The end of Donald Trump
The entire world is waiting and wondering if or when Donald Trump is going to be charged with the crimes he committed before, during, and after January 6. Speaking with MSNBC, Laurence Tribe believes it inevitable that Merrick Garland will ultimately charge Trump. Tribe is not only a legal expert, but he is Garland’s former professor and current friend. It is unlikely that, as tight-lipped as Garland is known to be – he has did anything specific to Tribe, but Tribe does know him well. Also weighing in on the issue is Glen Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor who frequently speaks on these topics.
While Trump has not yet been charged, Business Insider quoted Kirschner: “That will change. It has to change if we care about the survival of our democracy. He will be indicted.” To allow Trump to walk away from all he has done with no repercussions will not bode well for our democracy. What’s to stop other candidates from behaving the same way and what if one is successful in overturning a free, fair election? We cannot take that chance. Most Americans agree, as reflected by a recent ABC News/Ipsos Poll that revealed 58% of Americans believe Trump should be charged. Interestingly, when looking inside of that poll, the number of Republicans who believe Trump should be indicted has doubled from 10% to 20%. These numbers reveal that people are, in fact, listening to the evidence being presented by the House Select Committee, and the committee promises more.
Reuters reported yesterday that vice chair Liz Cheney said that the committee will make “several” criminal referrals to the DOJ regarding Donald Trump’s actions. When asked whether the DOJ had any plans to prosecute Trump, Cheney said that the DOJ will make a final decision on who it prosecutes but that she is concerned that if charges aren’t brought, others will behave similarly because of a lack of consequences. As Cheney pointed out, people need to be held accountable. That the only way that others will know not to even try the nonsense that Trump pulled. Liz Cheney is correct. We cannot allow people to take our democracy or the Constitution lightly. They are the foundation upon which this country was built, and if people like Trump are allowed to destroy them, what do we have left?
It is imperative that others like Cassidy Hutchinson speak up and share with the American people what happened that day. Donald Trump was clearly not willing to give up the presidency, and he would have done whatever it took to keep it. Trump knew he lost; too many people have already testified to that fact. Instead of graciously accepting defeat and moving on to the next chapter in his life, Trump tried to stay in power, and he didn’t care who he hurt in the process. As Cheney said: “A man as dangerous as Donald Trump can absolutely never be anywhere near the Oval Office ever again.” If these proceedings accomplish that, then they have served their purpose with or without criminal charges.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years