Weeks before the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, President Donald Trump told Attorney General Bill Barr to bring criminal charges against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for launching a supposed coup against his administration.
“Unless Bill Barr indicts these people for crimes — the greatest political crime in the history of our country,” Trump said, “then we’ll get little satisfaction unless I win.”
“Where are all of the arrests?” the wild-eyed president added, following a fury of tweets on the subject. “Can you imagine if the roles were reversed? Long-term sentences would have started two years ago. Shameful!”
Of course, there wasn’t a shred of evidence to support Trump’s claim. Perhaps Trump wanted Barr to “create” the necessary evidence? Or maybe Trump thought he was powerful enough to jail them without reason?
Let’s keep it real. It was Trump who was attempting a coup d’état of sorts by asking that his political opponents be arrested for fabricated charges.
Fortunately, Barr, even as an avid supporter of Trump, refused.
Only William Barr stood between Trump and the end of democracy in America. Had Barr followed through, things would have gotten very ugly fast.
Trump will try again
We predict that Trump, sometime in his second term, will try to imprison his opponents again. Less than four months in his new term, he’s demonstrated he’s more unhinged than ever. Consider the reckless, drastic federal cuts and layoffs with little strategy or planning. But even that pales in comparison to his attempt to deport folks to an El Salvadorian prison in secrecy and without due process.
Picture this: as an American citizen, you voice your opinion against Trump on a Monday. Suddenly, while you’re simply fueling your car, ICE detains you. By the end of the weekend, you’re inexplicably in a Salvadoran prison.
None of your family knows where you’ve gone because there’s no trial, your name isn’t disclosed by ICE, and next of kin isn’t contacted.
But, wait. They can’t do that if you’re a legal citizen, right?
Answer: They certainly can, illegally. Without due process, you can’t prove you are who you are. And because your name won’t be released, no one will know ICE illegally captured you. To your family, you will have vanished from the face of the earth. This scenario underscores Trump’s continued desire to purge his enemies.
The key distinction between Trump’s past and present is the composition of his team. Previously, his staff would challenge him and resist unlawful actions. However, he has since adapted by surrounding himself with individuals who will unquestioningly comply with his directives, regardless of their legality.
Judges have cautioned Trump, making it clear they won’t tolerate his antics, yet the president seems determined to challenge their authority and might even choose to defy them outright.
Regardless of his level of success, look for Trump to try to imprison some or most of his political opponents and/or popular, outspoken critics.
American democracy is ripe for the taking because too many of us simply don’t care about the rule of law or justice anymore. And, more importantly, many of our leaders today are no better than many of the fraudsters they represent. It’s deeply concerning that many of our public servants who have sworn an Oath to defend the Constitution are acting contrary to their promise. By choosing to believe and disseminate disinformation, they are, whether intentionally or not, fostering distrust in governmental institutions and potentially inciting violence. This situation raises serious alarms about the integrity of our democratic foundations.
The onus is on our leaders and the media to put their country ahead of their party/ideology, facts over fraud, and evidence over suspicion.
If it weren’t for a handful of straightforward conservative leaders, such as then Attorney General Bill Barr, who stood their ground against Trump’s demands, it’s hard to say what state the United States might be in after the 2020 Presidential Election.
And there’s certainly no guarantee we’ll be as fortunate if our democracy when tested once more. Again, many of our leaders, instead of being honorable defenders of freedom, like the late Sen. John McCain, are no more virtuous than many of the low-lifes who put them in office.
There’s enough liberalism and conservatism in America to go around. And at every level of government, both parties should be expected to win elections and lose them.
And regardless of our affiliation, we must be willing to accept that our candidate and initiatives of choice won’t always win.
No matter our ideological affiliation, it’s crucial that we urgently accept the reality that our candidates won’t always win and our preferred initiatives won’t always be implemented. THAT IS WHAT MAKES AMERICA GREAT!
Oftentimes, the mark of true character is how we handle defeat and address situations that don’t resolve as we’d hoped.
A lot of Americans today, including and especially Trump, lack character.
“We know that dictators are quick to choose aggression, while free nations strive to resolve differences in peace.”
– George W. Bush
Do you think Trump will attempt to stifle his opponents and/or high-profile critics?