Republicans defending Trump are a danger to our democracy.
What they are trying to do is actually unconstitutional, but they do not care.
Issue #288 OpEd March 27, 2023
As of noon today, Monday, March 27, 2023, Donald Trump has not yet been indicted by SDNY District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Fulton County, GA District Attorney Fani Willis, NY Attorney General Leticia James, or the DOJ's Special Prosecutor Jack Smith.
Three of those four are Black, so of course, Trump labels them as racists, animals, human scum, etc., and calls for their removal. Except for Jack Smith who was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, all of the prosecutors were elected by the voters of their respective jurisdictions.
None of the four works for or answers to Donald Trump. He is just blowing smoke by demanding their removal.
Of course, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis did remove a duly elected Democratic District Attorney who stated that he would not arrest anyone for getting an abortion or helping another to obtain the medical procedure.
The acts of Trump and DeSantis are the work of fascists and authoritarians.
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Additionally, per the actual Constitution of the United States, Congress, including the very slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives, does not have any jurisdiction over the work of local district attorneys nor over the work of the Attorney General of New York.
Those actual facts have not deterred Speaker Kevin McCarthy, nor Committee Chair Jim Jordan from sending letters to D.A. Bragg, demanding information about his still-ongoing case against Donald Trump.
Republicans say they support "states' rights" until those rights get in the way of their goals.
Republicans call themselves "the party of law and order" until one of their own commits crimes.
Donald Trump is only running for president again because he thinks that will insulate him from being charged with any of his many crimes over the years.
It is only a "policy," not a law, that current presidents cannot be indicted. There is no policy or law about former presidents.
Of course, House Republicans, who still have not agreed to lift the debt ceiling or present an official budget, want to pass a bill that "former presidents" cannot be charged with a crime, either. That bill will never become law.
Unless and until Trump is re-elected and inaugurated, he is just a regular person, even though he is a declared presidential candidate. He hasn't even been chosen as the official Republican candidate; that won't happen until the summer of 2024. Even then, he would still be a regular citizen.
He has no immunity against prosecution except in his own mind.
He can call this a "witch hunt" all he wants. He and his allies can whine until the cows come home about this being political persecution.
The prosecutors of the Southern District of New York prosecute hundreds of similar crimes every year.
Trump is not above the law for committing the same types of crimes.
Trump has promised to keep his campaign going even if he is indicted, and his supporters do not care about his negative legal status.
People are saying this is "unprecedented." Of course it is. Never in American history has there been a president or former president or presumed presidential candidate as corrupt as Donald Trump has been for the past several decades.
Even when Trump is indicted, getting to the actual trial can take months or more, and conviction is not guaranteed. There are currently at least four different cases and possible indictments building against him.
The majority of Americans actually look forward to seeing Trump in handcuffs, doing a "perp walk," and in an orange jumpsuit to match his manufactured tan. But that's not going to happen.
An indictment is just an accusation. A whole lot more needs to happen before Trump has to trade his too-long red tie for an orange jumpsuit, and although Trump will have a mug shot taken and will be fingerprinted, he would most probably be released on his own recognizance and not paraded around in handcuffs.
The only rights and privileges Trump enjoys as a former president are his presidential pension and 24/7 Secret Service protection, both of which are paid for by We The People. Will a Secret Service agent have to go to jail with Trump?
But as bad as Trump is, what is worse is the group of MAGA Republicans who are supporting him no matter what.
They are willing to bend the rules, ignore the Constitution, and do whatever they think is necessary to keep from holding Trump accountable.
That is the real danger. These people are elected representatives in our government, and Kevin McCarthy is 2nd in line for the presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris.
The MAGA Republicans and their supporters are the real danger to the United States of America and our 234-year-old Constitutional democracy.
The United States Constitution, in operation since 1789, is the world's longest-surviving written charter of government. Its first three words – “We The People” – affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens, not just one man who desires to be dictator-for-life.
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