Jack Smith's resignation plans are another confirmation of the president-elect’s abiding ability to escape legal and political accountability.
Summary
After facing nearly 100 felony charges, including a historic conviction for hush-money payments, Donald Trump’s legal troubles appear to be stalling.
Jack Smith, the special counsel leading key federal cases on election interference and classified documents, reportedly plans to resign following Trump’s recent election victory, which effectively nullifies these cases.
Trump’s return to office, combined with Supreme Court rulings enhancing presidential powers, signals he may face minimal accountability.
This lack of oversight could empower Trump’s administration to act with unprecedented legal and legislative freedom.
The justice dept went easy on Trump because it sets a very dangerous precedent for the current administration to use the power of the justice dept on political rivals. He was removed from office and his actions were investigated and displayed to the public. Under normal circumstances, those actions should make it so he cannot run again. The electorate are designed to be the check on political power, but it failed.
I fear elections no longer have that check. I do however believe the justice department made the right decision. I don't think it should criminally prosecute political rivals, because then we end up with situations like Nivalny dieing in prison. The justice department played it's role by exposing all of the criminal behavior, the electorate did not by allowing someone that dangerous back into power.
I understand your frustration, and I think he is guilty of the things he is accused of also. I still think the justice department made the correct democratic decision of setting the precedent that the executive branch does not prosecute political figures when the electorate has a chance to make that decision.
I hate that the electorate decided that none of those offenses were damning enough to flush that turd, but that's democracy. He won the popular vote and it's up to those of us unhappy with the result to convince others that we need better leadership.
The investigations into January 6th and the classified documents were slow-walked beyond belief. Trump didn't even announce reelection until after the FBI raid. That was in August 2022! 20 months after January 6th.
If you or I did any of this we would have been in a government black site, not free to run for reelection.
Trump won't have the same hesitation when he starts his revenge tour.
Compare to Brazil. They had a similar scenario play out with Bolsanaro. He was prosecuted and barred from office until I think 2030 for his stunt. It doesn't seem controversial.
Because Biden is a feckless conservative Democrat who cares more about protecting the INSTITUTIONS of American democracy, such as the notion that presidents and former presidents deserve special treatment, than democracy itself and appointed an AG who agrees.
Which he and his administration of course failed spectacularly at in every way possible.
He was exactly the wrong president for the moment.
The country needed bold action to stave off societal collapse and in stead, it got Mr Slow And Steady to reassure the owner donors by rearranging the deck chairs and shouting at people to stop complaining about the icebergs.
Seriously. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus and had pro-confederate newspapers shut down. That is what a real response to a threat to democracy looks like.
Because the U.S. sat at the table with nazis to try to appease them and now the nazis are in charge and the country won’t get a damn thing for trying to be nice because nazis.
From what I've read, the concept of appeasement was buying time because Britain was in no position to do anything, which ultimately worked (I'm reminded of the quote "Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.").
However it doesn't work if you're not planning to do anything!
Biden could've used Trump's own tool - presidential impunity and either fired judges or plain locked up Trump or worse, first: forcing republicans repeal the law, two eliminating threat, and three - potentially painted as villain in history. I still marvel at how little Dems care for "the idea" and how much they care about their own bottom line 🙁
Because the propaganda machine made up of foreign bot farms, billionaires and republican “news” media has convinced half the American population that it’s all fake news. Oh and most of the judicial system is corrupted by republican politicians.