\"https:\/\/commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1267243492-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plan was initially authored by a South Florida cryptocurrency investor, and Proud Boys leader Enrique <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jan-6.com\/_files\/ugd\/acac13_ffa28ed6c2694272a265860e447122c7.pdf?gclid=Cj0KCQjw84anBhCtARIsAISI-xfowAy6S_FJ1GIJioc0_6f9nIEFhjrRFkFG5NTEGOn7iqA_g_Y0Tc4aAjCMEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tarrio received<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a copy of the plan on December 30th. The plan was \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jan-6.com\/_files\/ugd\/acac13_ffa28ed6c2694272a265860e447122c7.pdf?gclid=Cj0KCQjw84anBhCtARIsAISI-xfowAy6S_FJ1GIJioc0_6f9nIEFhjrRFkFG5NTEGOn7iqA_g_Y0Tc4aAjCMEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">significantly edited<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d while in Tarrio\u2019s hands and the Proud Boys appeared to adopt aspects of it. Federal <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/case-multi-defendant\/file\/1510986\/download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prosecutors <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">later <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/12\/27\/jan-6-committee-interview-sheds-light-on-origins-of-proud-boys-1776-returns-document-00075637\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">relied<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the plan as evidence in the seditious conspiracy case against Tarrio and other Proud Boys leaders.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the Proud Boys did not fully implement the \u201c1776 Returns\u201d plan on January 6th, their serious consideration of it demonstrates the willingness of one of the nation\u2019s largest, most visible far-right extremist groups to consider deploying violence against the Supreme Court to overturn a free and fair election by force.<\/span><b><\/b>\r\n<h4><b>Threats to judges and justices<\/b><b><\/b><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Trump brought <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/in-depth\/news\/politics\/elections\/2021\/01\/06\/trumps-failed-efforts-overturn-election-numbers\/4130307001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">multiple lawsuits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and publicly supported several others, in his efforts to overturn the election. When those lawsuits failed, Trump took to Twitter to attack the courts and judges who ruled against him, publicly framing the judiciary as an essentially corrupt institution conspiring against him in violation of the law and the Constitution\u2013a tactic he had utilized since his days as a candidate, when he <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2018\/02\/27\/politics\/judge-curiel-trump-border-wall\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">attacked<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Judge Gonzalo Curiel for his Mexican heritage.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, when the Supreme Court in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/docket\/docketfiles\/html\/public\/22o155.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texas v. Pennsylvania<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> refused to overturn election results in Pennsylvania and other states, Trump<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realdonaldtrump\/status\/1337743516294934529\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accused<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he Court of perpetrating \u201ca great and disgraceful miscarriage of justice. The people of the United States were cheated, and our Country disgraced.\u201d Trump\u2019s public criticisms of the judiciary were not limited to the Supreme Court. He <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump\/status\/1324750555059728384\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accused<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the Pennsylvania Supreme Court of \u201cflagrantly violat[ing] the Constitution,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump\/status\/1341138408274595843\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">attacked <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the swing vote on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for \u201cvot[ing] against me\u2026in a really incorrect ruling\u201d and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetrumparchive.com\/?searchbox=%22JUDGE+IS+STACY%22&amp;results=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">retweeted<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DonaldJTrumpJr\/status\/1343942613666320384\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tweet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from his son that claimed a Georgia lawsuit was \u201crigged\u201d against him.<\/span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-24354\" src=\"https:\/\/commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-129310646-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" \/><\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given Trump\u2019s rhetoric, it is unsurprising that judges who have ruled in Trump-related cases have faced serious threats from the public. In Wisconsin, several members of the state Supreme Court who voted against Trump in election-related lawsuits <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisn.com\/article\/justice-brian-hagedorn-gets-extra-police-protection-after-ruling-against-president-trump\/35037570\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">required extra police protection<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after threats were made against them. Two of those justices <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/us-news\/2020-12-18\/ty-article\/two-jewish-u-s-judges-denounced-a-trump-lawsuit-now-antisemites-are-harassing-them\/0000017f-eaaf-dc91-a17f-feaf337d0000?v=1690231439670\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">received anti-Semitic threats<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> online, and were the subject of an article in an online neo-Nazi publication. The threats prompted the court\u2019s Chief Justice to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2020\/12\/25\/justice-roggensack-concerned-over-wisconsin-supreme-court-criticism\/4045914001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">issue a statement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> affirming that \u201cthreats of actual or proposed violence have no place in public discourse in a democratic society,\u201d and that \u201cno justice should be threatened or intimidated based on his or her religious beliefs.\u201d The State Bar of Wisconsin issued a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2020\/12\/25\/justice-roggensack-concerned-over-wisconsin-supreme-court-criticism\/4045914001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">similar statement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, saying, \u201cA threat to one justice or judge is a threat to all members of the judiciary and carries over to all members of the legal system.