Jen Psaki says Trump has given major clue that he’s scared of legal peril

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki believes that Donald Trump has given a major clue that he’s scared of his escalating legal troubles.

Ms Psaki, who went from the White House briefing room to taking a spot as a talking head at MSNBC, said that Mr Trump is showing “unusual” signs of fear in the face of his various indictments.

The former president is currently facing a total of 91 charges after being indicted in New York, Georgia, and twice by the federal government – at a time when he is pursuing the 2024 presidential election.

Speaking on her show, Ms Psaki said that while he may have shown some fear in the past privately, his recent actions are the first time Mr Trump appears to be showing fear publicly as well.

“Right now, Trump seems worried in a way that’s sorta unusual for him, at least publicly,” she said.

Ms Psaki pointed to the fact that Mr Trump made a big show out of a news conference he promised would take place on Monday to provide “CONCLUSIVE” evidence of his innocence leading to “a complete EXONERATION”.

Despite the spectacle, Mr Trump then canceled the event, citing his attorneys’ advice.

Ms Psaki noted that Mr Trump is known for ignoring his attorneys' legal advice, and so him following it now is a “new thing” for the former president.

“It can only really mean one thing: He’s scared,” she said. “And frankly, he should be.”

She suggested Mr Trump's current tactic of attacking the prosecutors bringing the cases against him is short-sighted, noting that it is juries, not prosecutors, who ultimately decide the fate of defendants.

“It’s up to the ordinary citizens who make up the juries in his cases,” she said. “Citizens returned these indictments as part of the grand juries. Citizens will decide on his guilt.”

Mr Trump will turn himself over to law enforcement in Georgia on Thursday, where he and 18 other defendants were charged in a 41-count indictment connected to their alleged attempt to steal the state's 2020 presidential election.

A judge agreed to set Mr Trump's bond at $200,000. That bond prohibits him from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses, and victims, which includes posts on social media.

His attorney, John Eastman, who allegedly pushed the plan to reverse the election results in Georgia and who is also a defendant in the indictment, was one of the first to turn himself in on Tuesday.