IF THERE'S NO VIOLENCE AT TRUMP'S ARRAIGNMENT TOMORROW, THANK THE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO JANUARY 6 (updated)

A Vice story that ran last Friday has a lot of people worried about violence when Donald Trump is arraigned in Miami tomorrow:

... former President Donald Trump’s far-right supporters have threatened civil war after news broke Thursday that the former president was indicted for allegedly taking classified documents from the White House without permission.

“We need to start killing these traitorous fuckstains,” wrote one Trump supporter on The Donald, a rabidly pro-Trump message board that played a key role in planning the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Another user added: “It's not gonna stop until bodies start stacking up. We are not civilly represented anymore and they'll come for us next. Some of us, they already have.”

And a follow-up today:

“MAGA will make Waco look like a tea party,” a user with the screen name 1776take2 wrote about the planned protest on the pro-Trump messaging board known as The Donald.... “I used to laugh when my mom said that she was afraid if she registered Republican she may be arrested one day. I’m not laughing any more. Just buying more ammo.”

Kari Lake talks about mass gun violence. Multiple rallies are said to be in the works, one of them reportedly being organized by the Proud Boys.

But there might not be violence -- perhaps because of MAGA paranoia.

Here's an open letter from some January 6 prisoners, published this morning at Gateway Pundit:

To all Patriots intending to show support for President Trump on Tuesday at the Florida Federal Courthouse

My name is Jon Mellis and I’m a J6er sitting in the DC Jail with many other J6ers. We love you.

We appreciate your support of President Trump. Thank you for showing up for him.

Please do NOT let any violence happen while you show your support and patriotism to the greatest President in American history.

We all know too well that government operatives may be involved. Antifa and BLM agitators will try to attack you, egg you on, and even infiltrate your crowd to cause problems.

DO NOT allow violence to occur.

Be your brothers’ keeper and be your sisters’ keeper by de-escalating any possible altercations.

We J6ers know too well that ANY and ALL violence will be blamed on Trump supporters no matter who initiates it.

God bless you all. Take care of each other and don’t give the Left what they want. Show the Christian love we know you have and be safe. We J6ers stand with you. We love you.

Strength and Honor,
Jon Mellis and the J6ers in the DC Jail

I think these are widespread beliefs in MAGA World: that the violence on January 6 was the work of "Antifa and BLM agitators" (and/or FBI provocateurs), and that the punishment for any unlawful conduct will always be disproportionately harsh if the guilty parties are right-wing. My guess is that this message is going out through multiple channels.

If fear of experiencing the same very unfair treatment the insurrectionists have experienced inspires the Trumpers to behave tomorrow, or to stay away from the courthouse altogether, I won't complain. They think they ought to be allowed to terrorize their enemies without consequence until they get what they want. The January 6 arrests and sentences might just be an effective deterrent.

*****

UPDATE: Here's Congressman Clay Higgins (R.-La.) sending the same message as Mellis, in a press release issued yesterday.

My fellow conservatives, the DOJ/FBI doesn’t expect to imprison Trump, they expect to imprison you. They want J6 again, in Miami and in your city and in mine. They want MAGA conservatives to react to this perimeter probe and in doing so, set yourselves up for targeted persecution and further entrapment. They want to intercept a busload of conservatives en route to protest and create conflicts during the stop. They are hoping to provoke conservative Americans. Don’t fall for the trap. Maintain your family. Live your life. Live free and pay close attention and make your voice heard, yes... but don’t become an incarcerated pawn in the agenda driven DOJ/FBI strategy to oppress conservatives across America.

President Trump can take care of himself in court, he knows we’ve got his back. The DOJ knows they’ve got nothing on him. They’re doing this because they want you to let your anger overwhelm your strategic judgment and they expect you to step willingly into their trap. Don’t do it. Be aware and be prepared for anything, know your bridges as we say... but maintain your calm. Rock steady calm.

The paranoia is widespread.

*****

AND... From an ex-Newsmax host:

You’re a moron if you show up at the courthouse in Miami tomorrow.

Your presence will do nothing but put you in a hot water. It’ll change nothing except your life for the worse.

And if you’re so stupid you learned nothing from J6, you deserve everything you get.

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) June 13, 2023