Donald Trump’s inauguration and his pardoning of Jan. 6 rioters provides a lot to think about.
Start with the fact that it was a remarkable moment; a former president, who lost the previous election and facing myriad legal challenges, returns to power. Trump’s critics have consistently made the mistake of underestimating his popularity and political instincts.
That is part of his appeal. People like winners and individuals who exude strength. Trump has been successful at twice convincing enough voters in this country that he is fighting for them to win election.
Trump went so far Monday as to proclaim that the failed assassination attempt was a sign of God’s intervention for a specific purpose.
“I was saved by God to make America great again,†he said.
The Bible provides a path to better knowing God’s will. The Apostle Paul wrote that knowing God’s will involves spiritual renewal and aligning one’s life with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Is there any evidence, other than Trump’s occasional and obligatory references to God, that Trump has sought a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit?
Then there was the great irony that Trump took the oath of office inside the U.S. Capitol where, four years earlier, hundreds of rioters who had been egged on by Trump stormed the building in an effort to stop the peaceful transfer of power. And now Trump, as one of his first acts, granted clemency to all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the attack.
The move wipes away all the investigations and court decisions holding people responsible for an insurrection aimed at overturning legitimate election results and halting the peaceful transfer of power. The actions also absolved the rioters who used stun guns, baseball bats and bear spray to attack police officers.
Just days earlier, former special prosecutor Jack Smith released his report into the insurrection where he placed the blame on Trump. Smith made clear that it was only Trump’s election that allowed him to avoid prosecution.
“The [Justice] department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a president is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the government’s proof or the merits of the prosecution, which the office stands fully behind,†Smith wrote.
Smith concluded that the evidence “was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.†Think about that for a minute; had Trump not been sent to the White House, he probably would have been sent to jail.
But he was elected and his MAGA support is broad and enthusiastic. It speaks to where the country is now — angry and desirous of retribution against enemies, real and perceived. And Trump has promised that, arguing that he has the entire country behind him.
“As our victory showed, the entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda with dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society,†he said. “National unity is now returning to America.â€
That is not possible under Trump. Even he must know that he is one of the most polarizing political figures in the country’s history. But that would be to assume Trump knows history.
The fact that he said in his speech that he “has been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250-year history,†suggests that he can conveniently ignore the trials and tribulations of Lincoln, Washington, FDR and Teddy Roosevelt, who was wounded by a would-be assassin’s bullet but went ahead with a 90-minute campaign speech.
Two of the founding and enduring principles of our country are the orderly transfer of power and the rule of law. The English philosopher John Locke, who influenced Thomas Jefferson’s themes in the Declaration of Independence, articulated the importance of law over a leader’s personal desires.
“Wherever law ends, tyranny begins,†Locke wrote.
Trump has started his second term running roughshod over the rule of law, and, therefore, the signs of deterioration of our democracy are too obvious to ignore.
