By Sid Schwab / Herald columnist
So Donald Trump was indicted (or, as he spelled it, “indicated”) and now we know the particulars. And we know that he reveled in it, was fundraising over it; even, having been deprived of an official mugshot, created one printed on a T-shirt he’ll send you “free of charge” with a minimum $47 donation. Preferring the spectacle, he declined the opportunity to do it remotely. To his idolaters, he’s more heroic than ever.
The facts are undisputed, which explains the right-wing response. From the outset, they’ve attacked the Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, President Biden, George Soros, and the commies behind the prosecution. Filling the air are claims that “This isn’t America anymore,” “We’ve become a banana republic,” “It’s communism.” In fact, it’s what separates America from dictatorships: Potential crimes were investigated, evidence was presented to 23 members of a grand jury, which recommended indictment. The accused was presented with the charges, a generous amount of time was granted before the next court appearance (eight months), and, eventually, in a court of law, appearing before a jury of fellow citizens, he’ll have the opportunity to defend himself; after which he’ll be acquitted or found guilty.
In countries to which Trump et cultum are comparing the process, he’d have been arrested and imprisoned on the spot. Or executed. Our system is one of many things that MAGAlready. It’s “political” or “election interference” only to the extent that he chose to run, hoping to avoid indictments. Too bad Al Capone didn’t think of it.
In other news…
There’s been another demonstration interrupted by rioting, overturned vehicles, broken windows, arson and multiple injuries. Again, BLM and antifa … weren’t involved. It was mainly white college kids, celebrating winning the NCAA men’s b-ball championship, to do with which they had nothing. Shall Congress investigate?
Speaking of weaponizing government, following the indictment, Rep. Jim “Gym” Jordan, R-Ohio, of the Weaponization of Government subcommittee, is calling for defunding the FBI and Department of Justice. He’s forgotten, evidently, how he and all Republicans campaigned on the (very few, not leaders) Democrats who called for defunding the police after the murder of George Floyd. Back home at Mar-a-Lago, Trump called, amongst the usual lies, for the same (Washington Post: tinyurl.com/helies4u).
Days after the latest massacre of school children with legally-obtained AR-15s, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a permitless-carry law in Florida. The event was atypically closed to the public and press. Present were legislators who wrote the bill and — get this! — representatives of the NRA. Well, at least Running Ron doesn’t hide to whom he’s beholden and to whose concerns he listens.
Regarding that mass murder in Tennessee, about which the U.S. representative from the district where it occurred said there was nothing to be done about it, masses of school children and their parents — more than would show up to support Trump in NYC — protested at the state capitol, demanding that the overwhelmingly Republican House of Representatives take action on guns. Three Democratic representatives joined the crowd. Comparing the noisy but nonviolent demonstration to Jan. 6, 2021, Republicans proceeded to remove those Democrats from committees, deactivate their access cards, and are in the process of expelling them entirely. Such is their love of democracy and free speech. Such is their characteristic abuse of power.
Putting into words the symbolism of DeSantis’ NRA-honoring signing ceremony, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said: “We’ve done about as much as we can” about gun control. Left unsaid was the implicit end of the sentence: “… and still collect bribes from the NRA and votes from our gunly-paranoid base.”
In heavily gerrymandered Wisconsin, where, as in Tennessee, Republicans disproportionately outnumber Democrats in their legislature, a liberal judge just won election to their Supreme Court, decisively, giving it a liberal majority. This will have enormous impact on abortion rights, gun control, and election fairness, as well as national Electoral College prospects. Gerrymandering doesn’t work for elections in which state-level candidates are selected by all voters. Which is why Democrats still hold the U.S. Senate. But not Wisconsin’s.
Asa Hutchinson, former Republican governor and representative from Arkansas, manager of the Clinton impeachment, announced he’s running for president. He’ll lose of course, and not just because he’s the only Republican who dared to defend the process by which Trump was indicted, urging people to wait and see. A definitional conservative, he’s a throwback outlier in today’s Republican party.
Running through it all is a common theme: Trumpism. It’s been systematically tearing down the constitutional foundations of America, infecting every state, but especially the red ones. Maybe DeSantis’ wildly unpopular permitless carry law and Tennessee’s fascistic, undemocratic legislative bullying will become a bridge for Republicans to cross the Rubicon back in this direction, back to rationality, rejoining the democracy they claim to love, instead of destroying it step by step.
Right. And Trump will stop lying.
Email Sid Schwab at columnsid@gmail.com.
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