Richard Nixon resigned in August 1974 and was pardoned a month later by his successor as US president, Gerald Ford. For example, Nixon continued to face criminal charges after the Watergate scandal. Bill Clinton did not step down when his affair with Monica Lewinsky became public in early 1998. He ended his second term in the White House and struck a deal with prosecutors on his last day as president. He admitted lying under oath, paid a $25,000 fine and gave up his five-year legal license to ensure he was not charged privately
Looking back helps to understand that what is now widely labeled as historic is not really an exaggeration that demands attention, because it is again about Donald Trump. About the ex-president, who crossed so many boundaries in domestic and foreign policy, simply stripped away so many certainties and pushed his country to the edge of the imaginable.
The charges against Trump in New York for covering up a payment of hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign are historic on several levels. Because it is the first time that a former president has been convicted. And because it will change something in the way the United States sees itself.
Ford and Clinton got away with it. George W. Bush’s illegal war in Iraq has long been applauded. American presidents have never been free from misconduct, criticism and questionable politics, but the most powerful men in the world have remained above the rule of law. Until now.
The charges against Donald Trump are consistent, some would say: overdue. But that is a political decision. Investigate, gather evidence, and if sufficient in the eyes of a prosecutor or, as in this case, a grand jury, press charges. That is the job of the judiciary in a constitutional state, and Alvin Bragg fulfilled this job as a Manhattan district attorney.
The prosecutor relieves the historical burden of the proceedings
As far as can be judged from a distance, Bragg has not let himself be put under political pressure. Not even by Donald Trump, who almost wanted to scream about his own arrest in order to use it for himself. Not even those who said it was better not to press charges where the prospect of a conviction is far from guaranteed and where Trump could potentially amplify it.
With the convening of a grand jury earlier this year, Bragg initiated a process that he is now rightfully completing. So that the judiciary and the prosecutor’s office do not allow themselves to be exploited by Trump’s populism. Since entering politics in 2016, he has done everything he can to undermine democratic principles and reinterpret them as an attack on himself and his supporters.
The Stormy Daniels case is one of several possible trials Trump is still facing — including attempted post-election fraud in the state of Georgia, over the classified documents lying around his home in Mar-a-Lago, or inciting the storm on Capitol on January 6, 2021 -, the smallest by comparison. But with his indictment, District Attorney Bragg not only relieves the rest of the trial of the historic burden, but may also be concerned about the political ramifications of an indictment.
The first step has been taken. More may follow. No one should be above the law, not even the US president. That should be the compass for all investigations and possible charges.
“Lock them all up” – but not Trump, of course
The bitter realization of this historic news is that it will by no means save the country’s democracy from Trump or Trumpism (which Republicans like Ron DeSantis are currently developing). Trump has built his base well for himself in recent years.
Two impeachments, a storming of the Capitol, several potentially illegal acts: none of this will change her loyalty to him. During his speeches, Trump likes to shout: “Lock ’em all up”, “Lock them all up”. He means his political opponents, from Hillary Clinton to the latest prosecutor to investigate him. You belong in prison, not him.
And the system of primaries benefits Trump. His supporters will be extremely motivated during the internal party elections that determine a party’s presidential nominee. They show up and vote. Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis and others will have to mobilize hard for a chance. Even after a conviction and consequent rejection by the party establishment — which, despite everything, has only been seen in homeopathic doses so far — Trump needn’t lose the nomination.
In all the drama that Trump is deliberately creating, there must be institutions that will not be fooled by it. Who do their job, even if the outcome of legal proceedings can never be guaranteed. It needs that balance. But that doesn’t mean Donald Trump and the danger he still poses are over.
This article was first published on Zeit Online. Watson may have changed the headings and subheadings. Here’s the original.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
