Lawmakers fear potential unrest after Trump verdict
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Members of Congress in both parties are worried that former President Trump's guilty verdict could touch off unrest or attempts at political reprisals.
Why it matters: It's a concern that has lingered since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump sympathizers, often resurfacing in the aftermath of major legal developments in the ex-president's criminal cases.
- So far, no widespread violence has materialized after Trump's indictments or arrests.
- The Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether specific security measures have been taken, though a congressional source said they are not aware of any. Congress is on recess.
What they're saying: "A lot of my colleagues have voiced concerns to each other, worried that this will be a call to action," Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) told Axios.
- Noting the violence on Jan. 6, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said Trump has "already shown that he has no problem sending a mob of insurrectionists to attack the Capitol," adding, "Of course we're concerned about it."
- Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) told Axios that Trump's remarks slamming the verdict "could incite violence" and urged his supporters to "not allow his disgraceful comments to move them to disgraceful conduct."
- "I know many of us are concerned about the possibility of violence ... We'd be foolish not to worry about violence," said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.).
What we're hearing: "Many of us are sharing anxiety and concern with each other," said a House Democrat.
Zoom out: It's not just Democrats expressing fear. One House Republican, asked whether there are concerns about violence on their side, told Axios, "Yes."
- Larry Hogan, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland, appeared to nod to those concerns in a statement just ahead of the verdict in which he urged "all Americans to respect the verdict."
- "At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders —regardless of party — must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship," Hogan said.
- In a reflection of the heat of the moment, Hogan's comments enraged the former president's team.
Zoom in: Some lawmakers focused their concerns on threats to the jury and judge in the Trump hush money case.
- "I'm more worried about the safety of the jurors," said one House Democrat when asked about fears of violence.
- Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said in a statement that Trump's attacks on participants in the case during the trial were "part of a dangerous pattern of inciting his supporters to target those with whom he disagrees, as we all remember from Jan. 6."
- "Those who worked on this case, and heard the facts of this case, should be protected through the next steps of this process and beyond," he added.
Between the lines: Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), a staunch Trump ally, said there will "be hell to pay" for the verdict and that there "always could be" unrest.
- "Here you're taking a Republican nominee with a corrupt judge and a jury in New York – what, did anybody believe that Donald Trump was going to get a fair trial in New York?"
- But, Nehls added, "I don't know if you're really going to see violence out there because most Republicans have jobs."
The other side: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a former member of the Jan. 6 select committee, rejected comparisons with the Capitol attack and said he isn't particularly fearful of violent upheaval.
- "The American public understands the fundamental importance of accepting the rule of law, as well as the appellate process," he said.
- Jan. 6, Raskin added, "required an intense mobilization of resources and extremist groups, and I want to believe that that day was a dramatic exception and that America will not go back there."
Axios' Stephen Neukam contributed reporting for this story.
