Trump Will Not Rein Himself In

Published in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
(Germany) on 12 February 2020
by Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Zahra-Claire Bahrani-Peacock. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
The U.S. president refuses to respect the boundaries set by the system of separation of powers. The rule of law? An independent judiciary? Only when it suits him.

Anyone could see this coming. After being acquitted in his impeachment trial, President Donald Trump will now give himself free rein and do as he pleases. He commented on the long prison sentence called for by prosecutors in the criminal case against one of his former confidants – who has been found guilty – describing the situation as horrible and unfair and spoke of it as a miscarriage of justice.

Then, shortly afterward, the U.S. Department of Justice harshly challenged prosecutors on the sentence they had recommended, after which prosecutors withdrew from the case. It can be seen immediately how Trump’s response is an abuse of power, and, as mentioned above, it comes only a few days after the end of his impeachment trial. Trump cannot and will not hold back.

Even more worrying is that this president refuses to respect the institutional boundaries set by the system of separation of powers. Like all absolutists, he considers himself to be above it all. The rule of law? An independent judiciary? Only when it suits Trump; and when it does not, he seeks to discredit and mock those involved.

This is what makes people lose faith in state institutions—although maybe that is exactly what Trump wants? He considers himself a champion of the people, that he is enough. In his eyes, there cannot be any other centers of power. Yet the U.S. Constitution does not allow for an absolute ruler, it does not place all power in the hands of only one person. The leader in the White House is not there to oversee the judiciary. Trump’s dream is the same as that of any other autocrat.


Trump will sich nicht zügeln

Der amerikanische Präsident ist nicht bereit, die Grenzen zu beachten, die das System der Gewaltenteilung zieht. Rechtsstaatlichkeit? Unabhängige Justiz? Nur wenn es ihm passt.

Man hat es kommen sehen: Nach dem Freispruch im Amtsenthebungsverfahren legt sich Präsident Trump keine Zügel mehr an. Weil Staatsanwälte in einem Strafverfahren gegen einen früheren Vertrauten lange Haftstrafen forderten – der Angeklagte war zuvor schuldig gesprochen worden –, spricht Trump von einer furchtbaren und unfairen Situation, faselt etwas von Justizirrtum.

Wenig später rügt das Justizministerium das geforderte Strafmaß prompt in harschen Tönen, worauf die Staatsanwälte sich zurückziehen. Es liegt somit nahe, von einem Fall von Machtmissbrauch zu sprechen – und das, wie gesagt, nur wenige Tage nach Ende des Impeachment-Verfahrens. Trump ist weder fähig noch willens, sich zu mäßigen.

Noch besorgniserregender: Dieser Präsident ist nicht bereit, die institutionellen Grenzen zu beachten, die das System der Gewaltenteilung zieht. Er glaubt in absolutistischer Manier, er stehe über dem Ganzen. Rechtsstaatlichkeit? Unabhängige Justiz? Nur wenn es Trump passt; wenn nicht, dann sucht er die Beteiligten zu diskreditieren und lächerlich zu machen.

Aber so verlieren die Leute das Vertrauen in die Institutionen des Staates. Vielleicht will Trump das ja, er sieht sich als Sachwalter des Volkes, das genügt. Andere Machtzentren darf es nicht geben. Doch Amerikas Verfassungsordnung will keinen absoluten Herrscher, sie legt die Macht nicht in eine Hand, der Herr im Weißen Haus ist nicht der Oberaufseher über die Justiz. Trump jedoch träumt den Traum aller Autokraten.
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