Is The Fever of Trumpism Starting to Break? Robert Reich
The Guardian, Oct. 3, 2023. Ed. - Americans should feel encouraged by the tenacity of judges and prosecutors in holding Trump accountable - ⚖
There’s reason to feel a bit more secure about the strength of American democracy, notwithstanding Donald Trump’s escalating threats. For one thing, a large bipartisan coalition in both chambers of Congress has beat back the House Maga Republicans’ attempt to shut down the government. This was a major defeat for Trump, who had called a shutdown “the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other patriots”.
Americans should also feel encouraged by the tenacity of judges and prosecutors in holding Trump accountable, notwithstanding his threats. Ever since his first indictment, Trump has attacked with increasing ferocity the judges and prosecutors who have tried to hold him accountable – calling them “deranged”, “thugs”, “hacks”, “corrupt”, “biased”, “disgraceful”, “radical”, “unAmerican”, and worse.
To their credit, judges and prosecutors have not wavered.
They have set strict timetables for Trump’s criminal trials. They have refused Trump’s many motions and appeals. They have ruled against Trump in the civil lawsuits against him and meted out tough penalties. Last Tuesday, Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling in a civil lawsuit brought by NY’s attorney general, found that Trump and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used to secure financing. As punishment, Engoron ordered that some of Trump’s business licenses be rescinded. Trump lashed out:
“The widespread, radical attack against me, my family, and my supporters has now devolved to new, un-American depths, at the hands of a DERANGED NY State Judge, doing the bidding of a completely biased and corrupt ‘Prosecutor,’ Letitia James,” Trump wrote.
As Trump’s attacks on judges and prosecutors have worsened, prosecutors and judges have responded forcefully. On Friday, the Colo. district judge Sarah B Wallace, overseeing the first significant lawsuit to bar Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot – on grounds that the 14th amendment explicitly bars from office anyone who has sworn an oath to uphold the constitution and has taken part in an insurrection – issued a protective order prohibiting parties in the case from making threatening or intimidating statements. Judge Wallace said the order was necessary to protect the safety of those involved – including herself and her staff...
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/03/donald-trump-supporters-judges-prosecutors
