Does Trump deserve justice or mercy?

Now that the Biden/Harris transition has begun, there is talk about what will or should happen to Donald Trump after his presidency. The conversation ranges from those who want Trump, his family, his supporters, (and half of Congress!) in prison as soon as possible, to those who advocate “reaching out,” to his supporters and “moving on.”

I try to be from the “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1) school of thought. I just want to forget about Donald Trump and let him fall into obscurity. Some problems eventually solve themselves.

Maybe once we turn off the big spotlight, Trump will just dissolve in the acid of his own corruption. (To me, blowhard Rush Limbaugh’s diagnosis of lung cancer seemed like the wheel of karma coming around).

The Nixon precedent

Before Trump, the most criminal president in my lifetime was Richard Nixon. His successor, Gerald Ford, pardoned him for the Watergate-related crimes. Ford said he wanted the country to move beyond the Watergate scandal and he believed a long drawn-out trial would have further polarized the public.

Nixon was soon essentially forgotten, so one could say the strategy worked. But, Ford lost the next election. He is the only person to have been both vice-president and president without having been elected to either. Many say anger over his pardon of Nixon was the major reason for his loss.

Since Nixon, presidential power has grown significantly. Other presidents since Nixon have skirted or broken the law. Perhaps presidents are now less fearful of the law, or of Congress, since Nixon got away with what he did.

Move on or double down?

I don’t expect President Joe Biden to pardon Donald Trump. I also do not expect him to order the Justice Department to prosecute Donald Trump (though they may do so independently). Like Ford, I expect Biden will just want Trump to go away and stay out of the country’s business.

But therein lies the crux. It is not in Donald Trump’s nature to go away and keep his mouth shut. The mainstream media is likely to essentially ignore him after Biden’s inauguration, but his rabid fans probably will not. Much might depend on whether Twitter bans Trump like they did conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Much also depends on whether the Republican party can sever its ties to their disgraced (and disgraceful) former president. The pro-Trump majority within the party, in accepting the lie that Biden’s election was fraudulent, doesn’t acknowledge that Trump lost by more than 7 million votes. This ingrained self-deception means the party may not be smart enough, or strong enough, or brave enough, to regroup and reorganize under new leadership.

An ominous historical parallel

The worst case outcome is described in a disturbingly similar situation recorded in the Book of Mormon. The followers of Amlici, who was “a very cunning man” and “a wise man as to the wisdom of the world,” wanted to establish him as “a king over the people.” (Alma 2:1-2).

An election was held and Amlici lost. In response, Amlici “did stir up those who were in his favor to anger against those who were not in his favor.” (Alma 2:8). His supporters gathered together and made Amlici their king. He immediately ordered his new subjects to “take up arms against their brethren … that he might subject them to him.” (Alma 2:10).

This, of course, is a description of the beginning of a civil war. Hopefully, our situation won’t go that far. But it is important to point out that by refusing to accept the result of the election, and stirring up the people to anger and violence, and setting himself up as an alternative leader of the country, Amlici committed treason.

Arguments for justice

There are two arguments against showing mercy to Donald J. Trump.

The first is that Trump has broken, and continues to break or defy, numerous laws. He should, like any citizen, be made to answer for his behavior in courts of law. The Nixon pardon, in its day, may have helped the nation “move on,” but reinforcing the idea that a president is above the law is dangerous and damaging to our republic.

The second argument is the Christian idea that mercy can only claim a person from justice if the person has sincerely repented. Trump never repents. He never backs down. He is incapable of admitting a mistake.

There is a world of difference between a sinner who contritely confesses his mistakes and humbly seeks forgiveness and an evil narcissist who wants to use his power and money to manipulate people and escape justice.

The ongoing war against fascism

The people who did this to our democracy in 2020 must face the imminent prospect of going to prison for how they assailed freedom these last five years. And they, and those who supported them, must live the rest of their lives in abject fear of going to prison if they try it again.

Keith Olbermann

Donald Trump and his minions must be brought to justice. Such blatant defiance of the laws and norms of our government and our society cannot be overlooked or excused if we hope to remain free.

We are in an ongoing war between democracy as we have known it and right-wing, populist, authoritarian, fascism. Trumpism is the culmination of the ongoing corruption, degeneration, and collapse of the Republican party.

This battle must be fought vigorously, thoroughly, and publicly. All of the criminal fascists must be outed, convicted, and publicly embarrassed. If not, they will return again and again until the Constitution is completely shredded and our country is lost.

There are others waiting in the wings, waiting for their turn to dismantle democracy.

The Lincoln Project

Sources: Peter Wehner, “Chose Repair, Not Revenge,” The Atlantic, November 16, 2020.
Brett Wilkins, “Let Trump Off the Hook in the Name of Elusive Unity? Some Critics Say That Could Be a Big Mistake,” Common Dreams, November 20, 2020.
Robert Freeman, “When They Had to Kill the King. Learnings for the Post-Trump Age.,” Common Dreams, November 24, 2020.
Keith Olbermann, “Olbermann vs. Trump #31: To Heal America, Biden Must Prosecute Trump, Family, Enablers. All Of Them.” YouTube, November 24, 2020.
The Lincoln Project, “Remove Republic from Republican,” YouTube, November 22,2020.
“President Ford explains his pardon of Nixon to Congress,” History, November 16, 2009.
Kaitlin Tiffany, “Twitter’s Next Trump Problem,” The Atlantic, November 12, 2020.
Msgr. Charles Pope, “How Justice and Mercy are Alike with God,” Community in Mission,” August 12, 2018.
David A. Graham, “Trump Is Rapidly Becoming Irrelevant,” The Atlantic, December 1, 2020.
Peter Nicholas, “The Republican Plan for the Next Four Years Isn’t Normal,” The Atlantic, December 6, 2020.