This will only get worse for Donald Trump from here
Back in April a friend of mine bet me that by midsummer’s day Donald Trump will either be remanded into custody or he would flee the country. It’s not a cheap bet, either. He gets a bottle of good scotch and I get a book of my choice, and his taste in scotch is almost as expensive as my taste in books. I very much look forward to collecting.
Of course, with this latest news, that Donald Trump has been indicted by special prosecutor Jack Smith and Merrick Garland’s DOJ to the tune of seven felony counts surrounding the theft of classified documents, my friend is somewhat emboldened. I am too. I stand firmly by my prediction that Trump will neither flee nor be remanded in the next (as I write this) 12 days.
Meanwhile we are otherwise enjoying ourselves immensely, he in Ohio and I in England. I am particularly amused at how whiny was the reaction of the now twice indicted, twice impeached, failed ex-president. He whined on his failing social media platform, “Truth” Social, “”I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States.” He further whined: “This is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. We are a country in serious and rapid decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!”
We will probably know the content of the indictment when it’s unsealed at Trump’s arraignment on Tuesday, June 13th, the day before Trump’s 77th birthday, and it will probably be a “speaking indictment.” That is, it will enumerate the charges and include the reasons behind each charge. It will detail the evidence supporting each charge. I very much look forward to reading it and savouring every word.
The indictment will probably include the charges enumerated on the Mar-a-Lago search warrant, which included violations of the Espionage Act, destroying federal government records and obstruction of justice. The trial will no doubt be set for sometime next year, perhaps in the spring.
My friend, the one I hope to win the book from, is a renowned national legal expert. He runs a federal sentencing guidelines website. He predicts that Trump will receive a sentence of ten years, what he refers to as “effective life.” That is, Donald Trump is going to die in prison thanks to the federal charges alone.
I hope he’s right about that. Meanwhile, there is worldwide jubilation and celebration at the news. Twitter is one big schadenfreude party. Facebook is laughing at MAGAland. Most people are openly glad. Many Republicans are secretly glad. The monster has been brought to heel.
It’s important to remember that one consequence of a conviction is that Trump could also be barred for life from holding public office. That could render null and void his campaign for president. His name could instantly be removed from any ballot he may be on. His moronic base can go ahead and “write him in” to their pitiful heart’s content. To no avail.
Then of course there’s that other looming federal indictment, the one about Trump’s attempt to overthrow the government. Then there’s the indictments Fani Willis is preparing down in Georgia. Wow! I sure wouldn’t want to be in Donald Trump’s shoes just now! Trump is going to find out that his whiny little excuses on “Truth” Social don’t amount to shit in a court of law. A court of law requires evidence, not excuses. Trump only has excuses.
Above all, whatever the final outcome, this new development should remind all Americans of one abiding truth. There is a rule of law in America, it is alive and functioning, and, in the end, it applies to everyone. And, as ever, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, stay safe.
Robert Harrington is an American expat living in Britain. He is a portrait painter.