Donald Trump Jr. has been met with outrage for his recent actions targeting the daughter of the judge presiding over the hush money case involving former President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Trump Jr. shared an article on Truth Social and Twitter from the right-wing website founded by frequent Trump co-conspirator Steve Bannon—Breitbart—that contained an image of Judge Juan Merchan's daughter.
According to the article, the judge's daughter was employed by Kamala Harris' campaign during the 2019 presidential primaries and managed a digital agency that conducts campaigns for progressive candidates, including the Biden-Harris campaign.
Trump Jr. used this information to allege Merchan’s corruption and bias, sharing a news story about the connection and declaring the charges against his father are part of a "hand picked democrat show trial."
You can see Trump Jr.'s post below.
This move was heavily criticized as an attempt to intimidate the judge and his family, as noted by New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who tweeted that "intimidation and stochastic terror are the core tools of Trump and the fascist movements that support him."
She wrote:
"Because nothing says 'innocent' like threatening a judge's family."
"Let’s be very clear: intimidation and stochastic terror are the core tools of Trump and the fascist movements that support him."
"They rely on it to skirt consequence and silence others - and each time it works, they grow more brazen. One reason why accountability is so important."
You can see her tweets below
Trump Jr.'s behavior continues the Trump family's trend of using intimidation tactics to avoid accountability for their actions, what many continue to perceive as alarming developments that threatens the rule of law and our democracy as a whole.
Critics believe that the fact that the former President's family is using social media to target the families of judges is especially concerning, saying it shows a willingness to go to great lengths to intimidate those who stand in their way. Such tactics could have serious consequences for our legal system, which serves as the foundation of our democracy.
Many agreed with Ocasio-Cortez's asessment and joined her in criticizing Trump Jr.
On Tuesday afternoon, the ex-President turned himself in at the Manhattan Criminal Court and was taken into custody.
He has been accused of committing 34 felony charges, which include the fabrication of business records to conceal a payment of $130,000 made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the last days of his 2016 presidential campaign, allegedly to keep her from revealing their alleged affair.
After his arraignment, Trump went on an extensive rant about various conspiracies and grievances.
He complained about what he perceives as the "onslaught of fraudulent investigations" unjustly directed towards him, including "Russia, Russia, Russia," the two impeachment "hoaxes," the mishandling of classified documents at his Florida resort which he now refers to as the "boxes hoax," and his "persecution" by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump used this opportunity to declare his innocence, stating that the only crime he has committed is "to protect the nation from those who wish to destroy it."
