It seems fair to say that so far as the American system of democracy is based on the rule of law, that system is under fierce attack in the matter of the Trump indictments.
In fact, the situation is unprecedented and may easily devolve into a terrible crisis.
The country is split roughly in two. One side believes he must be held accountable for inciting an insurrection and attempting to steal the 2020 election.
The other side believes his unsupported assertions that the election was stolen from him and that he is the victim of political persecution.
Given the messy way both democracy and the criminal justice system actually work, it may turn out that neither side will ever gain complete satisfaction.
The court cases now under way are occurring under the cloud of the 2024 election cycle. They’ve taken prosecutors years to prepare and now time is growing short for them to conclude before reaching the point they truly would interfere with those elections.
That would be an unacceptable breach of the norms that help preserve the legitimacy of our democracy.
As for those who buy Trump’s argument that he the victim here, they eventually are going to have to accept the truth that he is his own worst enemy when it comes to what got him into legal trouble. This all could have been avoided but for his actions as a sore loser.
I can’t help thinking that this entire messy chapter in our history could be solved at least in the short term by a deal. Trump pleads guilty to some charge, and is barred permanently from ever again holding public office.
That’s pipe dream, I know, but wouldn’t it be nice? The whole psychodrama could go away and we might be able to getting down to addressing the real problems facing us collectively, like climate change, wealth disparity, the rise of authoritarianism, and the existential threats that face our children and grandchildren
LINKS:
Trump pleads not guilty to federal charges that he tried to overturn the 2020 election (AP)
Bill Barr says Donald Trump 'knew well he lost the election' (BBC)
Barr warns Republicans about getting caught in Trump’s ‘carnage’ (The Hill)
A President Accused of Betraying His Country (Edit Bd/NYT)
Pence says Trump and his ‘gaggle of crackpot lawyers’ urged him to reject 2020 result (Guardian)
VIDEO: ‘Trump Asked Me to Put Him Over the Constitution,’ Pence Says (AP)
Trump’s indictment for Jan. 6 turns Mike Pence into a litmus test (Politico)
Trump Election Charges Set Up Clash of Lies Versus Free Speech (NYT)
Jeffrey Clark plotted to reverse Trump’s loss. Now he’s a GOP luminary. (WP)
Yet another Hunter ‘bombshell’ is a dud (The Hill)
What Can You Do When A.I. Lies About You? (NYT)
Human-assisted artificial intelligence detected 20% more cases of breast cancer than two experienced radiologists in a trial in Sweden, a new analysis shows. (WP)
Scientific discovery in the age of artificial intelligence (Nature)
AMPTP Reopens WGA Negotiations With New AI-Generated Offer (Hard Drive)
California goes all in on AI (Axios)
Credit downgrade shocks Biden aides, as more debt fights loom (WP)
Workers to Employers: We’re Just Not That Into You — In the postpandemic economy, we’re living more and working less (WSJ)
George Clooney And Meryl Streep Helped Lead The Charge To Get A Bunch Of A-Listers To Donate Millions To The SAG-AFTRA Relief Fund (Uproxx)
Will talks between US officials and Taliban leaders bring Afghans hope? (Al Jazeera)
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell 66% in July (Reuters)
Russian warship seen listing in Black Sea after Ukrainian sea drone attack on major base (CNN)
Ukrainian Troops Trained by the West Stumble in Battle (NYT)
The Ukrainian Counteroffensive Is Not an Action Movie (Atlantic)
The Countdown to the Next Great War Has Begun in Africa (Newsweek)
Biden calls on Niger’s junta to release Bazoum and restore democracy (Guardian)
Anti-LGBTQ backlash grows across Middle East, echoing U.S. culture wars (WP)
Therapist Gives Slight Wince Of Recognition After Hearing Which Friend Recommended Her To New Patient (The Onion)
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