Crash Course: Trump's threats of riots and violence show he's desperate, knows legal case is weak

The fact that Trump is leveraging his power to incite violence around these legal cases is a sign of weakness. [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0Q2aHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL2xldHRlci80NzkzVwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). [Trump/Lindsey-Graham] Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images Trump's threats of riots and violence show he's desperate, knows legal case is weak Trump over the weekend appeared to threaten violence from his supporters and shared a clip of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warning that there would be "riots in the streets" if the former president is indicted. This is, of course, the source of Trump's power and it is powerful. There is no doubt that the DOJ and law enforcement as well as the courts are aware that he has a rabid following that has demonstrated its willingness to commit violence on his behalf. But at some point, they will have no choice but to act if they want to preserve what's left of the government's integrity. The man is a criminal and he's blatantly asserting that he is immune from the laws that govern the rest of us. The fact that Trump is leveraging this particular power to incite violence around these legal cases is a sign of weakness. He cannot persuade anyone who isn't already persuaded and party officials are with him only out of fear or as long as he is useful to them. Calling for riots in the streets is a nuclear option that may or may not detonate the way he thinks it will. But it has the potential to blow the country apart either way. [Read more from Heather Digby Parton.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDgvMjkvb2YtcmlvdHMtYW5kLXZpb2xlbmNlLXNob3ctaGVzLWRlc3BlcmF0ZS1rbm93cy1sZWdhbC1jYXNlLWlzLXdlYWsvVwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) [Donald-Trump] Drew Angerer/Getty Images Promotion from Beam [Buy the Dream Powder Here!] Functional wellness products made for you Hone in on taste/bedtime sugar cravings, satisfying your sweet tooth (delicious chocolate cinnamon taste). Zero added sugar, only 5 calories [Buy the Dream Powder Here!](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvamRiZGdvZmJrd1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) Trump's followers are delusional and dangerous — but don't call them hypocrites It's important to understand that Trump's followers and voters love him because of his wrongdoing and disregard for the rule of law and democracy, not despite those things. Predictably, Trump continues to protest he did nothing wrong — and continues to incite acts of violence by his followers. Public opinion and other research shows that a [majority of Republicans refuse to believe that TrumpÂ](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV1dGVycy5jb20vbGVnYWwvaGFsZi1yZXB1YmxpY2Fucy1saW5lLXVwLWJlaGluZC10cnVtcC1maWdodC13aXRoLWZiaS1yZXV0ZXJzaXBzb3MtMjAyMi0wOC0xOC9XA3NwY0IKYwbD7Q1jPgA5rFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)has committed any crimes — and also support his coup attempt, the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and the Big Lie about the 2020 election. Fascism at its core is unrestrained and corrupt power that manifests through violence, destruction, collective mental pathology and greed. As part of that dynamic, fascism and other forms of authoritarianism create a state of [malignant normality](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RTaHR0cHM6Ly93YXNoaW5ndG9ubW9udGhseS5jb20vMjAxOS8wOC8xMi9ob3ctdHlyYW5ueS10YWtlcy1ob2xkLW1hbGlnbmFudC1ub3JtYWxjeS9XA3NwY0IKYwbD7Q1jPgA5rFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) in which right and wrong are inverted — if they are even understood to exist independent of the Great Leader and his movement's collective will and desires. In that political imaginary, good and bad, right and wrong, and ethics and morality more generally are a function of ideology and politics, not something outside them. As such, in the alternate universe of MAGA and the larger right-wing echo chamber, it is categorically impossible to see Donald Trump as a criminal or law-breaker. For Trump's followers, anything and everything he does amounts to "fighting for people like them" and defending "their values" — those of "real America" — against the imagined enemy of the moment, whether that is "wokeness," the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ equality, Muslims, immigrants or something else. [Read more from Chauncey DeVega.