An indictment of Donald Trump is an indictment of the Republican Party.

[kentuck]

That is why it is so hard to convict a former president.

A conviction of Trump is a conviction of the Republicans. They were with him every step of the way in his criminal spree against our nation.

To their credit, many Republicans left their Party when it was obvious the direction they were going. But, unfortunately almost all elected Republicans chose to stand with him, as his crimes grew more and more hideous.

It is probably impossible for one political Party to convict another political Party thru the courts, even if they are all guilty. They can only be convicted thru public opinion.

In my opinion, this is the impossible situation we, as Democrats, find ourselves today. We know that Donald Trump is guilty of serious crimes against our nation, and that the Republicans in Washington are accessories to the crimes.

But what, realistically, can be done? Other than to convict them in the arena of public opinion and to defeat them at the polls?

It is a political dilemma. This is the reality that confronts Merrick Garland and the Dept of Justice. Can they convict a former president if his political Party is also guilty?

[bucolic_frolic]

1. If convicted, can America file a civil suit class action? I mean punitive damages, you know

[Ocelot II]

2. Nope.

[thomski64]

3. What they are is not a political..

...but more of fascist criminal organization..

[Mr. Ected]

4. Where is the line drawn as to what is a political act and what is a criminal act?

The US Code defines that line very specifically.

What we've been watching is a vast Republican conspiracy to engage in criminal behavior.

This needs to be distinguished from Republicans doing Republican things. Those things may be contemptible, but they're not necessarily illegal.

The J6 hearings have been terrific in framing the crimes, particularly because the testimony has come primarily from other Republicans.

I don't want the Republican Party to be dismantled, I want the criminals in the Republican Party to be replaced by non-criminal Republicans.

[kentuck]

5. They all knew.

About the criminal acts.

[Mr. Ected]

7. Of course they did

That's why they all need to be indicted as co-conspirators.

Again, this isn't political persecution, this is a criminal prosecution, regardless of how they frame it on FOX News.

[kentuck]

8. If the shoe were on the other foot...

I'm sure the Republicans would not hesitate to indict everyone they possibly could. They would call it treason and be calling for the death penalty.

However, Democrats are not capable of the same vengefulness. It is discouraging but that is the way it is. Democrats try to do what is best for the country. Republicans do not give it a second thought.

[barbaraann]

6. This is very, very important.

I have never understood why people scoffed when Hillary called out the "vast right-wing conspiracy."

[RANDYWILDMAN]

9. They swept Nixon under the rug

and that is why we got Trump, so if we sweep Trump under the rug we are not gonna have democracy anymore.

The should be the job that is engraved on Merrick Garlands tomb "The man who saved democracy " now that might seem a big burden, but if we whiff on this one. The country is fucked !!!

[kentuck]

10. It's hard to imagine how they could sweep...

..an attempted coup, that threatened the lives of the Democrats in the House and Senate and VP Mike Pence, under the rug, with so much evidence of the attempted overthrow of the 2020 election, with lives lost and a delay in the electoral vote count. But, they are very good at pretending it never happened, and if it did, it was no big deal.

I don't know how the Democrats could ever allow that to be swept under the rug without doing permanent damage to the Party?

[spanone]

11. Crime equals punishment.