Trials of high-profile personalities attract media attention and public interest as the fortunes of the rich and powerful have a particular fascination for many.
Still, the current investigations into former US president Donald Trump’s alleged criminal activities in the past few years have severe implications for the future of democracy.
Trump currently faces 78 State and federal charges in three different criminal indictments that include efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election, alleged mishandling of classified material after he left the White House and falsifying business records concerning charges stemming from a hush payment made before the 2016 election to an adult film star.
Trump also faces potential new charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Most of these charges could lead to lengthy imprisonment terms for Trump. The logistics, security and politics of jailing a former president mean a conventional sentence is seen as unlikely by many experts.
The political impact of these trials is difficult to determine at this stage, even if it looks likely that the 2024 election will be a rerun of the Biden vs Trump contest.
The Republican Party is in a quandary and split on what needs to be done in the country’s best interest. Some Republican grandees, like former vice president Mike Pence, have openly criticised Trump for running again for president while facing such serious accusations.
Others, aware of the majority support that Trump enjoys with Republican voters, are shamefully supporting the former president. Incredibly, many Republicans still do not consider Trump as a threat to democracy and some actually believe him when he says: “They are not indicting me, they are indicting you.”
The time for a proper soul-searching exercise by the Republican Party is long overdue. Having Trump as the Republican standard bearer is simply unacceptable and it is time for Republicans to stand up and be counted and to dissociate themselves from him. History will judge them harshly if they fail to do so.
The risks to democracy on a global level are well defined by John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser and now his critic. There is no doubt that Trump’s obsession with winning the 2024 election is more than ego, redemption, score-setting or the future of his country. It is about his personal freedom. The possibility of Trump being re-elected and using his presidential prerogative to pardon himself is a nightmare scenario.
Bolton argues: “This would be extraordinarily bad news and the impact internationally would be devastating. That is why people need to come to their senses.”
He appealed to Republican leaders to find an alternative candidate adding: “Somebody better take the initiative and say we are heading off the edge of a cliff here.”
If there is a silver lining to the cloud that threatens the prospects of lasting peace in the world, it is that, in the US, the world’s most prominent democracy, no one is above the law.
Still, the global geopolitical situation is getting more complex as a result of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the deteriorating relations between China and the US. This is not good for the global economy and for democracy.
The free democratic world in which the US has a crucial role must present a united front against demagogues’ attempts to trample on the democratic rights of free nations and individuals.