In 1894, when labor unions were still powerful in the United States, the wheels of the American economy came to a standstill. What began as a railroad strike against leading rail car manufacturer Pullman grew into a nationwide war between the labor movement and the federal government. The leader of the strike, socialist Eugene Debs, was jailed for disrupting nationwide mail delivery. In 1918 he was imprisoned again. His animosity against America’s involvement in the war in Europe earned him the sentence of ‘hollowing out’. Nevertheless, in 1920 he ran for the presidency. He became the first person to attempt to reach the White House from prison.
It remains to be seen whether prison bars will hinder Donald Trump’s political ambitions. The path to the presidency may be closed, but many more hammers must fall. First, Trump must be convicted in the newly opened case America vs Donald Trump – a strong contender for case of the century. In that, like Debs at the time, he is charged with obstruction, but a degree worse. Due to Debs, train services were halted. The indictment alleges that Trump sought to subvert American democracy. If the jury’s verdict is ‘guilty’, another case may be based on the law which prohibits persons who engage in ‘sedition or sedition’ from holding public office.
Regardless of the outcome of the 78 criminal charges Trump has collected, it shows what twists Trumpism can take. They follow a pattern: sharper, more accusatory, and more ridiculous defenses.
Trump was said by all sides to be a bona fide loser
It begins with submission to a jury verdict, which is constitutionally enshrined as a basic principle of American justice. Trump and supporters want to change the case to serve in Washington DC. They say the jury in DC is anti-Trump by definition. Now 95 percent vote Democratic in the U.S. capital, but the law requires a trial of an alleged crime — unfair. Trump is seeking a hearing in West Virginia (which, incidentally, is not the state where he finished second best in the previous presidential election). He should have invited his supporters to march to the Capitol on the day the 2020 election results will be decided.
Point two is about freedom of expression. Trump and his allies are demanding the former president’s right to say what he wants. Jack Smith, the attorney, freely admits that Trump is within his rights to claim that Joe Biden won by fraud, and that he should have been president himself, regardless of whether the allegation has any basis in fact. Put another way, Smith reminded the audience that free speech extends to lies, whether you’re president or not.
Putting pressure on the Vice-President (who has the procedural responsibility to decide election results) to change the final result is not allowed. It is also prohibited to form a plan with partners to override polling results from different states. That’s what Trump has done, Smith concludes, and it amounts to a conspiracy against America.
What matters is whether Trump’s actions were intentional. To be convicted, it must be shown that he knowingly attempted to alter a legitimate election result. Testimony from his aides, journalistic reconstructions and memoirs show that Trump was heard from all sides as a bona fide loser. It seems that refusing to accept that reality is going to prevent another attempt at the presidency.