Internet chastises Trump as his campaign team fundraises off contempt of court charges in hush money trial

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Donald Trump’s campaign wasted no time in seizing the opportunity when the judge in his New York criminal trial held him in contempt of court.

This is just the latest instance of how the former President's campaign team has managed to turn unfavorable legal developments into a financial advantage for his reelection bid.

How did Donald Trump’s campaign team react to the contempt of court ruling?

"A Democrat judge JUST HELD ME IN CONTEMPT OF COURT!" perused a Tuesday morning email requesting contributions for the Trump National Committee, a joint fundraising body including the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign.

The email contained a donation link and it went on to say, “I was fined $9,000 for 9 gag order violations. THEY WANT TO SILENCE ME! They think they can BLEED ME DRY and SHUT ME UP, but I’ll NEVER stop fighting for YOU.”

According to Politico, the email came within hours of Justice Juan Merchan's ruling that former President Trump had breached a gag order imposed in his New York hush money criminal case through nine social media posts and statements.

The judge ordered the 77-year-old MAGA strongman to pay $1,000 per violation and warned that he could be sent to jail if the gag order violations persisted. 

This contempt ruling is a pivotal moment for Donald Trump, as he has always cited his legal troubles to his ever-ardent supporter base as a fundraising tool to further his political ambitions.

The order to pay a fine for violating the gag order is one of the most significant rulings in the trial so far and gives the former POTUS fresh ammunition to criticize the legal system and his political opponents.

It is also a clear and simple message that can be more easily understood by his supporters: They are trying to silence him. 

This message is gaining traction with Republicans, and Trump's fundraising groups send out about half a dozen emails each day to raise money for his 2024 presidential campaign.

In the past few weeks, many of these emails have focused on his New York hush money criminal trial, complaining to supporters about how he is unable to campaign due to his court appearances, calling out lead prosecutor Alvin Bragg by name, referring to the ordeal as a "sham Biden trial," directing supporters to watch televised remarks he has made outside the courthouse, and suggesting he might wear the latest Make America Great Again hat to court. 

The ex-Commander-in-Chief has been a fairly creative fundraiser, but instances where he finds himself in a legal bind, have consequently, almost every time, resulted in some of his best fundraising work in the past.

In March, his campaign saw a major uptick in donations after New York Attorney General Letitia James advanced talks of seizing the former President's assets if he couldn't make bail in a civil fraud case against him.

Last year, the Trump campaign raised over $4 million in a day after he got his mug shot taken in Georgia, where the presumptive GOP nominee faces charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

On Tuesday afternoon, Trump's team ran advertisements on X, emphasizing that former presidents are not usually subject to contempt charges. “This has never happened before in HISTORY!” the ad remarked.

According to Republican consultant and former Trump administration appointee Matthew Bartlett, Trump is "maximizing the opportunity cost" of the circumstance, reinvigorating his base by "continuing to spin the narrative that he is a victim of everything that he has done," and possibly reactivating small-dollar donors.

“It might be $9,000 in additional court fees,” Bartlett noted. “But it will probably nicely pad the campaign coffers.”

Internet blasts Donald Trump for whining about his contempt of court charges

One X user remarked, "Dump him in jail. The world will get used to it fast. And what a relief to not hear him whining out of his dead-face blowhole for a while."

Another user said, "His behavior has clearly demonstrated that he actually BELIEVES HE IS ABOVE THE LAW."

Another user wrote, "He needs to be behind bars. The good of democracy requires it."

One X user claimed, "Can you blame him for using this tactic? You hear criminals complaining all the time that the system is rigged knowing all the time that they are guilty. I doubt that this man does any time in prison ever; this is all for show."

Another user asserted, "Lock him up. God. Anyone else would be sitting in jail right now."

Finally, this user tweeted, "Trump should have been put in jail long ago."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.