The Daily Populous Thursday May 2nd, 2024 morning edition
Authored by newrepublic.com and submitted by croato87

You might wonder if Watters accidentally committed heresy in suggesting Trump’s rally performances might occasionally be less than politically perfect. But Watters avoided this pitfall by quickly adding that having fewer rallies denies the media “an opportunity to twist Trump’s words.” If the rallies ever create political problems, it’s only due to the Fake News media. By temporarily pausing them, the trial is owning the media, and the media doesn’t even know it.

Here in the real world, according to the Times, Trump is angry at Blanche, his lead lawyer in the case, because he isn’t more aggressively attacking witnesses, jurors, and the presiding judge. It’s likely that Trump—who in his own twisted way harbors powerful instincts about political theatrics—grasps that the trial is depicting him as a diminished, constrained, sordid figure who is not in charge of events, and badly wants his lawyer to do more to undermine the legitimacy of the proceedings.

That’s far from the fearsome, dominant figure depicted in MAGA propaganda about the trial. Note that both Watters and Pirro insist Trump is shining in the role of defendant. They are trying to depict Trump as simultaneously a victim and a formidable warrior, one who is fighting back against corrupt, powerful forces that are persecuting him. Similarly, as Media Matters’ Matt Gertz details, Fox figures praising Trump’s courtroom naps are practically painting them as acts of heroic defiance against an illegitimate prosecution.

Wurm42 on May 1st, 2024 at 15:59 UTC »

> He has griped that Mr. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor and veteran litigator, has not been following his instructions closely, and has been insufficiently aggressive. Mr. Trump wants him to attack witnesses, attack what the former president sees as a hostile jury pool, and attack the judge, Juan M. Merchan.

In other words, Trump is mad that his lawyer won't commit contempt of court and go to jail for the sake of appeasing Trump's ego.

Even though that kind of behavior in court would be terrible for Trump's case.

Rankkikotka on May 1st, 2024 at 15:24 UTC »

There's still time for him to represent himself. Nobody knows more than Trump, his uncle was nucular.

Sunshinehappyfeet on May 1st, 2024 at 15:03 UTC »

Trump will never be satisfied with a lawyer who doesn’t share the same contempt for the rule of law that he does.