Trump against the State

Published in Frankfurter Rundschau
(Germany) on 9 September 2022
by Karl Doemens (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Kirsty Low. Edited by Laurence Bouvard.
Many people believed that the rule of law would manage to contain the wannabe autocrat, but now we must fear that this experiment will produce the opposite outcome.

It is unlikely that any television network would accept this plot as the script of a political satire. But in the U.S., it is bitter reality. Former President Donald Trump initially denounced the FBI raid of his Mar-a-Lago villa as political intrigue. Then he claimed that the Biden administration had planted incriminating evidence on him. Finally, his request for a halt to the investigation until the seized records have been reviewed by a special master was granted by a judge he had appointed.

Attorney General Merrick Garland rightly does not want to tolerate this farce and has now appealed the absurd decision. But this will lead to further escalation of the dispute and an alarming outcome in each possible case. At the end of the time-consuming appeals procedure, the Trumpian Supreme Court could issue a landmark decision that goes so far as to cement executive privilege. However, if Trump loses and is charged, he will rouse his supporters and mobilize the mob. His confidantes are already openly threatening riots in the street.

A couple of years ago, optimists believed that the rule of law would manage to contain the narcissistic wannabe autocrat. But now we must fear that this dangerous experiment will produce the opposite outcome.


Trump gegen den Staat

Der Rechtsstaat werde den Möchtegern-Autokraten schon einhegen, glaubten viele, doch inzwischen muss man befürchten, dass das Experiment andersherum ausgeht.

Wohl kein Fernsehsender würde diesen Plot als Drehbuch für eine Polit-Satire akzeptieren. Doch in den USA ist genau das bittere Realität. Zunächst hat Ex-Präsident Donald Trump die FBI-Razzia in seiner Villa Mar-a-Lago als politische Intrige diffamiert. Dann behauptete er, die Biden-Regierung habe ihm belastendes Material untergeschoben. Schließlich setzte er über eine von ihm nominierte Richterin einen Stopp der Ermittlungen durch, bis das beschlagnahmte Material von einem Schlichter gesichtet worden ist.

Zu Recht will sich Justizminister Merrick Garland diese Farce nicht bieten lassen und nun Einspruch gegen das absurde Urteil einlegen. Damit aber eskaliert die Auseinandersetzung mit in jedem Fall beunruhigendem Ausgang: Am Ende des zeitaufwändigen Berufungsverfahrens könnte der trumpistische Supreme Court eine Grundsatzentscheidung fällen, die die präsidialen Privilegien sogar noch zementiert. Sollte Trump aber unterliegen und angeklagt werden, wird er seine Fans aufhetzen und den Mob in Marsch setzen. Schon drohen Vertraute offen mit Straßenschlachten.

Der Rechtsstaat werde den narzisstischen Möchtegern-Autokraten schon einhegen, glaubten Optimisten vor ein paar Jahren. Inzwischen muss man befürchten, dass das gefährliche Experiment andersherum ausgeht.
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