Trump Calls Indictments a ‘Great Badge of Courage’

Facts

• On Sunday, former Pres. Donald Trump received a “Man of the Decade” award from the Oakland County Republican Party in Detroit at a dinner, which featured him discussing law enforcement, Pres. Biden, Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and the electric car industry.¹
• Trump, who faces criminal charges in two jurisdictions and is under investigation in two others, called his recent arrest for allegedly mishandling classified documents a “great badge of courage and a great badge of honor.”²
• His comments came one day after Trump spoke to the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Washington, DC, using the “badge of honor” line but also adding that he “is being indicted for you” while vowing to stop the weaponization of the Dept. of Justice.³
• On electric vehicles, Trump said “ridiculous regulations” will lead to US job losses and the “decimation” of the auto industry. As of 2021, Michigan was among the country’s leaders with 175K auto manufacturing jobs.⁴
• Trump, who won Michigan in the 2016 presidential election but narrowly lost it in 2020, was making his first appearance in the state since he began his run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.¹
• So far, just three Republican lawmakers in Michigan are on record supporting Trump, while 25 of the 72 legislators have voiced support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Republicans recently fell into the minority in both chambers of the legislature for the first time in 40 years.⁵

Sources: ¹Newsweek, ²MLive, ³New York Post, ⁴The Hill, and ⁵Detroit News.

Narratives

• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Trump might as well brag about his indictments considering how they’re increasing his popularity in the face of a regime that will resort to any means to stop him. In the week after his latest indictment, his lead over his nearest opponent nearly doubled. The radical left might think they’re taking him down, but they’re just catapulting him past his Republican opponents and the largely unpopular Biden.
• Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by Washington Examiner. Awards aside, Trump is treading water in Michigan, and an alternative might give Republicans a better chance to take the state and, in turn, the White House. Trump-endorsed candidates — who repeated his mantra about 2020 — overwhelmingly lost in 2022. If Republicans in Michigan continue to back Trump, they should be prepared to continue being ruled by Democrats at the state and possibly national level.

Predictions