Trump's boundary-breaking behavior enters the courtroom

+ Americans are divided on why they think US is off track US Edition - Today's top story: Trump pushes the limits of every restriction he faces – including threatening judges and their families [View in browser]( US Edition | 11 April 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( There are trials that grab public attention – and then there is the unprecedented trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump that begins in a New York City courtroom next week. That trial promises to be the focus of massive news coverage across the globe. How should we cover such an over-covered event? That was the question the politics team grappled with over the last month. How can we provide information that the public doesn’t know already? We settled on four stories between now and the trial's start. First was a story by political scientist and legal scholar Paul Collins, from UMass Amherst, who wrote about Trump’s attacks on the trial judge and his daughter from the perspective of how they affected democracy. The attacks, Collins wrote, are the latest in Trump’s “[long effort to undermine the rule of law](. The attacks demonstrate his efforts to appear to play by the rules, but in reality to violate the norm of respect for the judiciary that previous presidents have followed, even when they disagreed with court decisions.” Next, Harvard criminal law expert Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. asked, and answered, the question, “Given all the news coverage of Trump’s legal woes and antics, [just how does the court select a fair and impartial jury](?” Sullivan digs into what he calls a “popular misconception,” that an impartial juror doesn’t know anything about the case. “That is inaccurate,” writes Sullivan. Tomorrow, we have an interview with two scholars, Tim Bakken, a former prosecutor and now a scholar of law at West Point, and Karrin Vasby Anderson, an expert on political communication at Colorado State. Usually, when I do an interview, I ask a lot of questions. In this case, the conversation between the two about the charges against Trump and his authoritarian rhetoric about being a political victim was so good I just got out of the way and let them talk. And on Monday morning, just before the trial begins, you’ll be able to read University of Texas journalism scholar Mary Angela Bock’s look at what will be happening behind the scenes as journalists and photographers gather. “Photojournalists will likely work from cordoned-off pens in the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, and if their scrums are anything like the others I’ve studied over time, they’ll gather very early, stake claim to key spots and spend far more time waiting than recording video,” she writes. Also in this week’s politics news: - [Cascading crises in Gaza make rebuilding more daunting]( - [Why courts are not the best place to resolve election disputes]( - [What’s at stake for US in Ukraine funding]( [[Get fact-based journalism written by experts in your inbox each morning, Monday - Saturday.](] Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Donald Trump picks his targets carefully and seeks to undermine their legitimacy. AP Photo/Alex Brandon [Trump pushes the limits of every restriction he faces – including threatening judges and their families]( Paul M. Collins Jr., UMass Amherst Trump’s efforts may appear to play by the rules, but in reality they ignore key aspects of the rule of law because he does not act in good faith. A recent survey shows that at least 70% of people in the U.S. believe the country is on the wrong track. Malte Mueller/ fStop/Getty Images [Talking to Americans reveals the diversity behind the shared opinion ‘the country is on the wrong track’]( Dante Chinni, Michigan State University; Ari Pinkus, Michigan State University For at least 50 years, pollsters have been asking Americans whether they think their country is on the right or wrong track. That question may have outlived its usefulness. President Joe Biden greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City in September 2023. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images [Biden steps up pressure on Israel − using the key levers available against an ally with strong domestic support]( Jordan Tama, American University School of International Service Israel has historically made statements and taken actions to placate US anger without always following through. But will Biden’s threat to put conditions on aid force Israel to behave differently? [Are embassies off-limits? Ecuadorian and Israeli actions suggest otherwise − and that sets a dangerous diplomatic precedent]( Jorge Heine, Boston University The bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus and storming of Mexico’s embassy in Quito breaks with accepted diplomatic norms − and could spell trouble. [Rwandan genocide, 30 years on: Omitting women’s memories encourages incomplete understanding of violence]( Anneliese M. Schenk-Day, The Ohio State University Rwanda is touted as one of the leading nations when it comes to strides toward gender equality. But the role of female ‘rescuers’ in the 1994 genocide is being downplayed. [Yes, efforts to eliminate DEI programs are rooted in racism]( Tatishe Nteta, UMass Amherst; Adam Eichen, UMass Amherst; Douglas Rice, UMass Amherst; Jesse Rhodes, UMass Amherst; Justin H. Gross, UMass Amherst There’s a backlash against programs that aim to reverse the effects of systemic racism in the US. A survey indicates that racism is behind that backlash. [From Reagan to Obama, presidents have left office with ‘strategic regret’ − will leaving troops in Iraq and Syria be Biden or Trump’s?]( Charles Walldorf, Wake Forest University President Reagan said sending troops to Lebanon was his ‘greatest regret.’ Other presidents left office with similar misgivings. Could leaving troops in Syria and Iraq be the next strategic mistake? - [Why courts aren’t the fastest or clearest ways to solve election disputes – a former federal judge explains]( John E. Jones III, Dickinson College What counts as fast for a court is slow for the rest of the world, and judges can give contradictory or vague rulings that delay final decisions into the future. - [I spent a decade helping Afghan girls make educational progress − and now the Taliban are using these 3 reasons to keep them out of school]( Enayat Nasir, University at Albany, State University of New York If the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan persists, consequences could include higher rates of abuse, the spread of extremism and billions of dollars in economic loss. - [House of Representatives holds off on Ukraine aid package − here’s why the US has a lot at stake in supporting Ukraine]( Tatsiana Kulakevich, University of South Florida There are several reasons why supporting Ukraine helps the US too, including creating a deterrent for China, Russia and other potential adversaries. - [Rebuilding Gaza was seen as a ‘Herculean’ task before Oct. 7; six months of bombing has led to crises that will long outlive the war]( Dima Nazzal, Georgia Institute of Technology The Palestinian enclave faces an interconnected series of crises that will amplify the human costs of conflict even when the bombing ends. - [How jurors will be selected in Trump’s legal cases - a criminal law expert explains]( Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Harvard University Despite several efforts to delay the case involving hush money payments to a porn star, Donald Trump becomes the first former US president to go on trial on criminal charges on April 15, 2024. - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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