Donald Trump said he would accept home confinement or jail time after his historic conviction by a New York jury last week but that it would be tough for the public to accept.

“I’m not sure the public would stand for it,” the Republican presidential candidate told Fox News in an interview that aired on Sunday. “I think it’d be tough for the public to take. You know, at a certain point, there’s a breaking point.”

Trump did not elaborate on what he thought might happen if that point is reached. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 11, four days before Republicans gather to formally choose their presidential nominee to face Democratic President Joe Biden in November’s election.

Asked what Trump supporters should do if he were jailed, Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump told CNN: “Well, they’re gonna do what they’ve done from the beginning, which is remain calm and protest at the ballot box on November 5th. There’s nothing to do other than make your voices heard loud and clear and speak out against this.”

  • WatDabney@sopuli.xyz
    43·
    6 months ago

    I sure hope so.

    There’s a significant number of Trumpers who are just itching to put on their brown shirts red hats and start wreaking violence.

    At this point, it’s not really a question of if they do it, but just of when. On that point at least, Trump is right. He just doesnt acknowledge the fact that the reason those people are reaching a breaking point is that he’s self-servingly fed them a steady diet of propaganda and hatred.

    So they’re going to go off the rails - they’re vtoo ignorant and too angry and too misled to do anything else.

    The worst-case scenario would be that they do it after Trump has (god forbid) been elected. Because then they’re going to get official sanction. They really will be the new brownshirts.

    The best-case scenario is that they do it soon, and in response to Trump being rightfully sentenced for the crimes of which he has been rightfully convicted. In that case, they’re going to have neither the illusion of legitimacy nor official sanction, and they’ll just reveal themselves as the lawless, petulant, violent asshats they are.

    • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      6 months ago

      Right with ya. Problem is, the vast majority of Americans are ignorant of history and have a, “Can’t happen here!” attitude.

      Fascism isn’t coming, it’s here, now, today.

      You have it right on the best/worst case scenarios. Best case might sober enough people up to turn the ride. Otherwise we’re sleepwalking into this.

      • nomous@lemmy.world
        3·
        6 months ago

        Highly recommend the Podcast It Could Happen Here with Robert Evans.

        I tell people as often as I can, especially my trans and bipoc friends; now is the time. Get a couple guns (a long one and a short one) and learn how to use them. Learn some basic first aid, you really just need to know how to stabilize someone. Start networking with like-minded people in your communities. The police will not protect us, they’ve proven they’ll happily club senior citizens to the ground and shoot any protesters in the face with rubber bullets while escorting a rightwing murderer to safety.

        Iran was a secular, liberal monarchy until almost 1980 when an Islamic theocracy was installed with public approval, it could happen here.

    • Windex007@lemmy.world
      1·
      6 months ago

      Is it explicitly stated whom a president may not pardon (eg, themselves)?

      If so, no reason to anyone to do anything if he’s elected

      • EldestMalk@reddthat.com
        5·
        6 months ago

        The president can only pardon those convicted of federal crimes. He was convicted of state crimes in New York state, and only the governor of New York can pardon those convicted of crimes at the state level.

      • WatDabney@sopuli.xyz
        3·
        6 months ago

        If he’s elected, they’ll have free rein to do whatever they want to whoever they want, and they will.

        Him being sent to prison would just be a trigger to release the hatred and urge to violence that’s already festering inside them. That hatred and urge to violence is still going to be there if he’s elected - it’ll just manifest a bit differently.

      • CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social
        3·
        6 months ago

        For this particular case, he couldn’t pardon himself because the president can pardon federal crimes, but in this case the crime is in the New York state court system, so the governor of New York would have to pardon him to my understanding.