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RdaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDgvMjkvZm9sbG93ZXJzLWFyZS1kZWx1c2lvbmFsLWFuZC0tYnV0LWRvbnQtY2FsbC10aGVtLWh5cG9jcml0ZXMvVwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - [A shrinking Lake Powell](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDgvMjkvYS1zaHJpbmtpbmctbGFrZS1wb3dlbGwtY291bGQtaGVyYWxkLWFuLWV2ZW4td29yc2Utd2F0ZXItaW4tdGhlLXNvdXRod2VzdHMtZnV0dXJlL1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) could herald an even worse water crisis in the Southwest's future - ["I'm still unraveling it"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDgvMjkvaW0tc3RpbGwtdW5yYXZlbGluZy1pdC1rZWVwLXRoaXMtYmV0d2Vlbi11cy1maWxtbWFrZXItb24tYmVpbmctZ3Jvb21lZC1hcy1hLWNoaWxkL1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~): "Keep This Between Us" filmmaker on being groomed as a child - Climate change is making the [new school year harder](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDgvMjgvY2xpbWF0ZS1jaGFuZ2UtaXMtbWFraW5nLXRoZS1uZXctc2Nob29sLXllYXItaGFyZGVyLWluLWFsbC1raW5kcy1vZi13YXlzL1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) in all kinds of ways - The secret ingredient in the world's very [best pancakes is mac and cheese](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDgvMjgvdGhlLXNlY3JldC1pbmdyZWRpZW50LWluLXRoZS13b3JsZHMtdmVyeS1iZXN0LXBhbmNha2VzLWlzLW1hYy1hbmQtY2hlZXNlL1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) to receive Crash Course. [A-protester-outside-the-Islamic-Community-Center-in-Phoenix] Getty/Christian Petersen American Muslims are successful, optimistic and patriotic: But Islamophobia is worse than ever As horrible as it has been to document the rampant Islamophobia in the United States since the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, one would have expected that, with the distance of time, some of the aggressive stereotyping of the Muslim community might wane. That hasn't happened. Instead, it is both on the rise and increasing its spread across American society. It would be a mistake to think that 9/11 marked the starting point for U.S. Islamophobia. In fact, Khaled Beydoun, author of "[American Islamophobia](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0QpaHR0cHM6Ly9ib29rc2hvcC5vcmcvYS8yNDY0Lzk3ODA1MjAzMDU1MzNXA3NwY0IKYwbD7Q1jPgA5rFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)," notes that structural Islamophobia dates back to the 18th century. Yet there is little doubt that after 9/11 Islamophobia spiked and was then exacerbated by the unabashed disparaging of the American Muslim community by the Trump administration. Faiza Patel [notes that](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnJlbm5hbmNlbnRlci5vcmcvb3VyLXdvcmsvcmVzZWFyY2gtcmVwb3J0cy9pc2xhbW9waG9iaWMtYWRtaW5pc3RyYXRpb25XA3NwY0IKYwbD7Q1jPgA5rFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Trump's "vitri­olic anti-Muslim campaign rhet­oric was a preview for an unprecedentedly Islamo­phobic admin­is­tra­tion." What's especially concerning now is that the Biden administration has not led to any significant reduction in Islamophobia. If anything, as evidenced by a number of recent studies, American Islamophobia has only become more entrenched, more normalized and more widespread. [In May 2022,](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RLaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudm9hbmV3cy5jb20vYS91cy1tdXNsaW1zLXNlZS1yaXNlLWluLWlzbGFtb3Bob2JpYS0vNjU2NTUyMy5odG1sVwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported a 9% increase in the number of civil rights complaints it received from Muslims in the United States since 2020. Islamophobia in the U.S. is also highly funded. In June 2022, CAIR [found that](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RAaHR0cHM6Ly9pc2xhbW9waG9iaWEub3JnL3JlcG9ydHMvaXNsYW1vcGhvYmlhLWluLXRoZS1tYWluc3RyZWFtL1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) from 2017-19, roughly $105.9 million was poured into 26 Islamophobia network groups to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about Muslims and Islam. [Read more from Sophia A. McClennen.