Turns out the Republicans showing up to Donald Trump’s criminal trial are only making it worse for him

| 10:30 am EDT May 20, 2024
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One of the mistakes we often make in politics is to assume that if the other side is doing something, it means they must know what they’re doing. For instance, with various high profile House and Senate Republicans showing up to Donald Trump’s criminal trial and parroting his gag-ordered messaging, the presumption is that they’re there to help him, and it’s part of some kind of secret evil genius master plan that’s somehow going to work.

But while there have been plenty Republican leaders with smart evil strategies that often work (Mitch McConnell before his decline, for instance), almost none of today’s Republican office holders fit the bill. If anything, they’re all unimaginative small time crooks who are each only in it for themselves.

Take, for instance, the various clowns showing up to Trump’s trial. Are they somehow helping him by sitting in court for an hour, and then leaving and spewing pro-Trump conspiracy theories to the media? No. They’re not. This doesn’t benefit Trump in any way. It doesn’t impact the jury. Nor does it do anything to boost Trump politically, given that his base is already locked in, and no one outside his base is going to care.

These various Republicans have only been attending Trump’s trial for one reason: so they can turn around and fundraise off it. It’s not a coincidence that the House and Senate Republicans who have been showing up to Trump’s trial are from the kinds of far right districts and states where Trump’s base is prevalent. So they show up to the trial, and then they email Trump’s base about how they’re supporting him, and by the way they need money.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Some of Trump’s own handlers and advisers are now leaking to the Daily Beast that they very much wish these House and Senate Republicans weren’t showing up to the trial, precisely because it’s not helping Trump. But then the goal isn’t to help Trump. There’s no helping him. He’s senile, he’s falling to pieces, and he’s days away from becoming a convicted felon. These Republicans are only showing up to the trial in order to help themselves. Even they know Trump is a goner.

Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.