Opinion poll researcher Frank Lentz warns that this ruling may lead to an outbreak of unprecedented violence and a threat to American democracy.
In an interview with the British “Sky News” website, Lentz expressed the fears of participants in the survey groups that Trump might become a “victim” of his supporters if he were sentenced to prison, which could push the country towards widespread protests and riots.
Trump: hero or victim?
According to Lentz, the sentencing of Trump represents a turning point in American politics, as Trump could become a “victim” in the eyes of his supporters, which enhances the possibilities of protests and riots in the streets.
Trump may use this ruling to his advantage by portraying himself as a victim of the judicial system, which could bring him more support and sympathy.
Biden and Trump: the great confrontation
Lentz expects that the upcoming television debate between Trump and Joe Biden in Georgia on June 27 will be one of the most important debates in American history, and that this debate will determine the fate of the upcoming elections.
He believes that this debate will be decisive even for those who are not usually interested in politics, noting that the winner of this debate may be the next president of the United States.
Trump and Biden agreed to debate each other on June 27 on CNN and on September 10 on ABC.
A “dangerous” moment in American history
For his part, British Sky News correspondent Mark Stone described Trump’s attack on the judicial system as a dangerous moment in the history of the United States.
Right-wing news channels are promoting Trump’s message with “extreme intensity,” which could lead to increased support from his popular base.
Although the ruling may not significantly affect voting intentions, it will boost the enthusiasm of its supporters.
Stone expresses his surprise that all members of the jury found Trump guilty, as it was expected that at least one of them would object.
Will the movie “Civil War” come true?
A number of American voters fear that the political division will lead to widespread violence in the country, which was actually embodied in the movie “Civil War,” which tops box office sales.
According to the New York Times, the film attempted to exploit the anxiety expressed by Americans in opinion polls and interviews, that the divisions in the country would turn into actual battles in the upcoming presidential elections.
She explained that the success of the film exceeded expectations in theaters, benefiting from a group of fears and heated discussions among Americans, especially after the storming of the Capitol building in 2021.
Fears of civil war
In opinion polls and interviews, a number of voters said they feared that the country’s divisions would become so deep that they could lead not just to rhetorical battles, but to actual battles.
This fear has sparked acts of violence and chaos that prevail in American politics, both covertly and publicly. Violent threats against members of Congress have reached record levels, as have reports of hate crimes in the country, including:
- The husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was beaten with a hammer at his home.
- A man set himself on fire during the trial of former US President Donald Trump, and the former president said, “I don’t know.” “There is a level of passion that I have never seen before. “There’s a level of hatred I’ve never seen before, and that’s probably a bad combination.”
- In his first campaign speech this year, President Joe Biden warned of threats to the country’s democracy and indicated that the former president could provoke political violence in the future.
- Trump glorified the 2021 Capitol rioters as patriots and maintained his view that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
- The former president refused to directly answer a question about whether the country was heading toward open conflict.
- Americans are turning to self-storage.
“Civil War” movie
The film did not indicate clear parties in the conflict and did not provide details about the cause of the conflict or the different visions each party has for the future of the country, nor was there any mention of Congress, the courts, or other civilian institutions other than the presidency and references to the FBI.
Not referring to parties or names of institutions was a deliberate choice by British writer and director Alex Garland, who began working on the film in 2020 before the 2021 Capitol riots.
“I would say this movie is about checks and balances: polarization, division, the way populist politics leads to extremism, where extremism itself will end and the role of the press in all of that,” Garland told the New York Times.
Democratic strategist Eric Schultz, who met with Garland in 2021, emphasized that the goal of this film could illustrate the dangers of polarization not only in the United States but globally and reach the widest possible audience.
Attracting the audience
The ambiguity in the film’s events helped attract an audience fearful that the political divisions would turn into a broader conflict.
David Mandel, the TV show’s producer and writer, said the most successful films and shows about American politics had a correlation with public opinion about politics.
The political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, who studies civil wars, believes that the possibility of such a conflict is not just metaphorical.
She believes that the country faces a decade or two of political instability and violence that may include the assassination of politicians or judges and the rise of militias.
#Trumps #conviction.. #Americans #living #movie #Civil #War