It is difficult to believe that Trump didn't commit the crimes he is accused of. The sheer volume of boxes as shown in photographs; the evidence apparently captured on audio tape; it all seems pretty damning.
I have heard it said, here and there, that to convict Trump and send him to jail - that is, to treat him as any other American accused of breaking the law regarding classified documents - would be to invite civil discord so severe that it would risk "breaking the country".
My thought is: if we are that fragile, it is better that it come to light now than later. I say: let the chips fall where they may.
Many people are predicting this indictment will not hurt Trump politically, at least not during the GOP primary. Perhaps that is true. But Trump is so polarizing that there are few or no Americans who don't already know where they stand on him and his candidacy. I think there is almost no chance that he will end up in the White House again. This indictment, and any trial that ensues, may help to shore up the resolve of independents who may he wavering on a 2nd Biden term, to do the right thing and vote for Biden again.
I found Ralph Nader's take rather interesting. He supports prosecuting Trump because he is an egregious crook and lawbreaker and has a good probability of being successfully convicted. This would set a precedent which would pave the way for prosecuting other presidents like Bush for illegally invading another country under false pretenses, torture and other war crimes. Obama doesn't get off the hook either, having authorized the drone killing of two US citizens without due process.
ReplyDeleteJim I agree, the sheer volume of boxes is pretty damning. There is no way anyone can say, "Oops, the movers loaded the wrong box into the truck."
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you are right that there's no chance he can end up in the White House again. Part of me has this little nagging fear in the back of my mind that he's like a political vampire. You think he's down for the count this time, but he's like the undead. When the moon is full again, he may rise.
The only way to prevent that is for the Republicans who know better to stop enabling and encouraging him. Such as JD Vance who said, "Biden...is using the justice system to preemptively steal the 2024 election. This is what's happening, plain and simple." This is supposedly the guy who has a law degree from Yale.
It has been discouraging to see so many prominent Republicans take the position that Trump is being unfairly targeted for political reasons - basically an echo of Trump's "witch hunt" claim.
DeleteThis illustrates the basic Republican problem in the Trump era: Republican candidates perceive they can't get nominated or elected if they alienate Trump voters. In addition, Trump himself is vindictive and keeps track of his enemies and will go to great lengths to punish anyone who slights him.