The Trial

A man and his loyal followers--including senators and congress-critters--are determined to place his ego and lies above our system of justice. Is one man above the law?

He really could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue without repercussion. The people who will vote for Donald Trump this fall are uniquely untroubled by his ethics lapses, insults, bullying, grifting, election-denying, sexual assaults, dog-whistle racism, misogyny, stolen national security documents, and outright lawbreaking. But NY Assistant DA Joshua Steinglass was clear: “This case is about the rule of law and whether or not Donald Trump broke it.”

It’s one thing for those in the Fox/Right-Wing-Media silo to support him. To them, he can do no wrong, and I give them a pass for reminding us that ignorance is bliss. (Too bad it isn’t painful or expensive.)

The troubling ones to me are those who know better. Last winter, it was Georgia governor Brian Kemp who endorsed Trump. He has over 11,000 reasons to cast the Orange One adrift. Then Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell mumbled, turtle like, “I will support the nominee of our party.” No surprise. McConnell had two at-bats where he was pitched softballs right down the middle of the plate—two chances to allow his Republican caucus to put country over party and vote to convict Trump in either of two impeachment trials which would have disqualified him from seeking office again. McConnell whiffed. Now, New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu, a former never-Trumper, who supported Nikki Haley and lambasted Trump for being a lying racist and malignant narcissist who just months ago he deemed to be unfit for office, has decided to go along for the Thelma and Louise ride.

Somewhere around half of Republican electeds have decided Donald Trump is above the law. Some may have jumped on this ship of fools out of abject fear that his retribution would expose their families to violence. Others love the cushy job and lifetime benefits so much they’d look the other way if a chainsaw-wielding guy in a hockey mask went by. The rest are simply craven.

There are two courts: the court of public opinion, and the court of law. One can give you great ratings if that’s what you value. The other can take away your freedom. Historically, the smart money has been to defend oneself in a court of law, try to avoid a guilty verdict, and stay out of prison. This no longer is the case. Trump has turned conventional wisdom on its head, and instead of arguing in court, he’s arguing on the street. To hear him tell it, the judge and prosecutors are the outlaws. Never mind that they’re all there in a Manhattan courtroom because a grand jury of ordinary citizens indicted him.

An analysis in the NYTimes makes the stakes clear: “The trial, which could brand Mr. Trump a felon as he mounts another White House run, will reverberate throughout the nation and test the durability of the justice system that Mr. Trump is attacking in a way that no other defendant would be allowed to do.” (And, I’d add, no one has ever done before.)

He did the same thing in the civil sexual assault case that he lost to the tune of $54M. In that one, he was convicted by a jury of his peers, not Joe Biden or the Department of Justice (it was a state case). This guy, and all his supporters and enablers, are willing to sacrifice centuries of jurisprudence, and in fact, our entire system of justice, which is the gold-standard, most respected system in the world, for the sake of one grifting narcissist. This guy scares Republicans more than defensive backs hearing Peyton Manning screaming “Omaha, Omaha” at the line of scrimmage.

The most interesting thing now will be to see whether the famous Trump bluster will turn out to be true. He says he’s going to testify, sending his defense team to the giant bottle of Tums you know they’re keeping nearby. It’s the rare attorney who allows his client to take the stand in a criminal proceeding. Sure, he’ll lie convincingly on direct, but his lies will become apparent to the jury when he is eviscerated on cross examination.

At a certain point, chickens come home to roost. The intimidation tactics the ex-president deploys on social media, including violations of the judge’s specific orders not to tweet about the court’s staff, or prosecutor, will be addressed.

And just to put a fine point on it, if you break the law, there are consequences. Calling it “political persecution” plays well in the court of public opinion, but has zero gravitas in a court of law.

During jury selection, as the ex-president was unable to stay awake in that Manhattan courtroom, the rival he calls “Sleepy Joe” was intently focused on the Ukraine and Middle East crises in the Oval Office with the Iraqi and Czech prime ministers.

And regarding Melania, I’m left to wonder why she hasn’t yet marketed a husband head-busting line of signature rolling pins.

©2024 Jon Sinton