Tuesday presents advocates on both sides of the Trump indictment screaming match with an opportunity to learn what they’re screaming about.
To date, this “debate” has stumbled along blindly in tribal darkness, with blindfolded Trump loyalists screaming that. “It’s all political,” while many myopic Never Trumpers have already concluded that Trump is guilty of a felony in the Stormy Daniels tawdriness.
Neither side has any idea what it is talking about. How could they? Like the rest of us, they have no clue what is in this indictment, and won’t until it is unsealed Tuesday morning at Trump’s arraignment in Manhattan.
After all this heat, finally a little light.
Donald Trump has proved time and again to be an existential threat to the foundations of our country. Our survival as a nation may be dependent on keeping him from a return to the presidency.
But I’m not completely comfortable with this indictment. Understand, if he broke the law, he broke the law, and should be held accountable. But amongst the sharks swimming in Trump’s toxic tank, this is a guppy.
And that makes me ambivalent. To extend the piscatorial metaphor, there are in fact bigger fish to fry. And those are those big keepers I want fried to a crisp.
Certainly, I can understand wanting to deny ever touching Stormy Daniels with a pole of any description. Nobody would want to admit that, right? And it’s true that paying hush money, in and of itself, is not illegal. Only if the payment is made in commitment of a crime does it become an indictable offense.
Again, we don’t know the first thing about this case. And we won’t until Tuesday morning.
But it’s accurate to say that this charge is relatively murky, at least as opposed to the gin-clear series of felony indictments Trump is inevitably going to face.
My fear—my certainty, actually—is that Trump’s Toadies will use this case as a premise to dismiss the other federal and state indictments that are just up the road.
Stormy Daniels? Whatever. Aside from the embarrassment, I mean.
But trying to steal an election?
Trying to intimidate election officials?
Inventing and perpetuating a Big Lie that that has divided our country like nothing else since the Civil War?
Jan. 6? Defending and even lionizing the Jan. 6 thugs who attacked our Capitol, resulting in loss of life?
Stealing classified documents and continuing to lie about it?
Now, to quote Merle, you’re on the fightin’ side of me.
Bring it.
