Former President Donald Trump skates on thin ice with 54-year-old Special Counsel Jack Smith closing in on an indictment for violating the President Records Act for retaining classified files at his Mar-a-Lago residence. Already under indictment March 28 for hush money payments to alleged former mistress Stormy Daniels by Manhattan District Attorney Alivin Bragg, one more indictment would end Trump’s 2024 campaign. Smith signaled to Trump’s attorneys that he’s under a possible indictment for retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Democrats and the press have turned Trump into a blood sport, pleading with Special Counsel Jack Smith to charge the former president. Voters have mixed feelings about whether Atty. Gen. Merrick Garl;and should prosecute Trump even if Smith has the legal grounds to indict Trump to charge him with violating the Presidential Records Act.
Garland and Smith know that the DOJ illegally investigated Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, using federal law enforcement to spy on Trump’s campaign. So, even if Smith has the legal grounds to prosecute Trump, it doesn’t mean that Garland would allow it to happen, realizing that indicting a former president would be too divisive but, more importantly, not succeed in court. When the FBI found classified documents at 80-year-old President Joe Biden’s Wilmington residence or former Vice President Mike Pence’s home, it diminished the pending charges against Trump. Trump never took a bribe from a foreign leader or any other crime other that possibly supplying money to settle a score with Stormy Daniels. Given the amount of harassment Trump received from the DOJ and FBI, it’s inappropriate for the DOJ to file charges against Trump.
All the 2024 GOP presidential candidates are attacking Trump because he’s holds a 30-point lead from his nearest rival 44-year-old Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 60, who polls under 5%, has assumed the role of attack dog, leaving it to Christie to try to knock Trump out of the race. Christie doesn’t have the following or the skill to knock Trump out of the race. Only Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland, if he decides to charge Trump, can change the current GOP race, All GOP candidates want to take shots at Trump, all because Trump is front-runner. Democrats and the press have an ax to grind with Trump, all seeking to wreck Trump’s campaign. Trump can’t catch a break with the criminal justice system, considering indicting him again, after spending at least five years fabricating lies about Trump’s alleged ties to the Kremlin.
As time goes on, it’s clear that Smith’s indictment hangs on whether Garland thinks it’s not in the best interest of the DOJ and country to proceed with more charges against Trump. If Garland listens to the Democrat Party or the press, he’d have Trump behind bars as soon as possible. But Garland knows FBI abuses discussed by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz obliquely blaming the FBI for violating its policies and procedures to go after Trump for many years. Garland could very well not take Smith’s recommendation to indict Trump, even if he has the legal grounds. Watching rabidly partisan Democrats and cable TV networks go after Trump, you’d think the public would be disgusted with the degree of bias built into the press against Trump. Listening to panel discussions at CNN shows that no matter how hard CEO Chris Licht tries to change CNN, it’s not working.
GOP candidates envy Trump because he’s a superior debater, showing far more charisma than other candidates, leaving GOP candidates looking like light weights. Unlike other GOP candidates, Trump doesn’t make anti-abortion policy the centerpiece of his campaign. Most GOP candidates back Biden’s Ukraine proxy war, disagreeing strongly with Trump seeking to end the Ukraine War in the first 24 hours of winning the 2024 election. Democrats and press don’t talk of Biden’s Ukraine war because they know it’s destabilizing world peace and the global economy. No one in the liberal press questions the advisability of a long-term proxy war against the Russian Federation. No one in the press questions the advisability to turning Russia into a mortal enemy, nor do they question Biden’s belligerent approach to Communist China, pushing both countries into a war over Taiwan.
However Special Counsel Jack Smith targets Trumpt, it’s uncertain whether Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland would follow through with charges. Nothing would make Democrats and the press happier than seeing Trump indicted for Mar-a-Lago classified docs or Trump alleged role in Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. All GOP candidates are on the same page in attacking Trump’s campaign. Only DeSantis has any shot of catching Trump but only if Smith follows through with DOJ indictments. Trump’s campaign would be seen by most GOP voters as not viable if Trump’s indicted. But for other GOP candidates, only DeSantis has a chance picking up Trump’s loyal base. All other candidates have shown too much contempt for the former president to support their campaigns. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland must think twice about following Democrats and the press demands to indict Trump.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
