There was a time, sandwiched between Joe Biden’s inauguration and the spectacles of January 6 and the upcoming presidential campaign, when one could momentarily escape the omnipresence of Donald Trump. For a brief while, he seemed relegated to his Mar-a-Lago realm, resembling Gloria Swanson in isolation, ranting on Truth Social. Yet, in those moments, he became just another voice spewing unhinged diatribes online.
However, the current scenario is vastly different, particularly within the United States. Legal actions have swarmed around Trump, culminating recently in his indictment by the justice department for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. Consequently, he has returned to the forefront, teetering on the edge of transforming into a political martyr and the target of a supposed witch hunt. Given the absurdity of recent events – Trump’s liability for defamation and sexual abuse just recently confirmed – the progression toward this outcome appears inevitable.
Trump, as expected, is astutely aware of the potential in his seemingly dire circumstances and has fully embraced it. During campaign rallies across the nation, and in the face of looming imprisonment, he is capitalizing on his unique talent: redirecting the intensity of accusations against him back onto his opponents. “They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you”, he declared to a New Hampshire crowd.
His 2024 campaign message, according to The New York Times, is now: “I’m being indicted for you”. This bewildering and unsolvable situation presents itself. From past experience, we know that the only strategies effective against Trump are either ridicule – reminiscent of Obama’s jests during a White House correspondents’ dinner – or neglect. And of these two, only the latter promises true results. In the days following Trump’s 2016 election, Obama’s mockery was seen as emblematic of the left’s self-indulgence, inadvertently contributing to the upheaval that led to Trump’s presidency.
Dismissing Trump as insignificant is a tactic that works; placing him under criminal indictment for alleged democratic interference only magnifies his significance. Yet, within a functioning democracy, how can one overlook this?
Hence, the progression of the most recent and severe legal action against Trump reveals a stark schism between the political and legal motivations underlying his pursuit. As observed, Trump treads on thin ice with Judge Moxila A Upadhyaya, who stipulated the conditions for his release pending trial. In recent days, Trump’s veiled threats towards potential jurors have surfaced, hinting at a scenario where he could campaign from a prison cell. In the current US climate, this notion holds little appeal. With each passing day, and with a perverseness that familiarity with Trump cannot normalize, the image of Trump behind bars becomes the worst conceivable outcome.
Campaigning from confinement could endow Trump with an even more potent sense of righteousness, broadening his support base with a romantic and dramatic cause.
What remains difficult to fathom is that, despite the gravely serious events leading up to this point – the January 6 violence should never be forgotten – there always seems to be a wink concealed behind Trump’s actions. When he declares himself supporters’ “retribution,” his words resemble a script as if written by Mel Gibson, a narrative that serves dual purposes: it gives aggrieved supporters a genuine cause to rally around while inviting them to join him in a cosmic jest against everyone else. One envisions Trump in prison, his demeanor intact – that of a post-dinner host – smirking, shrugging, and rolling his eyes, suggesting, “I’m akin to Jesus Christ at this juncture”.
