{"id":2495,"date":"2024-06-05T20:30:24","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T20:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?p=2495"},"modified":"2024-06-05T20:56:43","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T20:56:43","slug":"how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"How We Respond to Trump\u2019s Verdict Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week we asked our social media community how they felt about Trump being convicted in his \u201chush money\u201d trial. The responses, as you might imagine, ran the gamut:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am relieved that he will be held accountable for his crimes.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s crazy how we\u2019re weaponizing the justice system to punish political opponents now.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t like him but at the same time it’s hard to believe that politics didn’t play a part in the verdict.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI did not expect a guilty verdict in this case personally\u2026 that being said, a fair jury of twelve of Trump’s peers found him guilty. That\u2019s how rule of law is supposed to work.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Our comments section is usually quite respectful, but some people did lash out:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“You\u2019re proof that Trump loves the poorly educated.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

“You are a brain-washed idiot.”
\n<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

“Keep drinking the koolaid, sister.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“You liberals will destroy everything in your misguided, hate driven quest to \u2018get Trump\u2019.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

And we get it: people’s emotions run as high as their perception of the stakes. But our shared commitment to constructive problem-solving and recognizing the dignity of all people compels us to point out that insults are unhelpful \u2014 and even self-defeating. Ad hominem attacks never persuade and can even <\/span>make people more committed to their beliefs<\/span><\/a>. At the very least, they make people want to lash out in kind<\/span>. Contempt deepens the divide between us and feeds a toxic cycle.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(Want to join the conversation? Check out <\/span>our Instagram post<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Facebook post<\/span><\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNervous for our country\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n

One community member expressed concern about what Trump\u2019s verdict might lead to: \u201cI\u2019m nervous. Nervous for our country and how people on both sides are going to react.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Regarding the toxicity of our divides, someone wrote, \u201cI wish we could all get off this nightmare of a ride. None of us want this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through team-colored glasses<\/b><\/h3>\n

Toxic conflict can lead to inflexible thinking, with people being more \u201cteam-based\u201d in how they interpret current events. For example, team-based thinking can lead to people quickly arriving at confident \u201cguilty\u201d or \u201cinnocent\u201d takes on cases like this before learning important details.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About this tendency, one of our followers wrote, “<\/span>So many people\u2019s identities are so tied to their affiliation. Whether that be to a team, party, cause, etc., our society has become so driven by competition on every level \u2026 We are so wrapped up in winning or being right that we lose sight of any nuance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another community member focused on how our animosity leads us to cite information of dubious relevance to build our case. They wrote:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“One problem I continue to see is the \u2018what about\u2019 arguments (Hunter Biden, Hillary Clinton, etc.) They were investigated. Charges were brought against Hunter Biden. Even if they weren\u2019t, those cases have no bearing on Trump\u2019s guilt or innocence. We really need to focus on the details of THIS case and stop diverting attention to non-applicable cases.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Someone shared excerpts from a <\/span>New York Magazine article<\/span><\/a> by Elie Honig that criticized the case as unfair, including this excerpt alleging bias in the decision to bring charges:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“The charges against Trump are obscure, and nearly entirely unprecedented. In fact, no state prosecutor \u2014 in New York, or Wyoming, or anywhere \u2014 has ever charged federal election laws as a direct or predicate state crime, against anyone, for anything. None. Ever.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Another community member said that it\u2019s not helpful for people defending the verdict to speak as if juries are infallible:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Juries do make mistakes. We shouldn\u2019t pretend they\u2019re infallible. But we can argue against overly pessimistic narratives (e.g., ‘the whole system is rigged’ views, which we can find some people across the political spectrum reach for when cases don\u2019t go the way they\u2019d prefer).”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Being courageous enough to try to understand others\u2019 views\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

