Editorial: Nemesis catches up

A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Donald Trump over hush money payment to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign

Hyderabad: The indictment of Donald Trump, the first American president, sitting or former, to face criminal charges, is a historic development that reflects triumph of rule of law and democracy in a country that is more polarised than ever before. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted the maverick Republican leader over hush money payment to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign. He faces more than 30 counts of fraud, including falsification of payment records in a case involving payment of $1,30,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in October 2016 to buy her silence about a sexual encounter she claimed to have had with him in 2006. The transaction, made weeks before the presidential election, was allegedly in violation of the poll campaign finance rules as it was falsely recorded under the head, ‘for legal services’. The extraordinary development, though long expected, is bound to shake up the 2024 presidential race with Trump being a frontrunner to be the Republican nominee. Given his proclivity for unhinged behaviour, there are fears of street violence breaking out in the country. The indictment could be merely the first salvo in what may be a series of indictments over tax frauds and other charges. Trump’s early announcement of a presidential run was clearly calculated and timed to politicize the indictment that he knew was coming. With the support of die-hard loyalists and the ultra-right-wing media outlets, he has vigorously impugned the legitimacy of a duly elected district attorney and a grand jury.

The four years of Donald Trump’s presidency, marked by lies, racist abuses, indecent attacks on political opponents and anti-science policies, had vitiated the political atmosphere. Graceless in his defeat in the 2020 presidential elections, he even instigated mob violence that led to his supporters storming the United States Capitol in January 2021 in an unprecedented incursion bid to subjugate democracy. He is already facing multiple investigations into allegations that he tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia; played an abettor’s role in the attack on the US Capitol; and retained classified documents even after demitting office. The 2020 electoral outcome revealed Trump as a sore loser who had no qualms about spreading conspiracy theories and openly calling upon his supporters to indulge in seditious activities. A month ago, he called for nationwide protests in anticipation of the Manhattan grand jury’s adverse decision. With Trump gearing up to play the victim card, it will be a challenge for the US authorities to ensure that the legal proceedings are conducted peacefully. He must face justice despite the concerns about what it might mean on the streets, at the ballot box, and beyond. To let him off the hook would be to abandon the law. In the months ahead, the strength of America’s democracy will be tested in ways never before imagined.

---