Yesterday Donald Trump was convicted by a jury of 34 counts in the so-called “hush money” case. But what this case was really about was Trump’s cheating in the 2016 presidential election, by covering up his affair with Stormy Daniels with false documents. Democracy requires that all participants respect the process and accept the results. You cannot support democracy only when you win.
Trump and his sycophants have called this trial “rigged.” That is a dangerous lie. The rule of law is the foundation of our democracy. Any challenges to the verdict can be challenged through an appellate process that challenges rulings by the trial court to which Trump’s lawyers objected. But saying that the process is “rigged” is a dangerous lie that can lead to violence.
Trump’s political career is marked by efforts to cheat, to ignore or flout the rules. The first impeachment was because Trump threatened Ukraine’s President Zelensky with withholding aid if Zelensky did not lie and claim that the Bidens were being investigated for their business dealings in Ukraine.