Trump's legal team recognizes that their most effective election strategy involves prolonging the case. It could be damaging to Trump's presidential aspirations if he is federally convicted of manipulating the previous election, while he simultaneously asks the American people to send him back to the White House.
Recent polls substantiate this concern. An Edison Research poll from the Iowa caucuses showed that 31% of Iowa Republicans believe Trump would be unfit if convicted. A January 2024 poll from Harvard CAPS-Harris found that if Trump is convicted on charges related to the January 6th insurrection, President Biden leads Trump by 4 points, 52% to 48% in a hypothetical match-up.
As the legal drama unfolds, it prompts a crucial examination of the delicate balance between presidential immunity and accountability.
In a speech to Justice Department employees on January 5th, Garland said prosecutors remained "committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law."
As the court navigates these complexities, it bears the responsibility to vote judiciously against Trump if the evidence supports it. If Trump prevails, it raises concerns about the potential for a future president to commit crimes with impunity. That is not American justice.
Americans deserve a swift resolution before November.
Robert Weiner was a spokesman in the Clinton and George W. Bush White Houses. He was Communications Director of the House Government Operations Committee, and Senior Aide to Four-Star Gen/Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey and Reps. John Conyers, Charles Rangel, Claude Pepper, and Ed Koch. Ting Cui is a Policy Analyst at Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change.
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