Donald Trump is back into the news. He held a “Save America” rally in Conroe, Texas, last week. I was shocked when I read that he discussed pardoning those convicted of offenses related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. That comment was trumped when the defeated ex-president promised a nationwide protest if prosecutors did anything “illegal” in bringing justice to his companies, himself, or others involved in his businesses and public activities. In essence, he promised a second coup attempt. That’s newsworthy.
I decided I would write this week’s column about what Trump said and why it represents a new low for him. I assumed, wrongly, that his comments would be ignored by the mainstream press, with Democrats condemning him and most Republicans distancing themselves from his comments. I was wrong. These latest comments are sufficiently outrageous that Trump finds himself back at the top of the news. He’s receiving more press, albeit mostly negative, than Vladimir Putin or the Winter Olympics.
Trump’s rhetoric is getting progressively more direct. It is no longer necessary to analyze Trump’s comments to understand his motivation. Trump has become unambiguous about his short-term agenda—to avoid prosecution by intimidating those who would bring him to justice. The more puzzling question today, and the one more important to focus on, is not about who Trump is or what he’s up to, but about why anyone still supports him.
I reached my conclusion after reading that “the other John Dean,” Nixon’s one-time lawyer, described Trump’s statement that he would consider pardons for the January 6 insurrectionists if he were elected president in 2024, as “the stuff of dictators.” That’s strong language. Most of us hesitate to compare Trump to Hitler or even Mussolini.
Here’s what Trump said in Texas: “If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6 fairly. We will treat them fairly, and if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly.”
I guess dozens of Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and similar “patriots” have a new reason to not walk away from Trump even though the January 6, 2021, coup failed. Those “patriots” will be needed if Trump fulfills his promise to organize a nationwide “protest” if he gets prosecuted “unfairly.”
Did Trump really promise another protest? Yes. Trump knows he is about to be indicted. He told the crowd: “They’re trying to put me in jail. These prosecutors are vicious, horrible people. They’re racists and they’re very sick. They’re mentally sick…. If these radical, vicious, racist prosecutors do anything wrong or illegal, I hope we are going to have in this country the biggest protests we have ever had in Washington, D.C., in New York, in Atlanta and elsewhere.”
Let’s take a closer look at the statement. Is Trump saying that the prosecutors are after him and his allies because they are “racists?” Does he really believe they are “mentally sick?”
And what about the promise of the “biggest protest we have ever had” in Washington and other cities? To some that would be a reference to January 6. Given the near certainty that Trump will be indicted in Washington, New York, or Georgia, this is a chilling promise.
The not-so-subtle threat of more violence got the attention of some prominent Republicans. Governor Hogan, New Hampshire Governor Sununu, and even Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) condemned the comments. (Graham’s comments earned him a condemnation from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)).
It’s reassuring that some Republicans are pushing back on Trump, but what about those with now-fading Trump flags in their garages and who have been assuring the rest of us that Trump will run and win in 2024? Will these new Trump comments change their views of Trump? I want to think it will, but am I delusional? I must ask anyone not troubled by these new Trump comments a few questions:
Should those involved in the January 6 attack on the Capitol be held accountable and prosecuted? If convicted, should they be pardoned? What would a presidential pardon of January 6 insurrectionists say about the rule of law in the U.S.?
Is Senator Lindsey Graham wrong in suggesting that if the January 6 rioters and organizers are pardoned, the chance for more political violence increases?
If Donald Trump or persons working for him (including family members) engaged in tax and business fraud, should they be brought to justice? If not, why not?
Federal and State prosecutors are now working on indictments of Trump and others involved in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the attack on the Capitol, and tax and business fraud. Do you believe any of these prosecutors are motivated by race? Have you seen any signs that any of the prosecutors are mentally ill?
Given Trump’s recent and past behavior, and regardless of your opinion of President Biden and Democrats in general, is Donald Trump the best choice to head the Republican party?
America’s facing a difficult short-term future. We don’t need any more challenges. Isn’t it time for everyone-every patriotic American—to move past Trump and look for leaders who respect the rule of law and democracy?
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and other subjects.
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