No one knows how the criminal prosecution of Donald Trump will play out in coming months, though it’s safe to say the 2024 presidential election will be unlike any other in American history.
A lot depends on reaction by the Trump cult’s rabid following, how much Republican politicians bend reality to defend Trump and to what extent mainstream media treat all of this as politics as usual.
If Trump followers resort to violence, like they did during the bloody Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, Trump would surely lose support of moderate and independent voters. Yet some Republican leaders are using the threat of potential violence to rouse support among Trump’s gun-crazed fanatical followers.
Media are unable to resist covering the colorfully dressed throng of MAGA enthusiasts. Opinions of clueless morons who think Trump is a shrewd negotiator and successful business leader are often treated as equal to those of academics and historians who have repeatedly warned us about authoritarian threats to American democracy.
By flooding the media zone with nonsense, Trump defenders are able to confuse and overwhelm audience members who would rather tune out than attempt to make sense of the proceedings.
I’ve closely followed coverage of Trump’s 37-count criminal indictment across traditional and social media. I’ve read smart and thoughtful analysis that picks apart the absurd counterpunches of Trump defenders in detail. I can assure you that reaction by many can be summed up with the internet slang TL;DR, which stands for “too long, didn’t read.”
It’s not that people don’t care. It’s just that our attention spans have been shortened to about the length of a firecracker fuse.
The greatest threat to American democracy isn’t Trump, it’s Republican politicians who continue to support him because they are afraid of alienating his supporters.
One thing the GOP understands well is that its strength comes from unity. The slim House majority exists only if nearly every Republican member votes in unison. Republicans know they have no chance of winning elections in 2024 without the support of Trump followers.
Never mind that Trump followers may be gullible suckers. The GOP needs them, along with others who comprise a fragile coalition that managed to eek out a narrow win in the 2016 presidential race and has done nothing but fail to meet expectations ever since.
Bullies have assumed an oversized role in American politics. Facts seem less important than attitude. Some of today’s most influential politicians are characterized by raised voices, pounding fists and attack dog mentality. It’s all for show, and their supporters lap it up.
Media do no favors to the citizenry by mainstreaming such performances and providing platforms that serve to legitimize outrageous views. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but not every view deserves to be amplified. Decision makers in the free press appear increasingly eager to abandon their roles as gatekeepers for the sake of ratings.
Despite the best efforts of journalists to justify the presentation of outrageous views as holding a mirror to society, it’s never enough in the minds of those locked in echo chambers of tribal partisanship. Anything short of full embrace of made-up conspiracy theories is regarded as proof of media bias and part of an orchestrated witch hunt.
I don’t know how we get out of this predicament. I only recognize the danger it poses to American democracy. I think we all should be alarmed when members of Congress attack the independence and legitimacy of the Department of Justice rather than concede the possibility that Trump might have broken the law.
In normal times, appropriate responses would be that defendants are innocent until proved guilty, Trump will get his day in court and evidence and testimony will determine his guilt or innocence.
How can senators and representatives confronted by media assert with such certainty that Trump is a victim being persecuted by political rivals? How can they threaten to defund the FBI and Justice Department in one breath and claim to be the party of law and order in the next?
Hardcore supporters will never consider the possibility that Trump is a lifelong shyster who has weaseled his way from one scam to the next. They disregard mountains of evidence and latch on to talking points provided by GOP leaders and their wealthy donors.
This dynamic should terrify lovers of liberty and defenders of democracy. Next year’s election is immensely consequential. Those who believe in justice and the rule of law should muster every available resource to encourage voter participation.
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Many pundits will posit how they believe the prosecution of Trump will play out. Some will say his defense lawyers will drag out the proceedings and delay a trial to avoid presentation of evidence in court before the election.
Others will say he’ll accept a plea to avoid prison time in exchange for a promise to drop his bid for the presidency. Experts will speculate about a possible pardon. Commentators will make careers out of handicapping the GOP primary and theorizing how Trump would tell his supporters to stay home unless he is the Republican nominee.
The truth is, nobody knows because we have never before known a situation like this. Every scenario remains possible, from the most mundane to the totally apocalyptic. My advice is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Trump faces a reckoning, but so does America. Trump’s personal reckoning involves potential consequences for specific deeds detailed in pages of criminal indictments.
America’s reckoning involves truth, money and power. We must choose whether we are nation where everyone is created equal or a corrupt state that allows the wealthy elite’s control of a political party to undermine justice for all.
Ted Slowik is a columnist for the Daily Southtown.
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June 15, 2023 at 03:42AM
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Column: Reaction to Trump indictment shows we face a political reckoning - Chicago Tribune
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