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It was the information by a’ sh**poster’ heard’ round the globe.
On Friday night, Justice Juan Merchan, the prosecutor who oversaw Donald Trump’s calm money trial in New York, sent a letter to lawyers and the original government’s legal team alerting them to a strange, post- ruling growth in the case. The court noted that it had learned of a comment made on the New York Courts ‘ Facebook page by a user named Michael Anderson that claimed,” My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted,” prior to the guilty verdict being announced.
One day prior to the historic verdict that found Trump guilty of 34 felonies, the post was made.
His post helped to spread a new wave of conspiracy theories online, with some right-wing posters claiming that the Trump trial was rigged and that the former president was already facing legal challenges before the jury made its decision. Some even pleaded for the initiation of a mistrial.
Others simply labeled him a” troll”.
Facebook user” Michael Anderson” made the alarming post. However, the account is only occasionally used, with only four public postings visible. Two of which are repost of recipes. That was until Friday, when it was posted a few times after his involvement with the Trump Trial was revealed.
On his page, Anderson describes himself as a” transabled &, a professional shit poster”.
In one of the few messages on the page, posted Friday, the account’s owner elaborates on sh**posting, defining such messages as “intentionally designed to derail discussions or cause the biggest reaction with the least effort”, and tells readers,” Take it easy … I’m a professional shitposter”.
The account’s owner has been contacted by The Independent for comment.
After the revelation of Anderson’s post, conservatives resisted Donald Trump’s and his allies ‘ repeated claims that the investigation into him in New York was flawed and unethical from beginning to end.
” Uh oh! There appears to have been jury misconduct in the# TrumpTrial! Lawyer and Townhall columnist Phil Holloway wrote on X,” We knew these jurors would not be able to ignore their friends and relatives ‘ knowledge that they were going to get Trump.” ” It’s time for a mistrial” with prejudice” and no retrial! But will Merchan follow the law?”
According to filmmaker and activist Robby Starbuck, “if this is true, this is likely headed to a mistrial because a juror is n’t allowed to discuss the case with family or friends like this.” ” Big deal”.
Some downplayed the significance, citing the possibility that the post was intended to be a joke.
” Assuming this is the same” Michael Anderson,” I do n’t think that the post is real. Additionally, it appears to have been created on ( a post posted on ) May 20th. Trump’s verdict was n’t announced until ten days later, on May 30th, according to MSNBC legal correspondent Katie Phang. ” Plus, the poster’s FB profile says: ‘ a professional s*** poster'”.
Because the comment’s story reached the general public and the conspiracy mill before it was investigated, journalist and researcher Mike Rothschild described the situation as an “avoidable mess”
Trump world is asking that the case be declared a mistrial, he wrote on X.” Despite the’ Michael Anderson ‘ Facebook post pretty clearly being fake,” he wrote. ” All because Merchan’s office first inquired about the post before determining whether it was real when the attorneys received it via email. What an avoidable mess”.
Social media posts have previously been involved in this case.
After the former president claimed Merchan’s daughter, a Democratic political consultant, is paid to” Get Trump,” and falsely accused her of posting a photo showing him in jail, the current gag order against Trump in the hush money case was expanded in April.
