If his criminal indictments seemed to help Donald Trump consolidate the support of his base, the current trial will not gain him anything.
Of the four criminal trials against the ex-president, that of New York contains the lightest charges and is based on legal reasoning which is not unanimously agreed upon, a priori.
Even if the charges are serious and the evidence solid, it is not impossible that Trump escapes conviction in this case which combines an electoral interference maneuver and a dirty story of an affair with a porn actress. However, there is little chance that he will emerge from it grown.
Weaknesses exposed
It is not for nothing that Donald Trump tried everything to postpone this trial indefinitely. Indeed, the exercise reveals an attribute that Donald Trump has always sought to hide or disguise behind a tough-guy facade: his weakness.
Throughout his life, Trump strove to overcome deep personal insecurity by exerting some form of dominance over those around him. But when you are criminally charged, control lies with others. He hates it.
It is enough to look at the photos and sketches which give an idea of the atmosphere of the trial to see the deep unease and the state of vulnerability in which he found himself. Added to this are the reports on his frequent loss of control and his snoozing interspersed with flatulence, which comedians are so fond of.
On multiple occasions, the judge has ordered the accused to respect the trial protocol and he is on the verge of losing patience with his repeated violations of the gag order. Trump may be trying to provoke the judge into jailing him in the hope of galvanizing his supporters. It’s not so certain that they would follow him.
Where are the supports?
Since the trial began, Trump has urged his supporters to take to the streets to show their support, but these calls have fizzled. In front of the courthouse, there are always more reporters than demonstrators.
Following an explicit call by Trump for his supporters to protest outside their local courthouse, no rallies were reported. None. That does not prevent the court from fearing extreme gestures on the part of isolated and unhinged individuals like the one who immolated himself last Friday in the name of vague conspiratorial whims.
Moreover, the trial exposes the extraordinary loneliness of Trump, whom his lawyers presented as a family man, but whose wife nor children bothered to attend the hearings.
The only people over whom Trump manages to maintain control are his lawyers, whose pleadings are peppered with passages “planted” by their client which undermine their credibility in front of the judge.
The impact of the trial doesn’t necessarily percolate to the average voter, but it will. Already, Trump’s lead in the polls has almost completely melted.
While it cannot be ruled out that Trump will escape conviction, the image of weakness that he will project during this trial will leave indelible marks.
