Donald Trump Indicted, US Protects Democracy – Watching America

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his role in inciting the 2021 attack on the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost.

This is Trump’s third criminal indictment, following charges he paid hush money to cover up an extramarital affair and retained classified documents at his private residence.

At his Aug. 3 arraignment in federal district court, Trump pleaded not guilty to the four latest criminal charges. After his court appearance, he complained to the press that the matter amounted to “persecution of a political opponent.”

But the indictment provides Trump with due process. It is a decision made by a grand jury of U.S. citizens, and it deserves to be respected. Government should not turn prosecution into a political tool. We believe the trial should be an investigation into the truth of the charges.

The indictment here charges Trump with conspiring to defraud the U.S. by interfering with the federal government’s ability to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, thereby obstructing a congressional process.

The indictment alleges that between November 2020 and January 2021, Trump colluded with six lawyers to assert his political influence and overturn election results, and falsely claimed the election was unfair in order to interfere with the election certification process.

Before the attack on the Capitol, Trump told his supporters in allegedly seditious remarks to “walk down to the Capitol.” For an hour, Trump supporters occupied the Capitol building, leading to the tragic deaths of five people, including a police officer.

If the charges are proved, we can consider this a grave shock to U.S. democracy. Trump’s language and conduct erode faith in the election system. It must be said that Trump acted irresponsibly as U.S. head of state.

Following the two previous indictments, Trump’s approval rating among the Republican Party’s core supporter base improved. During this indictment as well, it is expected that Trump will orchestrate an election strategy that turns the tables in his favor by criticizing President Joe Biden.

Political division in the U.S. will probably deepen. We expect that the U.S. will be at the center of challenging despotic influences such as Russia and China. We hope that both Biden and Trump are aware of this.

Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is surrounded by financial charges, which have called the independence of the U.S. judiciary into question. In an unusual development, a judge has put a hold on a plea deal between the prosecution and Hunter Biden, in which Biden was prepared to plead guilty to tax evasion charges. There has been criticism of the move to end the plea bargaining in its early stages. In this situation as well, there must be fairness and impartiality in the investigation and process of administering justice.