Yes, Trump's verdict is coming. But judge him on the horrible things he's doing right now.
And now we wait.
The jury in the first-ever criminal trial of a former president – Donald Trump, the best the GOP could come up with for a presumptive presidential nominee – is set to begin deliberating Wednesday, leaving us to wallow in presumptions, predictions and other popular time-wasters.
Me? I prefer to look at what’s in front of my eyes.
The jury will decide whether Trump is guilty of falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to an adult film star before the 2016 presidential election. Not me. Not you. Just the jurors.
So rather than trying to armchair-Nostradamus a verdict, let’s spend our time looking at what Trump has been communicating right before our eyes just since Thursday.
Trump's Memorial Day message to 'Human Scum'
On Monday, this was the message Trump posted on social media:
“Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn’t count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for “DEFAMATION.” She didn’t know when the so-called event took place – sometime in the 1990’s – never filed a police report, didn’t have to produce the 'dress' that she threatened me with (it showed negative!), & sung my praises in the first half of her CNN Interview with Alison Cooper, but changed her tune in the second half - Gee, I wonder why (UNDER APPEAL!)? The Rape charge was dropped by a jury! Or Arthur Engoron, the N.Y. State Wacko Judge who fined me almost 500 Million Dollars (UNDER APPEAL) for DOING NOTHING WRONG, used a Statute that has never been used before, gave me NO JURY, Mar-a-Lago at $18,000,000 - Now for Merchan!”
When Trump's trial started, I called him a chicken. He refused to testify. I was right.
There was no mention of American service members or their sacrifice.
It was simply a recitation of Trump’s grievances mixed with a conspiratorial rant that only the most in-the-know MAGA follower would understand. The ramblings of an unhinged loon.
Trump promotes a video of a supporter saying 'You liberals are gone'
Trump also shared a video on Sunday of one of his supporters berating MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough outside an airport. The man says of Trump:
“He’ll get rid of all you f---ing liberals. You liberals are gone when he f---ing wins. You f---ing ----job liberals are done. Uncle Donnie’s gonna take this election – landslide. … Get the f--- out of here, you scumbag.”
The man Republicans deem fit to be president shared – thereby tacitly endorsing – that violent, unhinged rhetoric.
“He’ll get rid of all you … liberals.” That’s worth focusing on while we wait to find out whether Trump will be a convicted felon or not.
A law-and-order candidate under indictment hanging with rappers, also under indictment
At a rally in the Bronx on Thursday evening, Trump brought two MAGA-loyal Brooklyn rappers onstage and let them endorse him. One of them has been charged with attempted murder in a major gang case, and the other is facing conspiracy charges in the same case. Just a presidential candidate who’s facing criminal charges hanging out with a couple of guys who are also facing criminal charges!
The party of law and order ain’t really that anymore, it seems.
I can't vote Biden. If Trump is found guilty, where does that leave Republicans like me?
Trump hasn't the foggiest idea how our justice system works
The night before Tuesday’s closing arguments, the man who was somehow president of the United States for four years gave an all-caps demonstration of his ignorance: “WHY IS THE CORRUPT GOVERNMENT ALLOWED TO MAKE THE FINAL ARGUMENT IN THE CASE AGAINST ME? WHY CAN’T THE DEFENSE GO LAST? BIG ADVANTAGE, VERY UNFAIR. WITCH HUNT!”
The burden of proof is on the prosecutors. They go last. That’s just … how it works.
Former federal civil rights prosecutor Kristy Parker wrote on social media:
“I wonder if there’s ever been a person who occupied the presidency who was this ignorant about basic principles of our criminal justice system. Actually, I don’t wonder.”
Jury will decide Trump verdict. You should judge him on what you see now.
The paranoid ravings, the nonsense, the company he keeps (remember, this is the same guy who had dinner with Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes), the desire to exact revenge on those who don’t think like him AND the rank ignorance. Those are things worth paying attention to while we wait for a verdict. Those are things – clear, obvious, directly communicated things – Trump should be judged on.
The jury will make its decision. In the meantime, people need to stop trying to predict the future and look at the claptrap Trump spits out each and every freakin’ day. That stuff is real, it’s right now, and it’s right in front of our eyes.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on X, formerly Twitter, @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Trump be found guilty? Forget verdict, look at his unhinged rants
