Tom on Trump's Indictment

 Now that Donald Trump is under numerous indictments for the many violations of laws pertaining to his Mar-A-Lago classified document storage facility, (his bathroom), much of the Republican Party officeholders, both state and federal ,as well as most of the declared GOP presidential candidates, have engaged in a frenzy of teeth gnashing and garment rending at the unfairness of it all. They see Mr Trump as a mythic hero, like Joan of Arc or Jesus H Christ, who were ultimately betrayed by their own people.

Republicans portray themselves as the 'Law and Order' Party, an appellation that dates back to the Nixon Administration. When Democrats are under the legal microscope Republicans howl for blood like so many ravening hyenas, but when Republicans stand accused of misconduct they cry "Witch Hunt" and claim "Unfair Prosecution". 

In the matter of Mr Trump's litany of problems, anyone who feels that he is some sort of victim is guilty of Magical Thinking at the very least. His legal problems are mostly self-inflicted and are  growing apace, and one of these days the legendary 'Million Pound Shithammer' will come crashing down on his prematurely orange head. And that's not even taking into account the federal charges that he faces for his role in the Jan 6 insurrection, or the state charges that he faces in Fulton County down in the Land of Georgia. 

Being simplistic about the array of legal issues that Mr Trump faces, we can reduce the possible outcomes to two: Trump is convicted or Trump is acquitted. Although he is currently leading the race for the Republican presidential nomination, I see no way that he can prevail in a general election. So if Mr Trump manages to dodge all of the bullets aimed in his direction, he can spend the remainder of his days playing golf and basking in the adulation of his acolytes like an obese and disagreeable manatee.

But what happens if he's found guilty? The current set of charges that he faces carries possible penalties of over 400 years in a federal prison. Now nobody in their right mind would expect a sentence that is draconian to be imposed in the event of a conviction, but Mr Trump is pushing 80. A 5 year sentence would likely turn out to be a life sentence. I fear that the imposition of such a sentence might lead to a certain amount of civil unrest. What's a judge to do?

I found myself pondering that very question earlier today. There's nothing much that we can do about Mr Trump if he manages to navigate the legal gauntlet he faces unscathed. But if he's found guilty, what would be the best way of dealing with him? I remembered a short story that I read in high school called "The Man Without a Country" ,that told the story of an army officer on trial for treason. He was convicted, and because he had denounced the United States, he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life confined to US Naval vessels, but never again be allowed to step foot on US soil. And I found myself wondering if that might be the way to deal with a guilty Mr Trump.

Let us say that Mr Trump finds himself standing before a Judge awaiting sentencing. But the Judge surprises everyone and offers Mr Trump a deal. He can accept a 10 year prison sentence which will commence immediately. He will not be free pending appeal. His next meal will be some of the execrable vegetable loaf that is commonly served in state and federal prisons. Or he can renounce his American citizenship and accept exile to one of the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Russia, North Korea, or Hungary. It sounds more than a bit off kilter, but sometimes you have to think outside the box..