Donald Trump’s growing legal crisis

The charge sheet against Donald Trump is getting longer. After the 34-count indictment against her in late March for falsifying records of money secretly paid to a porn star, we can now add her 37-count indictment for hiding classified documents . They will be read out in a Miami court on Tuesday. In August, Trump is likely to be indicted for attempting to overturn the results of the presidential election in Georgia. At any time, he could be charged for his role in the January 6, 2021 mob attack on Capitol Hill.

Each one of these cases breaks precedent. No former US president has ever been charged with a crime, let alone one who aspires to be president again. The special counsel, Jack Smith, was at pains to underscore that Trump, like any other American citizen, is innocent until proven guilty. But the volume and extent of the charges against him suggest he faces high odds of an eventual prison sentence. The latest charges alone carry a prison sentence of up to 400 years. Even convicted Trumps can continue to contest elections from prison.

The American system thus faces two serious tests: The judiciary will be put under intense strain to show that it is working fairly and methodically. While the rule of law applies equally to every citizen, it is important that America’s most powerful alleged criminal be treated fairly and fairly. It works both ways. So far, America’s judiciary has worked well.

However, the fact that the Florida judge assigned to the case is Eileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, is a windfall for Trump. As presiding judge, Cannon bent over backwards last year to slow down the legal process following the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago last year. No one can compel the canon to recuse himself from the matter, which is a matter of his discretion. He has the leeway to delay the trial till after the 2024 presidential election. Either way, Trump’s growing docket of upcoming tests is likely to be subject to multiple stops and starts. Justice can be delayed again and again.

An even more serious test is political. Far from damaging Trump’s popular standing, each indictment appears to strengthen his grip on the Republican base. Most of Trump’s rivals for the nomination, including the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, have echoed Trump’s claims of a corrupt judiciary doing President Joe Biden’s bidding.

Although Biden has been cautious about leaving his Justice Department to its own devices, Trump’s conspiracy theories are being amplified by much of the Republican establishment. They are playing with fire. Support for the rule of law and the mission of the FBI used to be cornerstones of the Republican Party. Now it is openly agitating against both.

On Saturday, Trump said 2024 would be a “final battle” between the forces of good and evil. If he is elected, there will be “retribution”. He has every incentive to turn the 2024 election into an existential showdown. If Trump wins next year, he will definitely forgive himself.

The American republic is thus entering a period of greater peril than during the failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Should Trump be the Republican nominee, which now looks likely, Americans will essentially vote next year in a referendum on the rule of law. According to Trump, the Deep State is out to get the average American and he is the only one standing in its way. Millions of Americans believe this selfish nonsense. Judiciary should do its job without any fear or favour. The verdict of the political system will be more important still. The only thing more powerful than the rule of law is the will of the American people. Trump’s fate ultimately hinges on that.