Trump Supporters Call for Judge's Execution and Civil War

Supporters of Donald Trump, angered by his conviction by a jury in New York on 34 criminal charges, flooded pro-Trump social media pages with calls for inciting a revolt and violent riots. After Trump became the first American president to be convicted of a crime, his supporters responded with dozens of posts inciting violence online. Some supporters called for targeting jury members, while others demanded the execution of Judge Juan Merchan, and some even went so far as to call for a civil war and armed rebellion. One commentator on Patriots.win wrote, "Someone in New York who has nothing to lose must take care of Merchan." The post mentioned illegal immigrants, saying, "I hope he uses the sickle when he meets some illegal immigrants." Another suggested shooting liberals after the verdict, stating, "It's time to get rid of some leftists. This cannot be solved through voting." The frequency of intimidation and threats of violence increased after Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, claiming it was rigged. During his campaign to win a second term in the White House, Trump unfoundedly accused judges and prosecutors in his trials of being corrupt tools of President Joe Biden's administration, intent on undermining his attempt to win the presidency. His loyalists responded with a campaign of threats and intimidation targeting judges and court officials.