When a Columnist Warned Everyone To Take Donald Trump’s Threats Seriously

Editor's note: This article was originally published on August 2, 2023. It has since been updated.

When Donald Trump was facing two criminal indictments (one in a federal courtroom in Florida and another brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg), one political analyst warned that the president's rhetoric may become increasingly threatening as he struggles to cope with his legal woes.

There is more at risk for the former President now that he may face prison time, as pointed out by Salon columnist Chauncey DeVega. The former President had no trouble pumping up his fans when he just lost the 2020 presidential race.

According to Raw Story, Trump faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in jail if he is found guilty on all 40 counts included in the indictment of Mar-a-Lago documents by special counsel Jack Smith. If history is any indication, Trump's response will be predictable.

He penned, "He will threaten and encourage, through direct means as well as stochastic terrorism and other veiled commands, acts of violence, chaos, mayhem, and murder. To that point, in response to his impending indictment and arrest for the crimes of Jan. 6, Trump is behaving like an unrepentant reprobate, as he rants and throws a fit on his Truth Social disinformation platform."

He pointed out that Trump is already 77 years old, and hence there is little hope that he would moderate his speech or modify his habits." Donald Trump is not going to change or otherwise modify or correct his behavior. He is 77 years old; violence is core and central to his personhood, identity, and way of being in the world. As mental health professionals continue to warn, Trump has shown himself to be a sociopath if not a psychopath," he added. 

As per DeVega, "Violence is core and central to his personhood, identity, and way of being in the world. As mental health professionals continue to warn, Trump has shown himself to be a sociopath if not a psychopath." As evidence, he cited the recent incident in which one of Trump's supporters was arrested after being located near the address of former President Barack Obama and a vehicle full of weapons.

According to the columnist, the former president has not stopped berating, insulting, and threatening Attorney General Merrick Garland, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and the rest of the prosecutors and law enforcement officers who are trying to bring him to justice as any other citizen of the United States should be. As for the possibility of Trump going to jail for his alleged crimes, he said, "I think it's a very dangerous thing to even talk about because we do have a tremendously passionate group of voters, much more passion than they had in 2020 and much more passion than they had in 2016."

Referring to a warning audio recording Trump just uploaded to his Truth Social account, as DeVega put it, "Violence, malice, and menace are the animating energy for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and his Hitlerian promise of a final battle and revenge against him and his MAGA movement's perceived enemies such as the Democrats, liberals, progressives, the news media, and any others who dare to oppose them and their plans to end multiracial pluralistic democracy."