Trump faces ignominy, but the course of justice is yet to be seen
Jules Witcover
At last, the former occupant of our highest public office has been subjected to the indignity of enduring a mug shot and being charged with dishonoring the American presidency.
But out of deference to the public esteem for the office itself, it seems unlikely there will be much taste for the spectacle of airing Donald Trump’s judicial ignominy.
Nevertheless, for the sake of history books yet to be written, the Trump disregard for the highest office bestowed on him must not be ignored. His further disservice to the man he chose to be his running mate as vice president, Mike Pence, dishonored that loyal conservative fellow Republican. Pence rightly declined to join Trump in his destructive effort to assault the integrity of the American system of self-government at the ballot box.
DONALD TRUMP INDICTED: LAWYERS ARGUE COURTROOM CAMERAS WOULD ‘CREATE A CIRCUS’
Instead, Pence has held firmly to the view that the presidential election of 2020 was conducted in full compliance with election laws in place, despite desperate efforts by Trump to insist that the election was somehow invalid.
Trump now faces the allegation by porn star Stormy Daniels that Trump had sexual relations with her, which he has denied. But it is not at all certain that Trump will ever see the inside of a jail cell.
Underlining the partisan views in play here, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, has attacked the Trump indictment as “a blatant abuse of power from a DA focused on political vengeance instead of keeping people safe.” In contrast, the former House speaker, Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, tweeted: “The Grand Jury has acted upon the Law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence. Hopefully, the former president will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right.”
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Jules Witcover is the author or co-author 20 books on politics, including a history of the Democratic Party published by Smithsonian Books.