Trump's Deflated Appearance Awaiting Verdict Signals He's Taking His Inner Circle's Doubts To Heart
Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial is coming to an end, but the trouble it's causing him may only be beginning. As the jury began deliberating on May 29, Trump headed out of the courthouse and made a statement that lacked his typical bravado. Throughout his trial, Trump has remained confident, at least outwardly, that the trial would work out in his favor, despite the fact that many people close to him didn't seem so sure. Yet, as the verdict draws nearer, the former president's subdued demeanor shows he may be losing faith.
Trump rarely ceases to reassure everyone that he is about to have a big win, regardless of whether he is or not. When he made his latest statement outside of the courtroom, however, he seemed to be a bit less confident. "Mother Teresa could not beat these charges," he said, per X, formerly known as Twitter. He proceeded to assert: "These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged."
Why is Trump talking about mother Teresa? pic.twitter.com/8OPso3TP3V
— Golden Phoenix (@Golden_Phoenix) May 29, 2024
It's noteworthy that instead of insisting that he will beat the charges against him, he's claiming that no one could beat them, no matter how good their character is. This implies that he may be getting nervous that he, in fact, won't beat them. And this may be because the fears of those closest to him are finally getting to his head.
Donald Trump's inner circle's doubts may have him worried
Despite not being able to represent Donald Trump in a criminal case, his lawyer, Alina Habba, has been supporting him during his hush money trial. Even so, she hasn't had much faith that Trump can come out of this trial unscathed. She appeared on "Newsmax" in April and said, "I don't have hopes really that high at this moment that the New York courts will do the right thing, that the jury will do the right thing" (via X). She added, "We're in the fight of our lives at this moment."
On May 28, Trump's sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, along with Eric's wife, Lara Trump, spoke to folks outside the courthouse. The trio mainly focused on the trial, itself, being a "colossal waste of time" (via PBS). Yet, Eric claimed that his dad is up against "unthinkable odds and a corrupt judge" and repeatedly called the trial "political lawfare." Despite the claim that his dad "will be vindicated," Eric did seem to be planting seeds that implied that this case is effectively un-winnable, regardless of its baselessness.
The former president has used this kind of strategy in the past when facing a potential loss. He called 2020 presidential election "rigged" when he lost (via MSNBC), and now he's calling the trial "rigged" as the jury begins deliberating. This change of heart paired with his defeated look may imply that he has an increasingly bad feeling about the forthcoming verdict.