Will Carless | USA TODAY

"PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!"

"WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!"

So ended two posts from former President Donald Trump, who has been posting incessantly — often in all caps — on his Truth Social page for the last few days. The messages have been flowing ever since Trump announced on Saturday that he believes he will be arrested in New York on Tuesday.

But while the former president calls on his supporters to gather in protest at his prosecution, that message seems to be falling on deaf — or at least unwilling — ears. Three days after Trump's desperate pleas, online support for public protests remains unfocused, disorganized and muted, according to experts who monitor far-right extremists online.

Rather than organizing protests, prominent Trump supporters online are instead driving a different narrative: That any public events are a "trap" set by law enforcement, and that attending any events will be counterproductive and will likely result in protesters being arrested.

That reaction fits a pattern, experts say: Broadly, extremist movements are often whipsawed, with aggressive activity followed by pushback from law enforcement, resulting in withdrawal as remaining followers grow paranoid.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/21/trump-warns-arrest-calls-protest-but-online-support-muted/11511264002/