The Naked Truth/Jamala Rogers
It’s Too Early to Celebrate the trump Indictment
I’m not ready to pop the cork on that proverbial champagne bottle. The 45th president is one slimy character who has slithered his way out of a lot of hot spots over the years. A plethora of charges and legal investigations have never stuck or resulted in any serious consequences. Many have their fingers crossed that this indictment will be followed by several other legal motions across the country to squash the potential presidential candidate’s political ambitions forever.
At press time, the federal charges are still sealed, but we know the indictments are related to payoffs by the former president to women for sex to hush them up before the 2016 election. The Teflon guy doesn’t see this as a moment of disgrace. He has maintained his innocence — as he usually does — and is screaming political prosecution.
The narcissistic orange man loves attention so he will use the process and the platform to rally his base and fundraise. He has launched a witch hunt campaign, raising over $5 million since the indictment (and still counting!).
As a sitting president, he made many negative firsts while in office. This indictment will be recorded as the first criminal case against a former U.S. president. Another precedent is set.
The karma of this first case is that a Manhattan grand jury brought the indictment in one of the bluest of states. Most New Yorkers share a hefty contempt for the native son. The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is the first Black man to hold that office. He comes with impressive credentials and a stiff backbone to match. He steps into the ring fully prepared for the judicial fight.
D.A. Bragg has promised that there will be no special treatment of trump when he turns himself in for arraignment. Bringing him to booking in handcuffs may be optional, but a mug shoot and fingerprints are certainties. However, trump must be afforded all the security measures of any former president.
The ex-president is problematic for sure. He has a big hand in the racial and political polarization of the country before, during and after his presidency. The January 6 insurrection directly points the finger at trump. No matter how great trump thinks he is, he is only the figurehead of a rightwing movement currently dubbed Make America Great Again.
In real terms, MAGA is about disenfranchising and disempowering the non-white, non-male and non-heterosexist sectors of our society. That’s on the domestic side. On the international side, MAGA means asserting the imperialist dominance of the U.S., even if it means going against long-time allies. There are many dangerous casualties to this policy, unfolding on a daily basis.
We can’t possibly predict the outcome of this indictment. What we know is that it will garner undeserving media attention and suck up millions of tax dollars for the prosecution.
I’m all for dirtying up the 45th president’s legacy for future generations to understand that he was a danger to democracy and world peace. Let’s also keep sight of the millions of supporters who are poised to vote for him should he slip through the judicial cracks once again. We must keep our eyes on the prize: a true democracy that honors the participation of all the people and that protects their human rights.