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These threats are consistent with the trend of increased threats and harassment targeted to public officials. The U.S. Marshals, the federal agency dedicated to protecting federal judges, courts, prosecutors, and witnesses, has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmarshals.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/document\/PUB-2-2021-Annual-Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reported a significant increase<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in threats over the last few years. Following the January 6th insurrection and threats to courts and judges, the U.S. Marshals also undertook <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2021\/03\/16\/federal-courts-expand-security-following-jan-6-capitol-riot-threats\/4720960001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an effort to increase personal and courthouse security<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for judges and their families, including upgrading home security systems and improving electronic security. While it is unclear what role the \u201cStop the Steal\u201d movement has played in these increased threats, it seems likely that there is some relationship. For example, judges who are adjudicating cases against January 6th rioters have specifically spoken out about facing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/10\/22\/politics\/judge-capitol-riot-threats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">threats and harassment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over their role in the process.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put together, these examples and others illustrate a clear pattern of conduct of Trump supporters levying threats against judges whom Trump publicly attacks, when, in reality, they are simply applying the law. Given Trump\u2019s ongoing legal fights, and his continued public criticism of the courts, it is likely that judges presiding over Trump-related cases will continue to face serious threats in the future.<\/span>\r\n<h4><b>Extremist Rallies at the Courts<\/b><b><\/b><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For decades, the courts, and the Supreme Court in particular, have been a gathering place for peaceful yet spirited rallies. Although these rallies have historically occurred largely without violence, in the period between the 2020 election and the January 6th attack on the Capitol, Trump and his allies gathered extremist groups at the foot of the Supreme Court to hold three rallies that were notable for their use of violent rhetoric evoking war, revolution, and rebellion, often directed at the Supreme Court. One rally, in fact, took place less than 24 hours prior to January 6th and featured many of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/GPO-J6-REPORT\/pdf\/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">same individuals and groups<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who participated in the insurrection the next day, including members of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers. These rallies, combined with the dozens of lawsuits that Trump brought or promoted, made the courts a primary focus of his allies and supporters.<\/span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-24355\" src=\"https:\/\/commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1230734250-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The January 5th rally at the Supreme Court was similar to the other two major \u201cStop the Steal\u201d rallies that took place on November 14th and December 12th. All three rallies were <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/GPO-J6-REPORT\/pdf\/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organized and attended by<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> many of the same \u201cStop the Steal\u201d players who participated in the January 6th insurrection, including members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. Although these rallies did not devolve into the type of violence that would unfold on January 6th across the street at the Capitol, they had the potential to, given the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/GPO-J6-REPORT\/pdf\/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heavy presence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of far-right extremist groups.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The January 5th rally was co-hosted by Virginia Women for Trump and the American Phoenix Project, a group led by Alan Hostetter and Russel Taylor, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/GPO-J6-REPORT\/pdf\/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">linked<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the far-right militant Three Percenter movement. Both Hostetter and Taylor were <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/alan-hostetter-police-chief-capitol-riot-trial-a24e4f88d2b01dd750f8a958f55a71b8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">convicted of criminal conspiracy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to obstruct an official proceeding for their activities on January 6th. Several of the speakers at that rally spoke in violent or threatening terms. Ali Alexander, a well-known far-right provocateur, effectively named the Court as a target, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/muse.ai\/v\/5LpNJhz-Virginia-Women-for-Trump-rally-at-Supreme-Court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">proclaiming at the rally<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that \u201cwe are here to stop a coup that\u2019s going on in our country. It\u2019s happening in this building behind me.\u201d The \u201cbuilding behind me\u201d was the Supreme Court. Another speaker, Leigh Taylor Dundas, accused the Supreme Court of \u201c[selling] out the very bedrock of the principles on which they were freaking founded,\u201d and claimed that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texas v. Pennsylvania<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (and joined by 17 other states) urging the Supreme Court to overturn election results in several states,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cdrew a new Mason-Dixon line, a line that\u2026separated the states that still give a damn about the U.S. Constitution from those that don\u2019t.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alex Jones and Roger Stone were among the most prominent far-right figures who <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/muse.ai\/v\/5LpNJhz-Virginia-Women-for-Trump-rally-at-Supreme-Court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spoke<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the rally. Both spoke of the moment in all-or-nothing terms. Jones <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/politics\/2021\/01\/key-stop-the-steal-organizer-called-for-execution-of-trumps-foes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">urged<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the crowd to \u201ccommit to total resistance,\u201d while Stone, surrounded by armed members of the Oath Keepers, framed the movement as \u201ca fight for the future of the United States of America\u201d and \u201cbetween good and evil.\u201d While Jones and Stone used implicitly violent rhetoric, Hostetter and Taylor explicitly referenced the use of force. Taylor told the crowd that \u201cwe will fight and we will bleed\u201d and \u201cwe will not return to our peaceful way of life until this election is made right.