Donald Trump just doesn’t learn

| 3:00 pm EST December 19, 2023
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Probably the most basic thing you could do if you’re under criminal investigation, much less the target of an ongoing criminal trial, is to not engage in the same activities that got you under investigation in the first place. It would probably make sense to show you’re a normal, upstanding citizen in every way possible while such a trial continues.

That would at least win you the battle in the court of public opinion and maybe sway a few into thinking you’re not actually guilty of whatever it is you stand accused of. Most normal people would think this – most actual criminals also figure there’s times that they have to be on the up and up because the cops are waiting for the slightest slip up they can use against you or your people.

There’s other people and then there’s Donald Trump, who is running for the Republican nomination again, making no pretense that he’d be a dictator if elected (something he actually tried to cover up back in the good old days of five months ago) – and still refusing to acknowledge that he actually lost back in 2020. This is what has him under investigation in at least five states, with more that could bring charges soon.

One common defense that Republicans facing criminal charges are using now is general ignorance of the law – something a bit harder to claim when there’s a thing called the Electoral Count Reform Act passed last year. This means in 2024 it’ll be a lot harder to find Republicans willing to go to jail for the former guy – and a clear sign that trying to steal elections comes with consequences.