Here’s What Legal Experts Think About Trump’s Defense While Accusing Him of ‘Influencing’ Listeners

Donald Trump has been making headlines in recent times for fiercely competing in the upcoming 2024 presidential election despite dealing with numerous legal problems. The former president of the United States was recently indicted for the fourth time in a row. He now holds the title of being the only former president in history to hold a criminal record. Although his legal team is indeed equally doing their best to keep Trump out of prison, they have a rather unique perspective when it comes to his recent allegations in the January 6th case, reports Buzzloving.

Trump took to X (formerly known as Twitter), to explain his stance on the January 6th case. In the post, he claimed, "I believe I won that election by many, many votes—many, many hundreds of thousands of votes. That's what I think. That’s my opinion, and it's a strong opinion. And I think it’s borne out by the fact, and we’ll see that." The former president claimed this in his tweet as he reflected on that juncture of his life.

Attorney Dennis Aftergut and legal expert Austin Sarat from Amherst College, have other opinions. The law experts mention that the whole scenario of Trump saying, "I thought," or "I was sure that..." statements won’t be bought by the defense he’s battling against. As per the sources, the lawyers accused the indicted president of possibly influencing his supporters and fans who are rallying for him to win. "Perhaps this is just another instance of Trump’s doing what the late philosopher Harry Frankfurt labeled ‘bul..ing’ where the ‘goal is not to report facts’ but ‘rather, to shape the beliefs and attitudes of his listeners in a certain way."

Both of them were in clear agreement when they said, “Facts can be verified; opinions, in contrast, are neither true nor false.” Aftergut and Sarat explained that although his team of highly qualified lawyers is preparing him accordingly to face his upcoming criminal trial, he’s still working on “reframing” his statements in connection to the January 6th case about the 2020 elections. 

The duo further references Trump’s recent statement made on the famous platform X and points out why such "a state of mind" wouldn’t sit well in court. "The ‘it was just my opinion’ defense won’t work in court," said Aftergut and Sarat as they concurred in agreement. They both highlight how a judge and the people of the court would perceive such a statement given the gravity of the situation. "It signals doubt and weakness from a person who reportedly hates showing signs of vulnerability and who, as a child, was taught never to show it."

In conclusion, Aftergut and Sarat painted a possible outcome if Trump were to continue making such remarks in public and a legal setting. "Trump’s change of tune will only have him looking even more like the untrustworthy person he is—the kind that juries do not hesitate to convict."