I’m not a legal scholar so I can’t comment on the 34 charges that were brought against Donald Trump in his indictment. But I can say that this is obviously the next attempt by the Soros-led Democratic Party to destroy Mr. Trump in the eyes of the American people. The whole farce is politically motivated, and nothing else. And I seriously doubt Mr. Trump will spend one day in jail.
Some have suggested that the Democrats are doing this because they WANT Trump’s backers to become even more committed to him so that he will receive the Republican nomination next year. This theory suggests the Democrats are salivating to run against Trump in 2024, believing it is impossible for him to be elected President again. Another hypothesis is that Democrats are truly scared that Mr. Trump will be nominated and win the Presidency, so they must destroy him by any means possible. Putting him in jail would, I suppose, be an effective way of doing that, though in the 1790s, a Connecticut Congressman was imprisoned by the John Adams administration but was re-elected by his constituents anyway. But this is all about destroying Trump, of course.
Mr. Trump, in all likelihood, isn’t going to jail. Most Americans can see that this is a totally politically driven indictment. The Democrats can’t win a fair debate at the ballot box, so they must resort to Third-World, banana republic tactics—use the legal system against political opponents. Even Mitt Romney said the Trump indictment sets a “dangerous precedent.” America has never done this before—arrest a political opponent to try to prevent him from running for President—and, if the Democrats get away with it, they will most certainly do it again in the future. And the Republicans are likely to reciprocate. What Alvin Bragg did is a terrible model. But it does show the hatred, and fear, the Democrats still have of Donald Trump.
What should Mr. Trump’s response be? I believe he can win the Presidency in 2024, starting right now, if he handles this injustice in a statesman-like fashion. It is all in his hands. A suggestion or two.
1. Mr. Trump certainly has the right to defend himself. That isn’t the issue; HOW he does so will make all the difference in the world. He MUST show himself Presidential here. If he starts throwing insults, name-calling, and wallowing in the muck with his political attackers, he will demonstrate that he is no better than they are, and the American people will respond, “Well, that’s Donald Trump. All he can do is insult and slander.” And Trump will lose much of the sympathy he has gained from normal Americans because of this obviously politically-driven indictment. Let others do the majority of your defense, Mr. Trump. You want to be President? Talk about the country, not yourself. Tell Americans, all Americans, clearly, forcefully, patiently, and positively, what you want to do for the country. If you continue your slanderous attacks on Mr. DeSantis and other Republicans, you will lose much of the empathy you have gained. Now is the time, Mr. Trump, to build, to stand above the political slime that is devastating the country, to show yourself a wise stateman who will truly lead America to become great again. For the next year and half, Mr. Trump, prove yourself the better person, better than the Democrats, and you’ll be invited, by the American people, back into the White House.
What kind of man is Donald Trump in this crisis, in this next, blatant attack against him? He must rise above what he has often been before, demonstrate that he has learned from past mistakes, and if he does that, he will gain the trust and admiration of enough Americans to inhabit the White House again. It is getting late. He must prove himself, starting now.
2. Unite the Republican Party. Most Republicans, even those who Mr. Trump has alienated (like Mitt Romney), are standing with him on this issue, realizing the seriousness of what the Democrats have done. This is an opportunity for Mr. Trump to re-unite as much of the Republican Party as possible. He will never get Adam Kinziger or Liz Cheney behind him, but good riddance. He does need Romney, McConnell, Graham, and others of their ilk with him though, supporting him strongly, if he is going to win the White House. We conservatives might have to hold our noses on some of this, but it’s necessary in order to win. Mr. Trump doesn’t have to become a RINO, and he better not. But he doesn’t have to antagonize and insult that element of the party, either. He can talk with them, try to build bridges with them, show them that he will be their President, too, even if he won’t cave to any Democratic Party-inspired bilge the RINOs might be tempted to compromise into accepting. This indictment has united much of the Republican Party, if not yet fully behind Mr. Trump, then certainly against the Democratic Party’s tyrannical hysteria. Can Mr. Trump turn that into support for himself? Does he have the wisdom and ability to do that? If so, if he shows himself the statesman in a crisis, Republicans, and enough Independents, will line up behind him so that he can likely win the Presidency again next year.
I don’t know how long this legal process against Mr. Trump will take. Alvin Bragg said something about a trial next January—right as the primary season gets into full swing. But any trial date is irrelevant. The only pertinent matter here is how Mr. Trump responds to it all. Wallow with his opponents in the mire and he’ll lose—even if he wins the court case. Show the American people he is the better man, and he’ll end up in the White House. It is a great opportunity for him. I hope he uses it wisely.
My third Rob Conners western novel, Return to River Bend, is now available (Kindle version only). Check it out, along with Whitewater and River Bend, available on Amazon, B&N, and Eliva.com. Allie’s Dilemma is also available on Kindle only. Also search YouTube “mark kevin lewis” for some of my Bible commentary videos. And my blog at thailandlewis.blogspot.com for other articles.