I will not waste my time convincing Democrats that indicting Trump is a bad idea. They are so convinced of the righteousness of the cause there is no point explaining to them that they’ve just opened their own candidates to future indictments.
Republicans yesterday, before the indictment news broke, were busy laying out their case that Joe Biden had taken bribes. If he loses in 2024, he better lawyer up. So too should Hunter Biden.
Donald Trump and his administration did not aggressively legally pursue Hillary Clinton. No Republican, in the future, will do anything other than aggressively pursue their Democrat rival upon taking office.
You can claim the cause is righteous. The other side does not see it that way. You can claim highmindedly that justice demands action, but even the Greeks knew justice at the cost of the world burning down was not worth pursuing.
Like it or not, 74 million Americans voted for the man, and just a short while ago, when CNN provided him with a town hall, progressives melted down, killed the network’s ratings, and the CEO of CNN got ousted. Do you really want to even start arguing the man can get a fair trial with fair coverage from the press? You will struggle to change minds on this, and that’s the problem. You could beat him at the ballot box and be rid of him. This elevates him.1
I would love for Trump to go away. I think he won in 2016 because Hillary Clinton was that bad. He was small-hands fluke against a deeply disliked woman whose campaign manager ran one of the worst presidential campaigns in modern times. I think he legitimately lost in 2020 and he took the GOP down in 2018 and 2022. I think he botched the handling of classified documents too and I wouldn’t be surprised if he engaged in some harebrained, poorly thought-out scheme that warrants charges. Still… you beat him at the ballot box.
Biden might have just helped him get the nomination. Republicans will circle the wagons. However, a prosecution could bleed him dry and keep him off the campaign trail. It will enrage not just Trump supporters but a lot of Republicans who do not care for the guy but also understand how destabilizing this action is — particularly when coupled with progressive smugness in the media that refuses even to acknowledge the points I’m making.
On the other hand, no one really expected Trump to win in 2016. If he wins in 2024 with Biden’s age and economy dragging down the Democrats, God himself will struggle to protect the Democrats from Trump’s vengeance.
Better to beat Trump at the ballot box than cart him off to jail. It won’t look like justice to half the country and, to many, it will look like a crossing of the Rubicon. Also, if you have not heard, Miami residents are really loathed to convict politicians. Try him there, and a jury finds him not guilty, Grover Cleveland will no longer be the only man in history to have won, lost, then won again the presidency.
By the way, look for the GOP contenders to message this thing in one of three ways. They’ll claim Trump is owed a debt of gratitude and this is all bad, awful, and unfortunate. But we need to find a candidate who can run unshackled to avenge Trump. Therefore, vote for me and I’ll honor Trump, win, and get revenge while he’s in court fighting them there. Not sure it will work, but it might. It really is, I think, a great pivot here for the rest of the field. Just argue that, however sad and unfortunate it is, Trump cannot both fight the feds, the City of New York, and Fulton County, Georgia while also fighting the Democrats politically at the same time. Promise to avenge the man if nominated and elected. Get the nomination, go after Biden on culture and pocketbook issues, then be a winner not named Trump. When the press demand to know if you’ll pardon Trump, smile with a twinkle in your eye, look straight into the camera, and say, “Elect me and find out.”
On the other hand, the candidates could argue Trump couldn’t stop the steal, couldn’t stop the indictment, and sure as hell can’t stop the deep state in 2024 so we better find someone else and give them a chance.
The third option is most truthful: Trump has no impulse control and brought this on himself by withholding documents after claiming he turned them all in. But no one wants to hear that.
By the way, in case you missed it above, Fulton County, Georgia will be indicting him too more likely than not. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Poor old Doug Burgum is going to need to try to take credit for the indictment to get any oxygen this week or next for his nascent presidential campaign
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This is the political equivalent of one of those nature shows, where a pack of hyenas nip and bite and chase the much larger, stronger lion until he's weekend so much the pack finally overwhelms and kills him.
"When the press demand to know if you’ll pardon Trump, smile with a twinkle in your eye, look straight into the camera, and say, “Elect me and find out.”"
Or use Biden's line... "Watch me."