Most of the time, there is so much going on in the world that I have to think about what I want to write for the day. Today is one of those days. Do I write about something Trump said or did? Do I write about inmate firefighters in California? We are living in a dystopian present, so the fodder is deep and wide.
In the end, I chose to write about Trump. In this case, it is because people need to be reminded that he is a danger to our democracy and the Constitution. Trump is most certainly not the stable genius he claims to be, but he is a very skilled manipulator. A lifetime of practice has taught him how to take advantage of the fears and anger of other people.
As the saying goes, when someone tells you who they are, believe them. Trump has, time and time again, told us who he was. Yet, a good chunk of the nation just doesn’t want to listen.
As long as I can remember during his Presidency, he has made it clear that the Constitution is a barrier to his plans. One of these plans is to stay in the White House for the rest of his life. In fact, if he wants to stay out of jail, he really has no choice.
Trump is the subject of several federal and state investigations. DOJ guidelines don’t allow for a sitting President to be prosecuted while in office. While we claim no one us above the law, this essentially makes the President above the law while he is in office. There is no provision to ‘stop the clock’ on any statutes of limitation for crimes that may have been committed by the President either prior to assuming office or while in office. Yes, there is a provision for impeachment, but we know how that works as long as Congress is willing to cover for the occupant of the Oval Office.
Some say that, should Trump lose the election, he would just resign and let Pence pardon him. There is a flaw to this logic. A Presidential pardon only covers federal charges. Trump would still have to face state charges in New York. The penalties for some of those charges would place Trump in jail for the rest of his natural life. We all know he would not brook this.
We really need to stop treating this next election like it will be normal. Trump is already cheating. He has hobbled the USPS because he assumes that will cut down on Democratic votes. He has spent the entire pandemic calling it a hoax. His base will vote in person no matter what. Trump is betting that, if Dems have to vote in person, it will prevent a lot of people from voting.
He has been regularly exclaiming that, if he loses, the vote is rigged. This is nothing new. This is a play from his 2016 campaign. He couldn’t even accept a victory there because he did not win the popular vote. To him, this is a loss.
Trump expects to lose this election. He is ramping up his base to riot should/when that happens. Whether he wins or loses, this will not end well for the United States. He has pushed past every democratic and Constitutional boundary that he has found in his path. Imagine what he will do when he no longer feels he has to pretend he cares about the country?