“Lock Her Up” was a de facto Trump supporter chant along with “Build The Wall” for his 2016 presidential campaign. However, Trump as he is now seen has been an utter failure in so far as it concerns his ability to follow through on his promises. It does not matter if what he says one likes or does not like, or even if it is good or bad, but rather the execution of the principle. By comparison to use another example, Obama was very much the opposite- he said that he wanted a sort of nationalized health care leading to a single-payer system, and sure enough, Obama has been a success as doing the former and setting up the conditions for realizing the latter.
I’m not saying that Obama is “good” or “bad”. I am speaking strictly from a practical viewpoint in that Obama, hate him or love him, did or clearly attempted to do what he said, while Trump didn’t. It is as easy to understand as that. It is not an exaggeration to say that in a broad sense as it concerns major political promises, Obama didn’t lie, while Trump did. That may be hard to hear, since many people put a lot of hope into Trump, but the facts clearly speak to the opposite, for the measure of a man is not taken by the power of his words to effect change in the sentiments of people, but in his ability to put his words into practical action.
Trump did not “Build The Wall”, and he certainly did not “Lock Her Up”. However, Trump may now find himself in an interesting position, for according to The Hill, there is the possibility that Trump may be the one “locked up”.
Donald Trump on trial? Donald Trump behind bars? That’s exactly what he fears the most. And that explains, more than anything, why Trump not only refuses to concede to Joe Biden but is doing everything he can to overturn the election results. Because he knows that staying in the White House is the only way he can stay out of prison. Both at the federal and state level, Trump’s in serious legal jeopardy.
We know the federal crimes that make him vulnerable to prosecution. Attempting to bribe the president of Ukraine into launching an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden. Even though his Senate Republican buddies failed to convict him for it, it’s still a crime. Obstructing justice by trying to undermine a Justice Department investigation. Even though feckless Robert Mueller failed to charge him with it, it’s still a federal crime. Accepting money from foreign governments through his hotels and golf clubs. A violation of the Emoluments Act, even though his bootlicker attorney general lets him get away with it.
So what? As some point out, Trump would not hesitate to become the first president to grant himself a pardon. Or, if pressed, resign the presidency so that lapdog Mike Pence could pardon him. But, of course, that would only shield him from prosecution for federal crimes. A slew of state crimes also hang over his head, mainly in New York state.
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Trump’s in deep legal doodoo. So far, he’s been able to skate free, thanks to a compliant Justice Department and cowardly Congress. But that protective cocoon disappears Jan. 20. Then the real question is: What will President Joe Biden do about it? (source)
Will Trump be prosecuted? It is highly unlikely, but the fact that the possibility has been raised, and given the combination of legitimate complaints made about him with the unreasonable rancor that constantly excoriates him for even the smallest of actions, it would not be unlikely to see serious attempts made to pursue legal action against him. If this happens, it will only fuel the worst tendencies of the political right, which in the name of “helping my president” may be inclined to violence or other actions. The recent scandals showing Biden’s connections to Ukraine and China through his drug-addicted and prostitute-soliciting son Hunter, which are arguably equal to and potentially more serious than claims made against Trump, would only serve to magnify any politically-rooted hatred of the left by the right.
However, the call is ultimately up to Biden’s administration. Given how from an “outsider” view, one could say that Trump has turned the GOP into a cult of personality combined with a silly television show, and how Trump has many enemies in both parties, it is possible that after Biden is elected, it would not be a surprise if Trump was indeed prosecuted, or if one wants to dream of something more insidious, that maybe Trump potentially ‘succumbs’ to ‘health problems’, which if such a thing happened, would benefit the Republicans, since it is likely that given the cultish devotion to Trump, his followers may blame “the Democrats”.
Love Trump or hate him, if the stories in private about him are true (impulsive behavior, irrational actions, demanding absolute personal loyalty to him from his assistants, placing personal interests over national ones, etc.), and given the public cult-like devotion to him, it would not matter what party he was in because the response of either party in their respective positions would likely be the same. Trump has become not a hero, but a sort of political cancer in what is this case the Republican party body politic, and from the view of a political strategist, a Biden victory is a blessing so that the Republican party can dispose of Trump and begin the process remaking their image as well as exploiting the populism they used Trump to justify for their long-term benefit but without the arrogance, bravado, and slavish worship of a single man (Trump) whose biggest accomplishment as a president seems to have been selling an image and cult of personality but without ever making good on the fundamental promises he made to that same base.
In the first movie in the “Austin Powers” series, after Austin Power’s assistant is taken hostage by Dr. Evil, Austin manages to take Dr. Evil’s son hostage. In response, Dr. Evil says “Go ahead, kill the little b*stard, see what I care.”
While only time and history will tell, this may be what is happening with Trump. The Republican party seems not to be turning against him not out of hatred, but political expediency, and from one can see, Trump does not seem to be helping himself by his actions.
Will Trump go to jail? One can only guess, but no matter what happens, as long as the Republican party can use it to justify their long-term survival (which the Democrats would also do), they don’t seem to care much what happens to him.
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