On a recent episode of MSNBC’s The Katie Phang Show, attorney and legal analyst Andrew Weissmann suggested that former President Donald Trump may have committed a new crime. Trump, who is the presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee, is facing four criminal indictments, including one in Washington, D.C., related to his actions surrounding the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. This riot occurred as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. Trump had repeatedly claimed that the election was stolen from him due to widespread voter fraud, although there is no evidence to support these claims. The former president has been charged with federal felony counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. Trump has pleaded not guilty to these charges and has asserted that the indictments are politically motivated.
During Trump’s arraignment hearing in August 2023, Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya warned Trump not to violate any laws as a condition of his bond. Weissmann recalled this warning, emphasizing that the judge had cautioned Trump against committing any more criminal offenses. Weissmann then raised concerns about a video shared by Trump on his social media platform Truth Social, which depicted an image of President Biden bound and gagged with what appeared to be a bullet hole in his head. Weissmann questioned whether this video constituted a threat against the president of the United States and potentially a new criminal offense by Trump. This video prompted backlash, with some criticizing it as an incitement to violence. Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed Weissmann’s comments as being part of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” while defending the video as part of political discourse and citing instances of violence against Trump and his family by Democrats.
Former Republican Representative Joe Walsh, who has been critical of Trump and now identifies as an independent, condemned the video shared by Trump as an incitement to violence during an appearance on CNN. The Biden campaign also spoke out against the video, accusing Trump of regularly inciting political violence. Trump’s spokesperson reiterated a narrative of Democrats and “crazed lunatics” calling for violence against Trump and his family, and claimed that the justice system was being weaponized against him. The controversy surrounding the video shared by Trump highlights ongoing tensions and divisions in American politics, with critics calling for accountability and condemning any actions that could incite violence. The debate surrounding Trump’s conduct and the legal implications of his actions continue to be a focal point of public discourse and political analysis.
