With a second indictment, the wheels of justice continue their steady advance on Trump | Editorial

Only in Donald Trump’s warped reality show world does the one-term, twice-impeached former president take to social media to announce he has been indicted (again) and then fundraise off his alleged crimes.

Trump used his well-worn playbook to delegitimize the investigation, claim it’s a political witch hunt, and declare his innocence in ALL CAPS. It’s a tired act the country has endured before and will likely continue to experience when the next potential indictments drop.

Trump’s troubles are self-inflicted. Sadly, Trump’s cult-like followers continue to fall for his lies and lawlessness. Even more disturbing, many Republican elected officials continue to put Trump above the rule of law and their duty to the country.

The federal indictment remains sealed, so the full details of Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of the government’s efforts to reclaim them remain unknown. But the reported charges against him are serious and include violations of the Espionage Act and a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Prosecutors would not move forward with the first-ever federal indictment of a former president without believing they have a strong case.

That has not stopped GOP officials from shamelessly rushing to Trump’s defense.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) called the indictment “unconscionable” and said he “stand[s] with President Trump against this grave injustice.” Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) tweeted, “God bless President Trump.”

Several other prominent GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, played follow-the-leader by mimicking Trump’s talking points of the so-called “boxes hoax” and attacked the legitimacy of the indictment.

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida showed his unfitness for president. Without seeing the indictment, he declared that “the weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society.”

Time and again, GOP leaders have stood by Trump and on the wrong side of history. Their subservience has enabled Trump to trample presidential norms, attack democratic institutions, cozy up to dictators, mismanage a deadly pandemic, divide the country, incite a violent coup attempt, and encourage racism, sexism, and hate.

At Trump’s every turn, the American republic has been put to its biggest test since the Civil War.

For decades, Trump bullied his way through life, suing adversaries, stiffing businesses, dodging taxes, and avoiding criminal charges despite persistent scrutiny and repeated investigations.

But the law is finally catching up to the lawbreaker.

In December, Trump’s real estate company — that fueled his wealth and celebrity — was found guilty of a long-running tax fraud scheme. In March, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump for paying off an adult film star, a move that may have helped him win election in 2016. Last month, Trump was found guilty of sexually abusing magazine writer E. Jean Carroll 27 years ago, a verdict that branded him a sexual predator.

On Tuesday, Trump is expected to appear in federal court in Miami to face charges for his handling of classified documents he took when he left the White House.

Trump’s biggest legal challenges are just beginning. He may also get indicted in August by prosecutors in Atlanta for his role in trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia, where he pressured state election officials to “find” him more votes.

Jack Smith, the no-nonsense special counsel leading the documents investigation, is also probing Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and incite the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

A House committee released an 845-page report in December that accused Trump of inciting the deadly insurrection and a conspiracy to defraud the United States, among other federal crimes, and referred him to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.

Trump and his allies have already politicized the indictment, claiming the Biden administration is out to jail a rival who is running for president in 2024. Cue the cries about Hillary Clinton’s emails and Hunter Biden’s laptop.

But unlike Trump — who ran the White House like a mob boss — there is no indication President Joe Biden has had any involvement in the investigation. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to further insulate the White House from the claims of politics. Even former Attorney General Bill Barr, who knows a thing or two about politicizing the Justice Department, said the documents investigation is not a “witch hunt.”

Prosecutors were right to follow the facts and hold Trump accountable. No amount of whining by Trump and his supporters can stop the wheels of justice from turning.