'Unhinged' Trump is panicking that Jan. 6 trial will be the end of him: insiders
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Despite all of his bravado and claims that his trials are solidifying support among conservatives for his presidential re-election bid, Donald Trump is reportedly raging that a conviction — particularly one involving his conduct around the Jan. 6 insurrection — will doom his chances of winning.
According to a report from Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei of Axios, Trump is convinced a guilty verdict in the case being heard by Judge Tanya Chutkan before the general election will end his political career as voters — particularly any independents who might be leaning towards him — will drop him like a hot rock.
More than in a trial like his civil financial fraud that was heard without a jury by Judge Arthur Engoron, Trump particularly worries about being found guilty by a jury.
According to the Axios report, Trump "in private, is bracing for the genuine possibility that he'll be the first convicted felon in U.S. history to represent a major party." The report adds, "Trump believes he'd likely be convicted if the Jan. 6 case comes to trial later this spring in Washington. If that's delayed, he could face a guilty verdict in the Manhattan hush-money case."
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Noting that those two trials, one in Washington D.C. and the other in Manhattan, are expected to have juries hostile to the former president, the report adds the former president is expected to make a big fuss and "continue to groan, moan and bemoan — then hit the TV cameras parked outside."
As one insider admitted, "You can't be defensive or never talk about it, because that just makes you look guilty. Your only option is to play it up."
In private, Trump reportedly is having problems dealing with his onslaught of legal problems despite bragging about how they are helping him with fans, with a source telling Axios, "If he really thought it was a good thing, he wouldn't be so unhinged."
You can read more from Axios here.
