Trump's Indictment Storm
Trump's Indictment Storm
Mar 31 - Apr 6: How the Media Whirlwind Obscures America's Future and Dominates the Conversation
Hello Claritians!1
For those that are new, welcome! Clarity cuts through the noise to give you a clear view of the world. Our anti-filter approach brings together polarized and fragmented landscapes, so you can see the bigger picture without the confusion.
Here’s what we’ve got in store:
The Main course: Trump’s indictment is making huuuge media waves in the narrative soup - here’s how to skip it
Bias bites: What the left and right are ignoring and obsessing over
Trump’s Indictment
Before we get into what’s happened, let’s take a look at the front-page coverage from the left (NYT, NBC, WaPo, MSNBC) and right (Fox, The Blaze, Washington Times, Washington Examiner) on the biggest topics over the past week.
The last times there was this much weight on one topic were the Queen’s funeral and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
the amuse bouche - narratives
How do articles paint a picture of a narrative? Below are a sample of headlines that, when grouped together, make it easier to see what they’re trying to make you feel.
New York Times
[Opinion] Ivanka Trump is Pained
[Opinion] Trump, the Incredible Shrinking Defendant
For Now, Trump and Allies Focus on Political Upside of a Criminal Case
MSNBC
New York City's rejection of Trump compounds humiliation of arraignment
If Trump throws a temper tantrum, the judge can kick him out
Washington Post
The 10 words Trump said during arraignment
After pleading not guilty to charges of falsifying records, he lashes out at Manhattan, Georgia investigations in speech
Fox News
One officer steals the show at courthouse during historic Trump arraignment hearing
Donald Trump is facing 34 counts but what about Alvin Bragg's felony?
Porn star at center of Trump arraignment gloats over charges with X-rated tweet
New York Post
Trump slams charges Trump pushes 'witch hunt' narrative in 1st remarks since historic criminal charges
Live updates: Ivanka and Jared skip Mar-a-Lago speech but 'supporting him in private'
All of these headlines tend to be ranked pretty high up the front-page and are likely to be circulated in social media. You can inspect the rest of the headlines here.
appetizers - what is each side’s perspective?
Left
Focusing on indictment of Trump and legal consequences he may face
Mary Trump's comments on Donald Trump's reaction to indictment
Center
Highlighting uncertainty and potential impact of indictment on country
Providing information on what happens next after indictment
Right
Painting indictment as political ploy by Democrats
Trump's response to indictment and his supporters' reactions
Trump is leading the polls in the Republican primary - he still has significant support on the right and thus, the right is painting this trial as a political ploy. The left is covering every aspect of the trial but with the vigor and energy of a championship sporting event. The flood of opinion articles from the left cast Trump to be losing now more than ever. Center outlets (Reuters, BBC, WSJ) are the only outlets highlighting how uncertain this future is.
Here is the current prediction market on Trump being incarcerated (across any of his trials, investigations, and accusations). It’s risen in the past two weeks from 10% to 31%, which is still not that likely, but it’s more uncertain than ever. What do you think will happen?
the entree - the facts
The following questions and answers are generated by Clarity AI. Through curiosity, it generates questions on relevant topics and then reads the articles for you to answer them succinctly. You can read more about it here:
What are the charges that Trump is facing?
Donald Trump is facing 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, all of them focused on his involvement in the payment of hush money to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who said she had an affair with him. Prosecutors accuse Trump of repeatedly causing false entries in the business records. The business records were falsified in 2017 with the intent of concealing criminal conduct connected to the 2016 campaign.
Sources: 1. CNN 2. CNN 3. New York Times
What is Trump's response to the charges?
Trump is reportedly shocked and defiant in response to the unprecedented indictment. His allies and advisors believe that the Manhattan case against him is weak, and will backfire both politically and legally. However, some of his lawyers privately view the other cases as stronger, and fear a situation where they are battling multiple indictments in multiple jurisdictions. One of Trump's lawyers, Chris Kise, has called this the lowest point in history for the criminal justice system, claiming that the Manhattan district attorney's office has been fully bastardized by an opportunistic politician seeking to cash in on the Trump brand.
Sources: 1. CNN, 2. Washington Post
What is the likelihood of Trump being convicted?
It is unclear what the likelihood of Trump being convicted is, as any potential trial is still at least more than a year away, legal experts said, meaning it could occur during or after the presidential campaign. While many legal experts have wondered if felony charges would stick in Trump's case, and the Manhattan DA's office previously decided against charging Trump for that reason, Bragg may have new evidence to strengthen the case. Trump's lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said they will "vigorously fight" the charges.
Sources: 1. Reuters, 2. NBC News, 3. NBC News, 4. CNN
What happens next in this case?
The Manhattan charges will likely be unsealed by a judge in the coming days and Trump will have to travel there to be fingerprinted and photographed, known as a surrender date, which a court official said was expected on Tuesday.
Trump will then appear before a judge and be formally charged.
Trump's lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said they will "vigorously fight" the charges.
There are questions swirling even among Trump critics over whether the Manhattan district attorney’s case is the strongest against the former president amid additional investigations in Washington, DC, and Georgia over both his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents at his Florida resort.
Trump could still face charges in those probes, too, which are separate from the New York indictment.
Sources: 1. Reuters, 2. CNN, 3. CNN, 4. NBC News
Bias bites
The left is ignoring
👥🎭🐘🔴 Democrats and Republicans Switching Parties
Several politicians are making significant political shifts, including a Democrat switching to the GOP in North Carolina, a Kennedy heir challenging Biden for the presidency, and RFK Jr. filing to run for president as a Democrat.
The left is obsessing over
👨⚖️📝🗳️ Pence Testifies in Election Probe
Former Vice President Mike Pence will comply with a court order to testify before a grand jury investigating attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and he will not appeal the ruling.
The right is obsessing over
👥🗳️🔥 Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump
The articles cover various aspects of Ron DeSantis' relationship with Donald Trump, including DeSantis' response to Trump's indictment, his standing among Florida Republicans, and his criticism of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.
👨👩👧😢💊 Senator Fetterman's Depression Struggles
Senator John Fetterman was hospitalized and treated for depression, but has since been released and is in remission, while a House Democrat's daughter has passed away.
The right is ignoring
🇫🇷🇨🇳🇷🇺 Diplomacy for Ukraine Peace
French President Emmanuel Macron is urging Chinese President Xi Jinping to use his influence to bring Russia to the negotiating table and work towards peace in Ukraine.
🛢️🚫 Exxon's Failed Oil Drilling
Exxon has stopped drilling in Brazil after failing to find oil, while another oil giant is preparing to drill for decades in pristine Alaska.
That’s it for this week. To see a full rundown of the biggest stories of the week, along with a detailed analysis of how they are being covered by the various tribal factions, check out useclarity.com. And if you’re curious, here’s how it works.
Should that be pronounced like Venetian or Meridian?