The Guardian suggested Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis was facing a “flurry of racist online abuse” after former President Donald Trump used a “thinly veiled play” on a racial slur.
The outlet referenced a Monday Truth Social post from the former president announcing he would present a “large, complex, detailed,” and “irrefutable report” on presidential election fraud in the State of Georgia. Trump will present the report this Monday at 11 a.m. from Bedminster, New Jersey. His presentation will be broadcasted by a “major news conference,” according to Trump’s post.
The Guardian suggested Trump’s reference to officials who allegedly rigged the 2020 presidential election as “riggers” was a “thinly veiled play” on a racial slur for black people.
“Based on the results of this CONCLUSIVE Report, all charges should be dropped against me & others,” Trump wrote. “There will be a complete EXONERATION! They never went after those that Rigged the Election.”
“They only went after those that fought to find the RIGGERS!”
Trump attacks Georgia prosecutor with thinly veiled reference to N-word https://t.co/oOFIKhO407
— The Guardian (@guardian) August 16, 2023
“Willis is African American. So too are the two New York-based prosecutors who have investigated Trump, the Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg who indicted him in April over alleged hush-money payments, and Letitia James, the state attorney general who is investigating Trump’s financial records,” The Guardian wrote.
The outlet noted Trump’s use of the term was featured in social media posts by supporters of the former President “in a disparaging context.”
According to the outlet, two black poll workers in the 2020 presidential election, Ruby Freeman and daughter Shaye Moss, have received a barrage of social media posts with Trump’s “thinly veiled” phrase.
Following Willis’ Monday issuing of Trump’s latest indictment, the former President took to Truth Social in a series of posts referring to the indictment as a “witch hunt” and “rigged.”
“So, the witch hunt continues!” Trump wrote of the indictment, which included 18 others, calling Willis an “out of control” and “very corrupt” DA who campaigned on prosecuting the former president.
“And what about those Indictment Documents put out today, long before the Grand Jury even voted, and then quickly withdrawn?” Trump said regarding the leaked indictment document, which was retracted shortly after Monday afternoon. “Sounds Rigged to me!”
On Monday, Willis declined to comment on the leaked and retracted indictment.
“I can’t tell you anything about what you refer to,” she told one reporter during a Monday night press conference following the indictment’s official issuing. “What I can tell you is that we had a grand jury here in Fulton County, they deliberated till almost 8:00, if not right after 8:00, an indictment was returned.”
“It was true build and we now have an indictment. I am not an expert on clerks, duties, or even administrative duties,” she continued. “I wouldn’t know how to work that system. And so I’m not going to speculate.”
Charges voted on by the grand jury matched charges listed on the original document obtained by Reuters.
