Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is worried about what will happen to the rule of law if former President Donald Trump is given a second term.
Gonzales, who led the Justice department under former President George W. Bush and supported Trump's federal criminal indictment, told Politico during a lengthy interview what he thinks of the controversial Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
Gonzales argued it was basically correct that presidents have presumptive immunity for official acts, but said the Supreme Court could have done a better job outlining what is clearly an "unofficial act."
What concerns Gonzalez more is what Trump, the Republican nominee, could do with executive branch power should he get a second chance at reclaiming the White House in 2025.
"It tells me something that his vice president hasn’t endorsed him," said Gonzales. "His secretary of Defense hasn’t endorsed him. His former national security adviser hasn’t endorsed him. That says something, doesn’t it? They know him best. They’ve worked with him on these very difficult decisions that have to be made in the White House. I don’t know him. I’ve only had one conversation in my life with him. But the fact that they won’t endorse him? They know something. They know something about this man."
The big problem, Gonzalez argued, is that "he’s not going to be constrained by the fear of losing a subsequent term in office. This will be it. Why would anyone think, given his record, that he would not abuse the power of the office? Just based on the record, I think everyone should have concerns about possible abuse if he becomes president of the United States again."
Trump has promised that if he is re-elected, he will shut down investigations into his past actions, consider pardoning at least some of the Jan. 6 rioters, and possibly become a dictator for just "day one."
The Heritage Foundation, meanwhile, has crafted a lengthy far-right government restructuring plan known as Project 2025 that would let Trump singularly wield executive and law enforcement power as he sees fit.
