Mulvaney: Bragg’s folly: What to expect if Trump beats the rap
I suppose it might be difficult to add any sort of interesting insights on the current New York City criminal trial of former President Donald Trump. It has, unsurprisingly, dominated the headlines for weeks, as Trump once again has proven to be irresistible catnip for media across the political spectrum.
As a result, there have been all manner of opining on the gravity of the event, the day-to-day interactions (one network even has a sort of live-tweeting running on television), the former president’s alleged sleeping habits, and the temperature (both figurative and literal) in the courtroom.
Indeed, there are precious few aspects of the story that haven’t been (with apologies to Arlo Guthrie) inspected, detected, infected, neglected, and selected. There is no shortage of material, for example, on what a conviction would mean, where Trump might spend jail time, whether he would be in the general prison population and how it would affect the campaign.
And there have been no shortage of graphics lending visual encouragement to those who long to see the former president frog marched into a setting reminiscent of the television series "Oz."
But there is one angle you don’t hear much about: What if Trump wins?
I know the simple suggestion is anathema to some. And it doesn’t even seem to appear to be an option to others. But is it really all that outrageous to contemplate?
Yes, the jurors are pulled from an overwhelmingly anti-Trump demographic area in Manhattan. But it probably isn’t fair to conclude from their home addresses that these jurors won’t take their responsibilities seriously. If they do, there are all sorts of places they can hang their hats, if they do indeed believe that the district attorney has failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Maybe they consider the prosecution’s heavy reliance on the gratuitously salacious testimony of Stormy Daniels as evidence of a weak case. Maybe the prosecution’s theory of “a-small-paperwork-misdemeanor-turns-into-a-major-but-uncharged-felony” is just a little too much to swallow for anyone lacking an Ivy League Ph.D. in Trump Derangement Syndrome. Or maybe they spent five minutes listening to Michael Cohen and, well, they realized that he is Michael Cohen.
Maybe the jury just does what juries have done since juries have been around: Vote not guilty in order to send the message that, while maybe the defendant is technically guilty, this entire thing has been a huge waste of time, and the case never should have been brought in the first place.
Finally, even if they do think that Trump is guilty as sin, maybe they don’t want to open the door to throwing a former president in jail for a bookkeeping error, regardless of how intentional it might have been. Murder? Yes. Selling secrets to our enemies? Absolutely. Recording an otherwise legal hush money payment as a legal expense in his own business ledger? Probably not.
So, maybe Trump beats the rap. And if he does, you can only imagine the political fallout. This case — the first of the four criminal actions against him to be announced — was the genesis of Trump's 2024 campaign mantra: “Look what they are trying to do to me…and if they are doing this to me, imagine what they can do to you…Vote for me and I will make sure that won’t happen.”
Trump has ridden that simple message — and "Bidenflation" — to a small but not unsubstantial lead in the polls, and to leads in nearly every important swing state.
If he is found not guilty, that “victimization” message will likely become louder and even more credible. If a jury actually acquits him, he can and should point to the simple fact that the charges were "political lawfare" from the beginning. He will make similar claims regardless of the outcome, but how much more powerful that message becomes — especially for independent voters — once a Manhattan jury confirms it.
Regardless of outcome, if Trump does in fact win reelection in 2024, history may well look back on the decisions of one man as more responsible for that outcome than any other: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D). By bringing a campaign attack ad thinly disguised as a criminal prosecution, Bragg gave Trump an entirely new platform from which to run his 2024 campaign.
Bragg has been feted nationwide by those infected with Trump Derangement Syndrome for bringing this case, but one has to wonder how the left will see him if the jury foreman pronounces “not guilty,” and Donald Trump marches straight out of courtroom and into the White House.
Mick Mulvaney, a former congressman from South Carolina, is a contributor to NewsNation. He served as director of the Office of Management and Budget, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump.
Date: | |
Tag: | Donald Trump |
Filter
-
Who needs to win the most? Can Scheffler get back into contention? What to expect on moving day at the U.S. Open
From who to trust heading into the weekend to who over par can make a move, Mark Schlabach and Paolo Uggetti address what to watch in the final 36 holes at Pinehurst No. 2.ESPN - Sports - US Open -
What Trump told CEOs in their private meeting
What Trump told CEOs in their private meetingCNBC - Business - Donald Trump -
What's to lose with a second Trump presidency? Here's a list.
If Trump achieves these goals, he will be the most powerful and dangerous president in American history.The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
What Trump told the House GOP about abortion
Politico - Politics - Abortion -
Don’t expect the frozen race between Trump, Biden to thaw any time soon
Indictments, convictions, rants, gaffes and the imminent death of democracy (according to some) — the 2024 race just keeps on coming. And yet, the polling has barely moved between President Biden and Donald Trump .The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
What Trump pitched on taxes to Capitol Hill Republicans and CEOs
CNBC political finance reporter Brian Schwartz joins Meet the Press NOW to report on former President Trump’s meeting with top CEOs in Washington and his sit-down with congressional Republicans.NBC News - Politics - Donald Trump -
CEOs at Trump meeting say he was 'meandering' and 'doesn't know what he's talking about'
Former President Donald Trump failed to impress everyone in a room full of top CEOs Thursday at the Business Roundtable’s quarterly meeting, multiple attendees told CNBC.NBC News - Politics - Donald Trump -
CEOs at Trump meeting: Ex-president ‘meandering’ and ‘doesn't know what he's talking about’
Trump offered scant details on how he would reduce taxes and cut back on business regulations, according to two people in the room.CNBC - Business - Donald Trump -
Beat the heat with the best baby stroller fans of 2024
Keep your baby cool this summer with one of the best stroller fans of 2024.CBS News - Top stories -
Tony Predictions: Expect Wins for ‘Merrily’ and ‘Stereophonic’
Our reporter surveyed a quarter of Tony voters before Sunday’s ceremony. One certainty: Sondheim’s onetime flop seems destined for redemption.The New York Times - Top stories
More from The Hill
-
Eyeing Trump presidency, conservatives want to delay funding fight
Bullish of former President Trump’s chances of winning back the White House in November, some conservatives are pitching a funding stopgap that would extend into next year rather than expire during a lame duck session when President Biden would ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Iran and Sweden to swap prisoners, including convicted war criminal
Iran agreed Saturday to release two Swedish nationals held in Tehran for over two years in exchange for a convicted Iranian war criminal tied to the 1988 mass killing of protestors critical of the Islamic Republic in the capital city. While ...The Hill - Politics - Iran -
Raskin hits Republicans for bowing to 'sugar daddy' Trump after Capitol visit
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) criticized his Republican colleagues in Congress Saturday after they met with former President Trump in closed-door meetings earlier this week, calling the positivity around the visit "a scandal and a disgrace." The ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Sunday shows preview: Trump sells GOP unity with Capitol visit
Former President Trump made an appearance on Capitol Hill this week, attempting to rally Republican lawmakers during his first time meeting with Congress since the Jan. 6, 2021 riots. Several of his most loyal supporters will make appearances on ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
America is full of the living dead — and Mississippi is ground zero.
lawmakers in Mississippi and across this nation must finally put people over politics and deliver much-needed policies like Medicaid expansion and increased access to health care to meet the urgency that this crisis demands.The Hill - Politics