\u201d Hostetter simply told the crowd that \u201cwe are at war.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-large wp-image-24357\" src=\"https:\/\/commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/GettyImages-1230097594-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hostetter and Dundas were joined by several <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/muse.ai\/v\/5LpNJhz-Virginia-Women-for-Trump-rally-at-Supreme-Court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">other speakers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in making explicitly violent, threatening comments with references to war and battle. Dundas, quoted above, warned that \u201cany alleged American who acted in a turncoat fashion and sold us out and committed treason \u2013 we would be well within our rights to take them out back and shoot them or hang them.\u201d Suzanne Monk of D.C. Women for Trump declared that \u201cthe war is here. It\u2019s happening now.\u201d Tom Speciale of Vets for Trump promised, \u201cI will be standing along every one of you patriots no matter\u2026 how violent it gets if necessary. We will take our country back.\u201d One of the last speakers of the rally, Morton Irvine Smith of the American Phoenix Project, rallied the crowd: \u201cWe have been called to battle and battle we must not fear. Without the fight, there can be no victory.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The November 14th and December 12th rallies featured similar speakers, attendees, and rhetoric to the January 5th rally. The December 12th rally is notable because it occurred the day after the Supreme Court declined to hear <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texas v. Pennsylvania<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and in the wake of Trump tweeting his disapproval of the Court\u2019s decision <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetrumparchive.com\/?dates=%5B%222020-12-11%22%2C%222020-12-12%22%5D&amp;results=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nine times<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the next two days, riling up his supporters. Together, the three rallies made clear the far right\u2019s animosity towards the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, as well as its willingness to use violence to achieve its desired outcome.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h4><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Donald Trump and his allies sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, they targeted the courts in several ways. Now-convicted seditionists in the Proud Boys contemplated a plan to violently seize and occupy the Supreme Court on January 6th. Trump repeatedly criticized courts and judges, in many instances prompting his supporters to credibly threaten those judges. Trump supporters held three rallies in front of the Supreme Court, including one the day before January 6th, which featured incendiary violent rhetoric, often directed at the Court itself. Although the courts were ultimately not attacked on January 6th, Trump\u2019s sustained anti-democratic rhetoric continues to make federal and state courts potential targets for his supporters. As Trump\u2019s legal battles intensify, and the 2024 presidential election approaches, the threat of violence posed by the far right to the judiciary is one which demands serious attention and vigilance.<\/span>"}}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Donald Trump: Threatening Courts and Undermining Justice - Common Cause<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/mga-artikulo-2\/nagbabanta-si-donald-trump-sa-mga-korte-at-sinisira-ang-hustisya\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Donald Trump: Threatening Courts and Undermining Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/mga-artikulo-2\/nagbabanta-si-donald-trump-sa-mga-korte-at-sinisira-ang-hustisya\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Common Cause\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CommonCause\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/CC-Share-Graphic-Main9.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CommonCause\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/\",\"name\":\"Donald Trump: Threatening Courts and Undermining Justice - Common Cause\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-24T13:57:09+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"tl\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Donald Trump: Threatening Courts and Undermining Justice\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/\",\"name\":\"Common Cause\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"tl\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Common Cause\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"tl\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Common-Cause-Logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Common-Cause-Logo.png\",\"width\":2066,\"height\":331,\"caption\":\"Common Cause\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CommonCause\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/CommonCause\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ourcommoncause\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Donald Trump: Pagbabanta sa mga Hukuman at Panghihina ng Katarungan - Karaniwang Dahilan","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/mga-artikulo-2\/nagbabanta-si-donald-trump-sa-mga-korte-at-sinisira-ang-hustisya\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Donald Trump: Threatening Courts and Undermining Justice","og_url":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/mga-artikulo-2\/nagbabanta-si-donald-trump-sa-mga-korte-at-sinisira-ang-hustisya\/","og_site_name":"Common Cause","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CommonCause","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/CC-Share-Graphic-Main9.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@CommonCause","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/","url":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/","name":"Donald Trump: Pagbabanta sa mga Hukuman at Panghihina ng Katarungan - Karaniwang Dahilan","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-08-24T13:57:09+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"tl","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/donald-trump-threatening-courts-and-undermining-justice\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Donald Trump: Threatening Courts and Undermining Justice"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/","name":"Karaniwang Dahilan","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"tl"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#organization","name":"Karaniwang Dahilan","url":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"tl","@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Common-Cause-Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Common-Cause-Logo.png","width":2066,"height":331,"caption":"Common Cause"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CommonCause","https:\/\/x.com\/CommonCause","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ourcommoncause\/"]}]}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Common Cause","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/15596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/15596\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}