Do the Crime, Do the Time
When campaigning against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Donald Trump made several comments regarding “classified” and “top secret” documents. On August 18, 2016, he stated, “In my administration, I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified documents. No one will be above the law!” Apparently, this is a new day and his perspective on the subject has clearly changed dramatically.
The present state of the Rethuglican Party is this: Responding to the most recent indictment of Donald Trump, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that it was a “grave injustice.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) then predictably chimed in with “This indictment is garbage.” Of course, this was even before the indictment was unsealed (Thurs., June 8) and they had absolutely no clue as to the specific charges. On the other hand, this is what the Editorial Board of the ultra-conservative National Review had to say on this subject (Sat., June 10) after the indictment was unsealed.: “It is impossible to read the indictment against Trump in the Mar-a-Lago documents case and not be appalled at the way he handled classified documents as an ex-president and responded to the attempt by federal authorities to reclaim them.”
If McCarthy, Cruz, or any MAGA marionette were inclined to get so far as page 2 of the indictment, they would read: “The classified documents Trump stored in his boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries, United States nuclear programs, potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack. The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military and human resources, and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods”
On page 22 of the indictment, there is a reference to a conversation that Trump had with “Attorney 1” (May 23, 2022) in which Trump says, “Well, what if we, what happens if we just don’t respond at all or don’t play ball with them?” “Well look, isn’t it better if there are no documents?” That surely blows the right-wing’s Clinton, Obama, and Biden comparisons out of the water. The unhinged MAGA crowd did get one thing right. There is, indeed, a two-tiered justice system. But, Trump is the beneficiary … not the victim! In 2017, Reality Winner (U.S. Air Force veteran and former NASA translator) was convicted of releasing just one document confirming Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. This interference had Trump’s encouragement and approval. She spent more than a year in pre-trial detention (i.e. jail) and received a five year prison sentence. Trump is, for the time being, a free man. So, it’s one tier for Trump and another for everyone else. That’s the reality.
