Donald Trump has, more than once, shown his disregard for American constitutional principles and law. The most explicit manifestation of this was when he refused to accept the 2020 election results and then encouraged a mob to march to Capitol Hill to block the certification of the results. But even after he failed, Mr Trump’s disregard for the law didn’t stop. He allegedly took classified documents — marked top secret, secret, confidential, and meant only for those with security clearances within the United States (US) government or among key US partners — when he was leaving White House. The secrets had to do with America’s military plans, its nuclear programme, the military capabilities of other countries, and battle plans. And it is because of this alleged act that Mr Trump has now become the first former American president to face federal criminal charges.
The indictment against him makes a compelling case. It reconstructs in minute detail how Mr Trump allegedly took classified documents to his Mar-a-Lago residence and resort after leaving office, storing them in the resort’s ballroom, bedroom, bathroom, and storage room, among other places. He allegedly shared information on at least two occasions, while knowing fully well he had no business retaining those documents. He reviewed each box before handing over 197 classified documents to the National Archives and Records Administration in January 2022, and retaining others. When a grand jury issued a subpoena asking him to return all secret documents, he allegedly asked his lawyers whether there were ways to hide or destroy these. When federal agents raided Mr Trump’s residence and discovered another set of over 100 documents, he continued to take liberties with truth to accuse them of a witch-hunt. The irony is that Mr Trump, in 2016, had used Hillary Clinton’s relatively innocuous mistake of using her private email as an instance of betrayal of her oath.
It is striking that each allegation of crime, including those related to national security, only cements the former president’s popularity with his base, which sees the indictment as an example of a compromised and partisan justice system. He remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for 2024 presidential run. While it is for the US system to deal with Mr Trump’s actions that violate the law, his political recklessness, rejection of democratic norms, violation of law, xenophobic rhetoric and casual manner of dealing with global security issues represent a danger for the wider world.
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