The Observer view on the sorry Trump circus and
its impact on US democracy
Observer
editorial
It makes for entertaining TV, but the attention
afforded the former president makes a mockery of America and its justice system
Sun 27 Aug
2023 06.02 BST
It would be
a relief not to see or hear anything more from Donald Trump for a while.
Unfortunately, that is unlikely. When he was finally brought to book last week
at Fulton County Jail, Georgia, on multiple charges of racketeering and
conspiracy, the former president should have been refused bail. That might have
shut him up for a while. But showing an undeserved leniency characteristic of
the legal proceedings against him to date, prosecutors allowed inmate P01135809
to walk away with a $200,000 bond – despite his recent, blatant attempts to
intimidate witnesses and judges.
It’s far
from clear, in any case, that the American people want Trump to be silenced or
an end to the gripping, often surreal, dark-sided reality show in which he
stars. With typical chutzpah, Trump timed his surrender at the jail to maximise
live cable news coverage. The result was nationwide publicity for his bogus
claim to be the victim of a vendetta by President Biden, the Democrats and the
“deep state”. Turning the tables with customary brazenness, he said they were
guilty of 2024 election interference – exactly what he himself stands accused
of after 2020.
America’s
fascinated TV news channels, radio show hosts, newspapers and social media
platforms are enjoying all this hugely, whatever their politics. Trump’s
supporters laud him as a modern hero – a reborn Paul Revere, warning the
republic of the enemy’s approach. Trump made sure his prison mugshot was
instantly disseminated, using it to solicit campaign donations. His son, Donald
Trump Jr, described it as “the most iconic photo in the history of US
politics”. Hardly.
Some
American progressives and liberals seem to be relishing the spectacle, too. The
squeals of shock and anger that greet each atrocious Trump lie and twist are
delicious in their way. But Trump and his Maga followers, by making a mockery
of the justice system and treating the courts with contempt, do their country a
great disservice.
Quite what
Republicans (and Democrats) would do if Trump were locked away is an intriguing
question. Joe Biden is assured of his party’s nomination, despite a noisy
challenge from Robert Kennedy Jr. But his national approval rating of minus 11%
remains unusually low. Recent polls suggest many Democratic voters are
unenthusiastic about a second Biden term. They would support him if push came
to shove. Majorities in both parties would prefer a younger president to Biden,
80, or Trump, 77.
But who
might that be? Last week’s first televised debate between Republican
presidential hopefuls, boycotted by Trump, failed to produce a likely or
convincing alternative – and certainly not one capable of overturning Trump’s
40-point internal party lead. The more sensible candidates, such as Nikki Haley
and Chris Christie, struggled to make an impression. More attention was paid to
Vivek Ramaswamy, a ranting, egotistical younger version of Trump, who seemed to
be there largely for kicks (which he received in plenty).
The
entertainment value of these legal high jinks, courtroom dramas, poll battles
and pugilistic TV showdowns is undeniable. It’s politics as theatre. Like one
of the more evil Roman emperors, Trump gives good circus. Yet the proper
conduct of the first-ever criminal prosecutions of a president and next year’s
pivotal election are matters of enormous importance for the US and the world.
Americans may need to take their democracy more seriously as a decisive
juncture approaches – or risk losing it.
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