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0R-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDgvMjkvYW1lcmljYW4tbXVzbGltcy1hcmUtc3VjY2Vzc2Z1bC1vcHRpbWlzdGljLWFuZC1wYXRyaW90aWMtYnV0LWlzbGFtb3Bob2JpYS1pcy13b3JzZS10aGFuLWV2ZXIvVwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Forced Parenthood and Failing Safety Nets: This Is Life in Post-Roe America," [Mother Jones](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubW90aGVyam9uZXMuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzLzIwMjIvMDgvYWJvcnRpb24tYmFucy1zdGF0ZXMtc29jaWFsLXNhZmV0eS1uZXQtZG9iYnMvVwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "When an election denier becomes an election chief," [Politico](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RdaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucG9saXRpY28uY29tL25ld3MvMjAyMi8wOC8yOS9lbGVjdGlvbi1kZW5pZXItc2VjcmV0YXJ5LXN0YXRlLW1haWwtdm90aW5nLTAwMDU0MDE4VwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "Did My Cat Just Hit On Me? An Adventure in Pet Translation," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0ReaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wOC8yOS9zY2llbmNlL2NhdHMtcGV0cy1vbW11bmljYXRpb24tYXJ0aWZpY2lhbC1pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuaHRtbFcDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Soon electric vehicles could charge faster than your iPhone," [The Washington Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RSaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3RlY2hub2xvZ3kvMjAyMi8wOC8yNy9lbGVjdHJpYy12ZWhpY2xlLWNoYXJnZS10aW1lL1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "There’s Never Been a Better Time to Be a Scammy Nonprofit," [The New Republic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RQaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdyZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZS8xNjcyNDQvdGhlcmVzLW5ldmVyLWJldHRlci10aW1lLXNjYW1teS1ub25wcm9maXRXA3NwY0IKYwbD7Q1jPgA5rFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Is The Internet Killing The Nude Beach?" [The Atlantic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RhaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlYXRsYW50aWMuY29tL2ZhbWlseS9hcmNoaXZlLzIwMjIvMDgvbnVkZS1iZWFjaGVzLWRlbm1hcmstZnJhbmNlLXBvcHVsYXJpdHkvNjcxMjc1L1cDc3BjQgpjBsPtDWM-ADmsUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) [Trump/Lindsey-Graham] Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images “That’s fascist”: Alarm after Trump shares Truth Social warning of “riots in the streets” "If there is a prosecution of Donald Trump for mishandling classified information after the Clinton debacle… there'll be riots in the streets," Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News on Sunday. Trump [shared the video](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RBaHR0cHM6Ly90cnV0aHNvY2lhbC5jb20vQHJlYWxEb25hbGRUcnVtcC9wb3N0cy8xMDg5MDM2MjY5MTU5NDUwNDhXA3NwY0IKYwbD7Q1jPgA5rFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) of Graham warning of "riots" on Truth Social shortly after the interview. Trump's team has similarly issued warnings to Attorney General Merrick Garland of potential unrest as the Justice Department investigates why he refused to return classified documents. "President Trump wants the Attorney General to know that he has been hearing from people all over the country about the raid. If there was one word to describe their mood, it is 'angry,'" Trump's lawyer warned. "The heat is building up. The pressure is building up. Whatever I can do to take the heat down, to bring the pressure down, just let us know." Conservative attorney George Conway, a prominent Trump critic, [wrote](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0Q5aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9ndGNvbndheTNkL3N0YXR1cy8xNTYzOTM3NjgxOTg5NjM2MTAyVwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) that the former president is "essentially threatening the country with violence if the laws are applied to him." Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., shared the clip of Graham's warning on his Twitter feed. "Top [R]epublicans would rather torch America in violent riots than lose an election or face any accountability for their crimes," [he wrote](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0Q7aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9CaWxsUGFzY3JlbGwvc3RhdHVzLzE1NjQyMTIzNjIwMzAyNDM4NDVXA3NwY0IKYwbD7Q1jPgA5rFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). "That's fascist." [Read more from Igor Derysh.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRk8HLCP0RvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDgvMjkvdGhhdHMtZmFzY2lzdC1hbGFybS1hZnRlci1zaGFyZXMtdHJ1dGgtc29jaWFsLXdhcm5pbmctb2YtcmlvdHMtaW4tdGhlLXN0cmVldHMvVwNzcGNCCmMGw-0NYz4AOaxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. 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