After the news that Donald Trump had been indicted, I received from a close friend an email with one word: “Hallelujah,” and another good friend joined in, “Yes, indeed.” Both my friends are gentlemen of moderate views and temperament, whose judgment and values I highly respect. Yet my own reaction was considerably more mixed, and I found myself unable to share their celebratory mood.
Sympathy for Trump was no part of my mixed feelings. In my view, Trump is an ambulatory crime scene and there is something to be said for any path that might lead him to a reckoning at the bar of justice. Penetrating the teflon of the Teflon Don is long overdue, On the other hand, there is reason to questions whether the path staked out by District Attorney Alvin Bragg is the best one, or at least the best one on which to begin. Although any firm judgment should be withheld until the indictment is unsealed, reports suggest that the crimes to be alleged are among the lesser specimens to be found on Trump’s palette of criminal activities. In essence, the case appears to involve a misreporting of funds used to pay off Trump’s alleged paramour turned accuser. If reports are correct, the indictment may involve some novel legal alchemy to convert a misdemeanor into a felony.
Nevertheless, I do not fault District Attorney Bragg for bringing the indictment and I would emphatically reject the specious claims by Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans that Bragg has “weaponized” the criminal justice system for political purposes. (Weaponized is a tiresome term that is currently being overused in a variety of contexts. It will appear in this space only in quoting others.) Attempts by Congressional Republicans to smear Bragg are contemptible and conjure up the odd spectacle of rats swimming to a sinking ship. In any case, such attempts will have no effect on Bragg, and his case against Trump will stand or fall on its own merits, just as it should.
Even if the Bragg indictment does ripen into a trial and a conviction, it is possible to imagine Trump somehow surviving to gain the Republican nomination for President and, still more appallingly but alas conceivably, election as President. To escape that catastrophe, we may have to rely on the efforts of Special Counsel Jack Smith and District Attorney Fani Willis in Georgia. Here, however, it must be emphasized categorically that neither prosecutor should be influenced to prosecute a case against Trump by a desire to damage him politically. Such damage should only be a welcome but unsought byproduct of a successful prosecution.
At this point, it is quite uncertain what the future holds for Trump and for the country. It is only certain that we must resist, with whatever force it takes, Trump’s efforts to avoid prosecution, and to regain office through the campaign of “death and destruction” with which he has defiantly threatened us.
Unfortunately, this approach is oh so typical of the current Democrat (Cancel Culture) Party whose attitute toward “justice” has devolved to Stalin’s, “show me the man and I will show you the crime,” which if anything will only energerize the MAGA crowd and Republicans in-general and might just lead, as you mentioned, to a re-election of President Trump, which personally, I would regret. As we need to move beyond him.
Doug,
The elegance of your writing never fails to stun me.
I agree that (at least so far as we know at this time), Trump’s alleged crime(s) in the Stormy pay-off scheme pale in comparison to his (taped!) phone call to the GA Secretary of State, pressuring him to “find” enough votes to undo Biden’s win of GA’s electoral votes.
Accordingly, I join you in wishing the GA prosecution had led…and then we cd have forgotten @ Stormy.
That said, Trump’s lawyer-fixer (Michael Cohen) went to PRISON for his involvement in the Stormy pay-off, so while Trump’s alleged crimes in connection therewith may seem trivial in the larger context, they were serious enough to merit Trump’s counsel’s incarceration.
I’m not necessarily a big fan of DA Bragg…but SOMEBODY had to stop sloshing in his/her galoshes! As you so eloquently (hilariously) put it, “Trump is an ambulatory crime scene.”
Best,
Monica
I fully share your mixed feelings, Doug, on the indictments against Trump in this case. While it is long past time that Trump be held accountable and face serious charges for his litany of wrongdoings, my strongest feeling is that against a person like Trump and his rabid backers in the current Republican Party, one must lead with their strongest possible, incontrovertible charges, to lessen the fury of ridicule and attacks that will be forthcoming. Especially with current Democratic leadership as unpopular as it is, and the present mood of the nation being pessimistic and dour, future elections are in total doubt, even if Trump survives and runs. If Jack Smith presents charges soon, and Garland and Biden agree to go forward with them, it could be different, but the executive branch is proceeding very cautiously, and an air-tight case is important. Bottom line: tenuous times for the nation indeed!
You went pretty light on the Don. Not like you. As a die hard Republican, thank you. I have to share my opinion on Bragg with you. An attorney trying desperately to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and will do anything to make a name for himself. Well he has succeeded. He has a misdemeanor bullshit case that I pray will blow up in his face. While Donald might not be the ideal candidate to represent the Republican Party, he is definitely better than Left Handed Biden and the Laughable Harris. I still am holding out for DeSantis.
Stay well and my best to Angela.
Love Heather’s illustration!
Doug, T will be the R nominee in 2024 regardless of how many or how few indictments ensue from GA and the Special Counsel. The R Party is so depraved – yes, literally – it cannot break from an utterly monstrous candidate. Although no one would argue Bragg should have waited, the other cases under investigation are more consequential as they deal with direct threats to democracy. Nonetheless, I’m hoping this is just the first of several and that even it alone will get through to a few more independent voters. Leo
Sounds like a very fine analysis of the actual facts..maybe not the ones we wanted, but the ones that are presented.
Doug, this is an insightful and welcome read. Thank you for sharing. Mark
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