The Desacralization of the Presidential Authority*

*Editor’s note: On March 4, 2022, Russia enacted a law that criminalizes public opposition to, or independent news reporting about, the war in Ukraine. The law makes it a crime to call the war a “war” rather than a “special military operation” on social media or in a news article or broadcast. The law is understood to penalize any language that “discredits” Russia’s use of its military in Ukraine, calls for sanctions or protests Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It punishes anyone found to spread “false information” about the invasion with up to 15 years in prison.

Political analyst Vladimir Vasiliev: The war to destroy Donald Trump has been declared.

Based on the past week, my diagnosis is that America has indeed brought itself to the brink and may even have crossed it. The country is on the brink of civil conflict and constitutional crisis. The U.S. is heading toward another civil war.

We also need to look at the situation from the following angle: Which president has been convicted — a future or a former one? Even Joe Biden says that Donald Trump will seek revenge if he returns to the White House. The Republican candidate will definitely settle a score with the Democrats. It is something that hasn’t happened in American politics for a very long time.

It is obvious that jurors did not hand down Trump’s verdict. Business empires and George Soros, who have money, information and administrative resources stand behind the verdict. In this sense, the war to destroy Trump has been declared. Not to mention, a precedent has been set: the desacralization of presidential authority. The division within American society has only intensified in light of these circumstances.

At this point, removing Trump from the presidential race would essentially be a blow to the entire Republican Party as an institution, affecting even those members who don’t support Trump. Consequently, such a scenario is unlikely, as an appeal of the verdict will eventually reach the Supreme Court, which prefers not to intervene in the process.

The fundamental principle of the electoral system is that voters determine the outcome of the presidential election at the ballot box. Judicial authorities should never intervene in this process. Consequently, the Supreme Court is striving to avoid such interference at all costs, as it would constitute an encroachment on American democracy.

Trump calling himself a political prisoner resonates with U.S. history a century ago. Presently, what’s unfolding could be dubbed a judicial maneuver, but there’s always another course of action. For example, Trump might call on his supporters to take to the streets in protest.

However, the judge will decide on sentencing on July 11, and for now, we only have jury’s verdict. I would describe today’s situation as a preliminary conclusion.