Trump Is Playing a Risky Game in Court

The ex-president is rallying his base against the judicial system. But the 2024 elections will be decided in the political middle.

Donald Trump is on trial again — not for misconduct during his time as U.S. president but for fraud as a New York real estate mogul. And in court, the tycoon does not just want to give concise, factual answers to questions from the judge and lawyers. It is more expedient for the megalomaniac to accuse the judicial system of partisanship and to turn the interrogation into an advertising campaign for his own interests.

Trump considers himself to be on firm footing. To date, his disrespectful behavior in court has cost him $15,000 — which, for him, does not even amount to a rounding error in petty cash. It is an extremely cheap price to pay for national media attention. So, he is making the most out of it that he can, as a man of action. Lying? Doesn’t matter. Who bothers with the details when everything is at stake: the next U.S. presidency.

But he may be wrong about that. Yes, he is currently ahead of incumbent Joe Biden in polling in decisive swing states. Yes, he has no more internal opponents within his Republican Party. Yes, his fan base is cheering. But they are the only ones. The 2024 election will not be won on the far right but in the middle. Millions of moderate swing voters may rethink their preference in the year leading up to the election. Because no government is possible with Trump. That is a lesson from the years between 2017 and 2021 that should not be forgotten.