Judge Juan Merchan at his New York County Criminal Court office.

DLNews Staff:

The judge overseeing the criminal case against former President Donald Trump has received dozens of threats in recent days, police sources told ABC News. Bomb and death threats, a suspicious powder scare, and a pro-Trump protester who pulled a knife on passersby were among them.

The attacks have been a stark reminder that the US faces a new era of uncertainty as it navigates an uncertain political climate. But, unfortunately, it has also reaffirmed the polarization of America's politics.

People are scared.

Fear is a powerful political tool, and both parties use it aggressively. That's partly because Americans are more fearful of crime and violence than ever, according to Gallup.

It's also because fear has proven a reliable predictor of voting, says Michael Neblo, director of the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability at The Ohio State University. That's because fear evokes anxiety — something people are more likely to second-guess about their beliefs.

Some scholars at the University of California, Berkeley, say Trump's supporters are motivated by being left behind and feeling that Black, Latinx, and Asian people and immigrants are exploiting them. In addition, they believe that the economy and culture exclude them from their progress.

The Trump family has long worked with mobsters and their affiliated businesses. When Donald Trump was building his empire of skyscrapers and casinos in New York, the city was dominated by mob bosses who controlled the city's construction unions. They also had a monopoly on concrete, which was used in constructing many of his buildings, including the Trump Tower.

Trump's legal mentor was Roy Cohn, a ferocious and cold-hearted lawyer representing many mafia bosses. He also introduced them to each other in his Manhattan townhouse, according to Wayne Barrett's 1992 book.

Judge Juan Merchan, the Judge in Trump's criminal case, has received dozens of threats and calls to his home from people who have seen news coverage. He has also been the target of slurs on social media.

Donald Trump was born into a billionaire family whose wealth was primarily the result of Fred Trump's business acumen and savvy financial planning. He was given his father's apartment buildings, a piece of the family's real estate empire.

Mr. Trump started the business by helping his father manage it, and eventually, he became its president. As a result, he earned a salary and had benefits, including health insurance and retirement plans.

He also was a landlord, consultant, and banker for the family. He made his father's children part owners of their properties and helped them buy stocks, make loans, and build homes.

He also gave his daughter Ivanka a share in her father's company. But he was criticized for his lavish spending, and his father died in 1999 with less than half of the family's fortune.

In the wake of President Trump’s election, Americans woke up terrified. They are afraid of losing their jobs, being deported, and having their rights as LGBTQ immigrants, refugees, or Muslims denied.

The fear has fueled the president's authoritarian style and reliance on immigration as the primary reason people voted for him in 2016. His executive orders and promises have made him more popular, but they also give him much leverage with voters who fear letting the government down.

That strategy has worked partly because Americans are more worried about crime than ever. A Gallup poll released last April found that Americans were more concerned about crime and violence than ever before the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

In a recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 6 in 10 said Trump should not be president, including two-thirds of independents. The poll also showed that people who approve of his job performance are likelier to say their biggest concern is his personality than his policies.