US Congress vs. Trump: In the Interest of Democracy

485

January 1, 2023

Published in Der Standard
(Austria) on 20 December 2022
by Eric Frey (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Mallory Matsumoto. Edited by Patricia Simoni.

It is critical for American democracy that the Department of Justice prosecute Trump.

Was the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a spontaneous outburst that became violent or a coup attempt guided from above? The select committee in the U.S. House of Representatives has explored this question in painstaking detail and arrived at a straightforward conclusion: Donald Trump, aided by unscrupulous advisers, was the first president in U.S. history to instigate a rebellion to stay in power despite having lost the election.

The recommendation that the Department of Justice prosecute Trump has no immediate judicial or political consequences. Attorney General Merrick Garland will make his own decision and seems to be reluctant to indict Trump to avoid the impression of a partisan judiciary. The former president’s guilt has long been obvious to Democrats and conservative “Never Trumpers,” whereas his fan base has always viewed the committee's work as a witch hunt. Trump’s star was already fading in the Republican Party after most of his candidates lost in the midterm elections.

Today, the idea that Trump will ever be led away in handcuffs is just as improbable as his returning to the White House. But it is be critical that the Department of Justice prosecute Trump on this and other charges, such as his removal of classified documents. American democracy, 230 years old, deserves no less.

US-Kongress gegen Trump: Im Interesse der Demokratie
Für die US-amerikanische Demokratie wäre es wichtig, dass die Justiz die Vorwürfe gegen Trump konsequent verfolgt

War der Sturm auf das Kapitol am 6. Jänner 2021 ein spontaner Tumult, der in Gewalt ausgeartet ist, oder ein von oben gesteuerter Putschversuch? Der Sonderausschuss im US-Repräsentantenhaus hat diese Frage penibel untersucht und ist zu einem eindeutigen Schluss gekommen: Donald Trump hat mithilfe skrupelloser Berater als erster Präsident der US-Geschichte eine Revolte angezettelt, um trotz einer verlorenen Wahl an der Macht zu bleiben.
Die Empfehlung an das Justizministerium, Trump strafrechtlich zu verfolgen, hat kurzfristig weder juristische noch politische Konsequenzen. Justizminister Merrick Garland kann seine eigene Entscheidung treffen und schreckt offenbar vor einer Anklage zurück, um den Verdacht der Politjustiz zu vermeiden. Für Demokraten und konservative "Never-Trumper" stand die Schuld des damaligen Präsidenten schon lange fest, seine Fangemeinde sah in der Arbeit des Ausschusses stets nur eine Hexenjagd. In der republikanischen Partei war Trumps Stern bereits im Sinken, seit die meisten seiner Kandidaten bei den Zwischenwahlen verloren haben.
Dass Trump je mit Handschellen abgeführt wird, ist aus heutiger Sicht ebenso unwahrscheinlich wie sein Wiedereinzug ins Weiße Haus. Dennoch wäre es wichtig, dass die Justiz diese und andere Vorwürfe – etwa seine Mitnahme vertraulicher Dokumente – konsequent verfolgt. Nichts anderes hat sich die 230 Jahre alte amerikanische Demokratie verdient. (Eric Frey, 20.12.2022)

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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