The real injustice would have been not to indict Donald Trump
The former president must be subject to due process
THE ARRaIGNMENT of Donald Trump at a court in Miami on June 13th marks a first in American history. The current president’s administration believes that the previous president endangered national security, by wilfully mishandling classified documents. Even more extraordinary, the defendant is the front-runner in the Republican primary. Thus the 2024 election could turn into a campaign for Mr Trump to stay out of prison.
Such a fight would suit Mr Trump. Before the indictment was even unsealed, his campaign seized on it as a fundraising opportunity. His people lashed out against Joe Biden, Mike Pence and Hillary Clinton. All hung on to classified documents or were reprimanded for carelessness with official secrets. But only Mr Trump has been indicted—proof, they say, that he is the victim of a witch-hunt.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "Secrets and fries"
Leaders June 17th 2023
- How Britain can become an AI superpower
- Joe Biden and Narendra Modi are drawing their countries closer
- The real injustice would have been not to indict Donald Trump
- The crackdown on foreign firms will deter global business—and undermine China’s own interests
- Fiscal policy in the rich world is mind-bogglingly reckless
More from Leaders
Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidential term expires on May 20th
What does that mean for his country?
Canada’s law to help news outlets is harming them instead
Funding journalism with cash from big tech has become a fiasco
Xi Jinping is subtler than Vladimir Putin—yet equally disruptive
How to deal with Chinese actions that lie between war and peace