Scandalous evidence has emerged in the Mar-A-Lago case, implicating supporters of former President Donald Trump. The Department of Justice introduced this evidence to support claims that Trump directs his followers to act on his instructions. The Special Counsel has presented evidence suggesting that Donald Trump’s supporters act on his directives.
In a tweet posted by Julie Kelly on Monday, June 24, 2024, this evidence was introduced by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to bolster claims that Trump can incite his followers to carry out his instructions.
During an hearing, Julie Kelly reported on the proposed gag order by Special Counsel Jack Smith, aimed at curbing Trump’s comments which allegedly pose a “significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger” to law enforcement.
David Harbach, one of Smith’s lead prosecutors, argued that evaluating the potential violation of Trump’s First Amendment rights was unnecessary.
Judge Cannon inquired, “So no need to conduct a 1A analysis?” Harbach responded affirmatively, stating, “Yes your honor.”
Harbach emphasized that any First Amendment test was irrelevant to their concerns, citing Trump’s alleged history of inciting threats against those involved in his prosecutions. “We are not operating off a blank slate or a vacuum,” he noted, pointing to gag orders in Washington D.C. and New York as precedents.
Harbach also argued that Trump has a “call and response phenomenon” with his supporters, suggesting that Trump’s posts on Truth Social prompt actions from his followers.
The DOJ presented two examples to support this claim: one involving a January 6 participant who attacked the Cincinnati FBI field office shortly after the Mar-A-Lago raid in August 2022, and another involving an individual who recently made threatening calls to an FBI agent involved in the Hunter Biden investigation.
According to Harbach, Trump wields a “peculiarly potent tool” in his Truth Social posts, of which he is acutely aware and often boasts about.
Harbach asserted that Trump should be free to express his discontent about the Mar-A-Lago raid but crossed the line when using his platform to spread falsehoods about the FBI intending to harm him and his family.
Harbach elaborated, “You want to say how unfair the MAL raid was? Knock yourself out. But it is over the line for Trump to use his TS account to promote false lies about the FBI coming to do violence against him and his family.”
Labeling Harbach as an “unelected and unaccountable” prosecutor, Kelly highlighted Harbach’s call for Judge Cannon to take proactive measures “before something terrible happens.”
The introduction of this evidence aims to underscore the alleged influence Trump wields over his supporters, potentially leading to dangerous outcomes.
The ongoing legal battles and attempts to restrict Trump’s social media usage are set against the backdrop of his 2024 presidential campaign, adding a complex layer to the legal and political landscape surrounding the former president.
