Our legal and political systems are both being tested by the criminal case against Donald Trump for his purported mishandling of classified records, but those systems are resilient. Donald Trump, however, could be forced out of politics with a federal conviction and a blowout loss, according to the Washington Post.
The risks associated with prosecuting the former president include that it could potentially undermine the already underwhelming confidence citizens have in the United States system, according to an analysis by
"America’s institutions have been attacked repeatedly over the past half-dozen years, thanks principally to the conduct and actions of Donald Trump," the Saturday report states. "The next 18 months could further undermine confidence in democracy and the rule of law as the former president seeks a return to the White House while defending himself against federal and state criminal charges."
The Post piece notes that the system has been tested before, in big ways. It has survived the Vietnam War, the Civil War and Richard Nixon's scandal, the writers note.
When it comes to Trump, convicting him alone likely won't defeat him, according to the Post article. The writers suggest that he could campaign or even hold office from prison.
Instead, the report states, the end of Trump — and a shift in the Republican party — could come with an election and a conviction.
"Many of Trump’s critics wish that through the legal process, the former president were somehow disqualified from serving again as president. The counterargument to that is that questions about his fate and the country’s future probably would be better answered at the ballot box than in the courtroom," it says. "A conviction and a decisive defeat at the ballot box might force Trump from the political scene and cause the Republican Party to move in a different direction, although in an era of close elections, the prospect of 2024 producing a blowout in either direction remains doubtful — and even that would not necessarily cleanse the system."
