'You’re going to hear three basic criticisms of this indictment,' writes Robert Reich. 'Let me rebut each in turn.'
The indictment plays into Trump’s claims that he’s the victim of a witch hunt and will further rile his core supporters
But in this case, a grand jury has found that he broke the law. It will be harder to cast an independent grand jury composed of ordinary people as part of a “deep state” witch hunt.So what? To be sure, paying hush money to cover up something embarrassing during a presidential campaign is not nearly on the same level as asking Georgia’s secretary of state to “come up” with the exact number of votes needed to reverse the outcome of Georgia’s presidential election, or fomenting an attack on the U.
Indeed, since the basic issue here is one of accountability, this case could actually open the way for the other, more serious ones. Prosecutors in Georgia and Washington won’t have to bear the burden of justifying an action that had never been taken before. Their more serious charges would come to a public that had already adjusted to the phenomenon of a Trump indictment.
It is true that no former president has ever been indicted, but no former president has done what Donald Trump has done — repeatedly defied laws and disregarded the U.S. Constitution. America never quite recovered from Gerald Ford’s decision to pardon Richard Nixon for all crimes he might have committed.
But Trump has used every move against him so far — whether by the FBI, the Justice Department, Congress, or even opponents in the Republican Party — to claim he’s the victim of a witch hunt. This indictment is not fundamentally different from all the other charges and allegations. His entire campaign is founded on variations of this same grievance.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
ChatGPT: Critics fear Artificial Intelligence tool has liberal biases, pushes left-wing talking pointsChatGPT has alarmed some experts who believe left-leaning biases are baked into the technology with the potential to push liberal talking points to the masses.
Read more »
GOP’s favorite talking point is half dog whistle, half nonsenseAmong the many talking points Republicans are already spouting before even seeing the charges behind the Trump indictment, one stands out: “Soros-backed.” The
Read more »
GOP blasts DOJ 'trust issue' on FISA reauthorization as Garland points to China threatHouse Republicans blasted the Justice Department about the “trust issue” the DOJ faces as it pushes to reauthorize certain Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act powers, while Attorney General Merrick Garland pointed to FISA’s use against the China threat.
Read more »
7 Books We Can’t Stop Talking About This MonthA perfect subway read, advice for writers, picks for poetry month, and more recommendations from the VF staff.
Read more »
What is the 'ludicrously capacious' bag meme, and why is everyone talking about it?Tom's roast of a Burberry handbag in the Season 4 premiere of 'Succession' has created the internet's new favorite insult.
Read more »