Donald Trump, the initial ex-president to confront federal charges, and his followers followed their customary pattern of adopting a victim mentality when confronted with unparalleled accusations of misconduct. However, the consequences this time are significantly more significant.
In the face of the possibility of lengthy imprisonment due to 37 charges, including obstruction, unauthorized possession of defense information, and other infractions, Trump escalated his assertions and warnings. Shortly after entering a plea of not guilty, he alleged that the impartial special prosecutor was politically motivated in targeting him, and he pledged to seek retribution against President Joe Biden if he were to win the presidential election in 2024.
During a speech at his golf club in New Jersey, Trump informed his supporters that there was an unspoken agreement to refrain from prosecuting former presidents and political adversaries. He declared his intention to appoint a genuine special prosecutor to target what he referred to as the most corrupt president in American history, Joe Biden, and pursue legal action against the Biden family, whom he referred to as the “Biden crime family.”
This pledge bears a resemblance to the “lock her up” chants that Trump led against Democrat Hillary Clinton during his 2016 campaign, yet the heightened level of detail has raised concerns among numerous experts.
Lindsay Chervinsky, a historian specializing in presidential history, expressed that should such an action occur, it would signify the establishment of an authoritarian regime, signifying the demise of a legal system governed by principles rather than being dependent on a single individual.
While vowing to seek revenge if he secures the presidency, Trump and his followers assert that he is being singled out in a manner reminiscent of authoritarian governments found in countries like Russia, where President Vladimir Putin’s opponents have been imprisoned, or Venezuela, where the prosecution of President Nicolas Maduro’s main rival took place. However, there is no evidence to support the claim that Biden made a similar commitment to target Trump, and the president himself stated that he has never attempted to exert influence over the Justice Department regarding any case.
The recent assault on the justice system by Trump signifies the most recent phase in an ongoing eight-year campaign conducted by the former president and his supporters against the institutions and longstanding practices that have played a vital role in upholding American democracy.
For a significant period, Trump has consistently voiced grievances about being subjected to unjust treatment by the legal system. These complaints range from his assertion that the judge presiding over a lawsuit involving his for-profit university held a bias against him to his criticisms targeting the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference during his 2016 victory. He went as far as promising retribution in that particular case, appointing a special prosecutor to scrutinize the handling of the investigation into potential collusion between his campaign and Russia, which ultimately resulted in just one conviction.
Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for improved governance, asserts that Trump’s previous track record adds an element of menace to his promise of seeking retribution.
According to Wertheimer, “Trump’s presidency has demonstrated a consistent pattern of utilizing and exploiting his position for personal endeavors, indicating his willingness to misuse and abuse his authority.”
Stephen Saltzburg, a former high-ranking official in the Justice Department’s criminal division who currently serves as a law professor at George Washington University, stated that Trump’s actions indicated his intention to exploit the department for the purpose of seeking revenge, which ironically aligns with the very thing he claims has resulted in his indictment.
“This is emblematic of Donald Trump’s modus operandi,” remarked Saltzburg. “Essentially, he employs a strategy of attributing to others the actions he himself would undertake if he were in their position.”
Following an investigation spearheaded by an impartial special counsel named Jack Smith, who is independent of political appointees in the Biden administration and has previously prosecuted members of both major political parties, the indictment was issued by a grand jury in Florida, a state Trump has embraced as his own. Smith, in addressing the public after the indictment was unveiled, emphasized that the investigations, including the one concerning the documents, are conducted based on factual evidence and adherence to the law.
“We have a singular set of laws in this nation, and their application is universal,” he stated.
Experts from various political backgrounds agree that the charges against Trump are a result of the legal system operating as intended, rather than being driven by a personal vendetta. Even William Barr, who served as Trump’s former attorney general, acknowledged the gravity of the allegations stated in the indictment and asserted that Trump had no justification to withhold such documents.