When it comes to the Trump verdict, as with <\/span>many other issues<\/span>, rational people can have very different narratives<\/a> about what\u2019s going on. Yet many people speak as if their perspective is the only \u201cobvious\u201d and \u201ccommon sense\u201d one, labeling those with different views as \u201cignorant,\u201d \u201cgullible,\u201d or \u201cbrain-washed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you been angry at people who see Trump\u2019s verdict differently? Here are some thoughts for you:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re angry at those who think the verdict was wrong: <\/b>Speaking as if all criticism of the case is due only to ignorance or pro-Trump bias is demeaning and fuels division. There are rational reasons why people believe the case was unfair and biased. To be clear, we\u2019re not espousing those views; we’re simply acknowledging there are defensible arguments \u2014 including some that anti-Trump people have also expressed. (To help understand those views, here are a <\/span>couple<\/span><\/a> pieces<\/span><\/a> we recommend.) And rational people can of course disagree with those arguments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re angry at those who think the verdict was correct: <\/b>Even if you think the case was unfair or politically motivated, the fact remains that a jury of 12 people <\/span>did<\/span><\/i> convict Trump. It\u2019s possible to imagine this case going another way; cases are complex and often unpredictable, even when they seem straightforward (one potential factor that highlights the complexity here: some thought <\/span>Trump being involved in his own defense<\/span><\/a> may have hurt his case). <\/span>Suppose the shoe was on the other foot, and a Democratic leader was convicted of something many Democrats found unfair. You\u2019d likely be upset if liberals said things like, \u201cThis proves the system is entirely corrupt,\u201d or \u201cThis is part of a plot by Republicans.\u201d Even in your anger, can you see how you’d view those kinds of aggressive, catastrophizing reactions as concerning if the situation were reversed?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(If you\u2019d like to see some non-partisan analysis of this verdict, you might like the <\/span>\u201cJordan Is My Lawyer\u201d Instagram<\/span><\/a> account where Jordan Berman examines arguments on both sides of this case, among other issues.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Disagreement is inevitable\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

If there\u2019s anything we can agree on, it\u2019s that we\u2019ll continue to disagree \u2013 on this and many other issues. To help create a more constructive and less divided society, we must strive to see the value of thinking critically about our own positions and arguing in persuasive, respectful ways \u2014 even when we\u2019re angry and anxious.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is admittedly not easy<\/span><\/i> \u2014 but it\u2019s what we must do if we want to participate in <\/span>building<\/span><\/a> a less toxic future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read <\/span><\/i>some more thoughts on Trump\u2019s verdict<\/span><\/i><\/a> from Braver Angels\u2019 John Wood Jr.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Want to stay in the loop and join the conversation? <\/span><\/i>Sign up for our newsletter<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week we asked our social media community how they felt about Trump being convicted in his \u201chush money\u201d trial. The responses, as you might imagine, ran the gamut:\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI am relieved that he will be held accountable for his crimes.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s crazy how we\u2019re weaponizing the justice system to punish political opponents now.\u201d \u201cI…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":2496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"collection_feed":[],"type_feed":[77],"class_list":["post-2495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow We Respond to Trump\u2019s Verdict Matters - Builders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How We Respond to Trump\u2019s Verdict Matters - Builders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Last week we asked our social media community how they felt about Trump being convicted in his \u201chush money\u201d trial. The responses, as you might imagine, ran the gamut:\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI am relieved that he will be held accountable for his crimes.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s crazy how we\u2019re weaponizing the justice system to punish political opponents now.\u201d \u201cI…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Builders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-05T20:30:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-06-05T20:56:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-6.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"747\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Zach Elwood\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#\/schema\/person\/fa86211edc631829f62424ccba457d0a\"},\"headline\":\"How We Respond to Trump\u2019s Verdict Matters\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-05T20:30:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-05T20:56:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/\"},\"wordCount\":1113,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-6.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/\",\"name\":\"How We Respond to Trump\u2019s Verdict Matters - Builders\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-6.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-05T20:30:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-05T20:56:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#\/schema\/person\/fa86211edc631829f62424ccba457d0a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-6.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-6.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":747,\"caption\":\"A solemn man in a suit with an American flag pin, set against a dark, blurred background.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/06\/05\/how-we-respond-to-trump-verdict-matters\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How We Respond to Trump\u2019s Verdict Matters\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/\",\"name\":\"Builders\",\"description\":\"Rise Above Us vs Them. 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