Trump plans to 'double down' on war against Judge Merchan if he gets jail time: insiders

Should Donald Trump receive jail time as a result of his conviction on 34 felony counts in a Manhattan courtroom, he will launch a holy war aimed at Judge Juan Merchan and encourage his followers to join him.

According to a report from the Guardian's Hugo Lowell, insiders around the former president have suggested he will ramp up his attacks on the New York jurist and attempt to pin the blame for all his legal woes on him.

Trump has already been taking potshots at Merchan, who oversaw the business fraud trial that resulted in him becoming the first convicted felon ex-president. Those attacks have been somewhat restrained because Merchan has yet to rule on jail time and legal experts believe Trump's comments could lead to a harsher penalty.

According to Lowell's new report, post-sentencing the gloves will be off if jail time is involved — even if the former president gets a stay that lets him put off turning himself in while he appeals.

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"Trump is likely to double down on his attacks against Merchan, directing his supporters at rallies and in Truth Social posts to take up their grievances with the judge, one of the sources added," Lowell wrote before adding, "Trump’s supporters have a history of making threats against judges Trump has assailed, including death threats to Tanya Chutkan, the US district judge who is presiding in his federal 2020 election interference case, and to the chambers of the New York judge who oversaw his civil fraud trial."

The report continued, "If a jail sentence does come, one of the sources said, they expected Trump to lash out in anger," before adding, "... if Merchan does actually sentence Trump to jail, the judge would be thrust forward by Trump as responsible for any fallout and any unrest from his supporters who have a history of engaging in political violence merely on the former president airing grievances."

"The pre-sentencing report is typically one major opportunity that defendants have to make a good impression on the judge, including by expressing contrition. Trump has suggested none of that since his conviction, including by attacking the verdict the very next day," Lowell added.

You can read more here.