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The political weaponisation of American courts to achieve a farcical conviction of Donald Trump bodes a worrying outlook for American democracy, its legal system and the country’s social cohesion. Basically, it may aid Trump.

Trust in courts is based on the understanding that a person will get a fair and impartial trial, even if they disagree with the outcome. However, the case against Trump is so blatantly political that it undermines confidence in the American legal system at a time when there is a serious loss of confidence in all key institutions of society – churches, media, education and government.

It leaves tens of millions of Americans asking, if U.S. courts can be so wilfully and unashamedly manipulated to make Trump the first former President to be convicted of a crime, how far are other key institutions of the United States also being manipulated and corrupted?

Hence, the issue is not about whether you like or dislike Trump, but about lowering Americans’ trust in their own society.

Ridiculous Prosecution

The prosecution was ridiculous.

Trump’s lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, paid Stormy Daniels $US130,000 to stay silent on the claim she had a consensual sexual encounter with Trump. Sordid, but not illegal.

Arising from this payment is the alleged crime that Trump’s organisation recorded this payment as a legal fee to Cohen and not as hush money.

This was such a minor misdemeanour that Biden’s own Justice Department refused to prosecute.

Democrat and former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr also concluded that there was no case to answer. Further, the statute of limitations meant the time period for laying charges had passed.

However, the new incoming Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, in part campaigned on the promise to prosecute Trump. To avoid the statute of limitations, Bragg had to hike up the charge against Trump to a felony, alleging it was committed in pursuit of another felony. This second felony was not even specified in the trial.

Moreover, the court conviction was largely based on the testimony of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer. Cohen has been convicted of perjury, has admitted to stealing from Trump’s organisation, then made a career out of attacking Trump.

This is the sort of prosecution that could be expected from the old Soviet Union’s kangaroo courts, not in the world’s leading democracy. It says to Americans that, rather than the law providing for a fair trial, the law can be weaponised against anyone, even a former U.S. President.

Trump still faces three other criminal trials. Two concern alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election result, and one concerns his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. However, these cases appear unlikely to reach the courts before the election.

Legal Distortions

In the face of this politically motivated operation, President Joe Biden said: “Our justice system … should be respected. We should never allow anyone to tear it down.” He added that Trump was entitled to appeal, but that it was dangerous and reckless to suggest that the trial was rigged “just because they don’t like the verdict”.

This is far from reality. It is Democrat activists who are destroying trust in the legal and political system by politicising, abusing and destroying the integrity of the law and courts.

As The Australian’s foreign editor, Greg Sheridan, observed: “It’s not necessary to have the slightest personal sympathy for Trump to regard this as a monstrous attack on U.S. democracy and a clear misuse of the judicial system. This did not show that no one is above the law, it showed that the law can be mobilised against almost anybody …

“The biggest loser in all this is not Trump, it’s the entirety of American democracy.”

Trump’s team have said they intend to appeal directly after his sentencing on July 11.

This trivial prosecution could have happened any time over the last seven years, but was clearly timed to do maximum damage to Trump’s campaign for the U.S. presidency at the November 5 election. Prior to the verdict on May 30, polls put Trump and Biden neck-and-neck.

Will this conviction damage Trump’s support? It should be remembered that, when Bill Clinton was impeached, the polls showed a marked increase in support for him.

Further, a Trump campaign statement just after the trial, said: “Our digital fundraising system was overwhelmed with support.” A day later, contributions had reached nearly $US53 million ($A80 million), with a third from first-time donors.

Another day later, donations reached $US200 million, with $US70 million from small donors.

The ongoing political manipulation of the courts to prosecute Trump by Democrat activists could in fact backfire at the November election.

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Republished with thanks to News Weekly. Image courtesy of Carlos Herrero.