Michael Luttig, a former federal judge who was considered a favored conservative candidate for a Supreme Court position, expressed on Twitter that any attorney general, regardless of political affiliation, would have pursued the charges against the former president that were brought forth today.
As per the indictment, Trump retained classified documents subsequent to his departure from the White House. He openly acknowledged on a recorded conversation that these documents were classified and that he lacked the authority to declassify them since he was no longer the president. Despite the government’s request for their return, Trump declined to relinquish the records.
A significant portion of Republicans, ranging from long-standing congressional supporters to self-identified moderate governors, have echoed the former president’s grievances regarding perceived persecution, if not explicitly endorsing his promise of retribution. Among them is Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who expressed his discontent on Twitter, decrying what he termed as a “two-tiered justice system” characterized by selective prosecution.
Further evidence of the right’s adoption of Trump’s perspective emerged on Tuesday evening, shortly after his court appearance, as Fox News momentarily displayed a caption describing images of Biden and Trump as follows: “wannabe dictator speaks at the White House after having his political rival arrested.” Although the network promptly removed the chyron, it released a statement acknowledging that the issue had been “addressed,” without elaborating further on the specifics.
According to Victor Menaldo, a political scientist at the University of Washington, Trump’s grievances regarding persecution align with the typical responses exhibited by former political leaders in other nations when faced with criminal charges.
“Politically, it is logical when the leader possesses an ardent group of supporters like Trump,” Menaldo remarked. However, in contrast to other countries, he stated that these leaders are typically subjected to successful prosecution, allowing democracy to persist.
Two months following the Manhattan District Attorney’s office filing 34 charges against Trump for manipulating business records in connection to hush payments made to a pornographic actress who claimed to have had an affair with him, federal charges have now been brought against him. Additionally, Trump is confronted with legal risks in Fulton County, Georgia, where local prosecutors are conducting an extensive investigation into his endeavors to redirect the state’s electoral votes in his favor, despite losing to Biden in the 2020 election—a result that has been consistently validated. Furthermore, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. continues to investigate Trump’s actions to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election.
The charges filed in Manhattan have raised doubts even among Trump’s critics, who argue that they lack solid legal grounds. However, Trump’s supporters, including many within his own political party, do not make such distinctions and oppose all investigations targeting the former president. In fact, following the Republican Party’s assumption of control over the House of Representatives in the recent elections, they established a committee to investigate what they refer to as the “weaponization of government” against conservatives. This committee aims to highlight perceived injustices in the investigations conducted against Trump.
The recent federal charges, filed on Friday, along with the ongoing Republican presidential primary, have resulted in an increased outcry regarding the scrutiny faced by the former president.
In response to Trump’s announcement of the indictment against him, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed his support on Twitter, stating, “I, along with all Americans who value the rule of law, stand by President Trump in the face of this significant injustice. House Republicans will ensure that this audacious abuse of power is held responsible.”
Trump and his supporters highlight that Biden, too, possessed classified documents from his tenure as vice president, although there are substantial distinctions when compared to the Trump situation. Unlike Trump, the current president promptly surrendered the records upon request, and there is no evidence to suggest that he attempted to conceal additional documents, as alleged in Trump’s case. Furthermore, a separate special prosecutor is investigating Biden’s handling of documents.
Former U.S. Attorney Roscoe Howard expressed confidence that the public will be able to see through such objections in the ongoing case simply by examining the indictment itself.
“You can read it and form an assessment of whether or not he is violating the law. And anyone who engages in similar conduct will be treated in the same manner,” Howard commented. “When you scrutinize some of the arguments being made, it’s akin to saying, ‘I don’t have to adhere to these rules.'”
According to Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University specializing in the study of authoritarians, this is precisely the situation Trump finds himself in.
“This is a familiar scenario for him, but given the gravity of the situation, it’s only natural that he would intensify this narrative,” Ben-Ghiat explained. “What strongmen typically do is, if they are involved in corruption, they strive to regain power in order to dismantle any institutions that could pose a threat to them.”
