‘It was always a political prosecution’: Trump’s hush money case has been paused, and MAGAs are feeding conspiracy theories again

Donald Trump is the first convicted felon ever to be elected to the United States highest office. It’s an equally historic and abysmally depressing turn of events, and average Americans aren’t the only ones baffled.

Now that Trump is soon to enjoy presidential immunity, the courts are scrambling to figure out whether or not his numerous other criminal cases can still been prosecuted. As of now, Trump’s sentencing in his guilty-verdict hush money case has been paused. Conservative conspiracy theories are filling the silence.

“It was always political prosecution” wrote Michael Avenatti on X. Afvenatti the former attorney of Stormy Daniels, and is now incarcerated after being convicted for felony fraud and extortion. When we have such paragons of moral decency decrying the injustices of the world online, maybe we should take a listen? Avenatti argues that Trump’s guilty verdict was “solely designed to keep President Trump from being elected” and should be “thrown out”. Maybe he’s hopeful that his own 14 year conviction will be overturned by a gracious presidential pardon from Donald Trump? Not likely

Michael Avenatti opened the conspiracy theory door, and now right wingers are pouring into the parlor room. X user Sara Rose says that it’s “obvious to anyone with a brain” that Trump’s guilty verdict is an election-stealing ploy. “Trump isn’t a criminal” she concludes, oblivious to the fact that she voted for a convicted rapist. Anyone with a brain can see the irony.

Sharing in Trump’s passion for nicknaming, this X user writes that “Crooked Merchan knows they can’t jail Trump at all.” Juan Merchan is the Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, and will have final say in Trump’s case. While Trump’s sentencing may be suspended for now, that doesn’t mean it will never happen. Trump could very well be sentenced after his term as President is over, meaning that he could potentially spend the rest of his life behind bars.

A user named Michelle posted that Merchan’s appointment as the judge in Trump’s case is ground

Right wing YouTuber Joey Salads confidently declared that Trump is “not a felon” after posting that the hush money trial has been “indefinitely adjourned,” forgetting that Trump’s appeals against a conviction have been regularly turned down. Not a felon yet, Joey.

Love this one. “Trump is no longer a felon” says X user Real Defender, saying the quiet part out loud along with it.

“Investigative journalist” and merchant of “Donald Trump Did Nothing Wrong” t-shirts Laura Loomer took to X to decry Merchan’s adjournment of Trump’s as evidence of political corruption. Wait, I thought right wingers were thrilled by the adjournment? Get your story straight, gang. Former law enforcement worker John Reese says its to block Trump from appealing. Pretty sure Trump already did that. Multiple times.

Responding to John, local racist and Blue Check buyer Joseph M. Biddle claims that “foreign judges gave no respect for our constitution”. Merchan is an American citizen, having moved to New York City from Columbia when he was six years old. Unless Merchan was somehow radicalized against American conservatives as a kindergartener, I’m pretty sure that the only lack of respect here is coming from Biddle’s bigot mouth.