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Following each of Donald Trump’s four indictments, most Republicans either voiced their full-throated support for him, lamented the “weaponization” of the justice system, or came up with various other reactions ranging from hilarious to absurd. However, the responses one would traditionally offer in defense of an innocent person have been conspicuously missing.
Here is the kind of thing you do not hear Republicans or their allies in the right-wing media say: “The case is based on flimsy evidence, and Donald Trump should go before a jury as quickly as possible so he can be exonerated ahead of the election and enjoy a massive boost in public support.”
Because wouldn’t that make the most sense? If you didn’t do the thing(s), wouldn’t you want to clear your name right away? Especially if you happen to be a candidate for the highest office in the land. Imagine the groundswell of support Trump would enjoy from independents if he waltzed into four courtrooms and convinced juries consisting of red-blooded patriots that there was no hush money payment, no financial crimes, no stolen documents, no obstruction of justice, no attempt to steal the election, no conspiracy, and no coup?
He might as well reinstall his golden toilet in the White House already ahead of the 2024 election.
But Trump is the one who doesn’t want trials. As has been his modus operandi all his life, he wants to drag things out as long as possible to avoid consequences. That might work if the other side is just a bunch of contractors who got stiffed or someone Trump sexually assaulted years ago, but it won’t work in these cases.
Yet, knowing this, Trump still wants to delay proceedings for as long as possible because there is no innocence to prove.
Also, keep in mind that the former president usually tries to control the narrative. However, right now, he is ceding that narrative to the prosecutors with their indictments.
An innocent man would want his lawyers to poke holes into the government’s cases as quickly as possible. It’s not as though these are some pro bono hucksters. Trump can afford the best lawyers his donors’ money can buy.
After all, indictments aren’t guilty verdicts. At this point, they are merely allegations that a prosecutor has to prove in a court of law to convince a jury that Trump committed the crimes he is accused of.
This, by the way, is also the reason why the things the “lock her up” crowd spouts about “banana republics” and “putting political opponents in jail” are complete nonsense.
Trump remains free, he gets to hold his rallies, tell more lies, and even intimidate the odd witness or harass prosecutors and judges (although the last ones at his own peril).
In other words, seeing how he is a rich white man, the system is working as intended.
But that narrative obviously doesn’t work for Trump’s defenders, which is why they have to make up all of that other stuff.
It is telling, however, that none of them are attacking the merits of the cases (especially the last three).
We all were there after the 2020 election and glued to our TVs on January 6. And Trump keeps going on television to essentially admit to much of what is alleged in the stolen documents case.
That is why nobody is defending him on the merits.
They would if they could.
But they can’t because, while the indictments are only allegations at this point, they are very detailed, well-documented, and credible allegations. And even his right-wing defenders know who the former president is: a crook.
But he is their crook, and they are all-in on Trump, so if he ends up going down, they’ll be right there with him.
