Donald Trump stands at a crucial juncture in history — and so does America.
Much has already been made about the impact of this “first” for the nation — that first time a president has been indicted. The moment has elicited the usual diverse array of voices making emotional declarations on the matter.
For some, this is the end of Donald Trump. In the mind of his detractors, Trump is finished; even if he doesn’t wind up in a prison cell, the humiliation from being dragged through the legal process will weigh his presidential campaign down.
But Trump is not finished. As has happened time after time, Trump’s enemies are making a series of miscalculations.
They’re underestimating The Donald’s ability to get back on his feet and push through controversy unscathed. They’re underestimating the severity of the times we are living in, which are conducive to political outcomes outside the norm. And they’re underestimating the people’s desire for a restoration of freedom.
While the stigma of indictment may seem far beyond the pale for a regular presidential election, the reality, one which so many political observers continually fail to see, is that that old era of politicking — barbecues, kissing babies — is gradually coming to an end. In this polarized, highly charged environment, people are not interested in Mr. Nice Guy who speaks with political correctness. For better or worse, people want the candidate who will totally crush the opposition.
This is always the case in extreme times. Yes, when the economy is stable and there are no major threats to life and limb, people calm down and vote for the “nice” candidate with a friendly smile who reads off a teleprompter. But when times are difficult, as they are now, people side with the lion no matter how bad his manners are.
We can see this story repeated throughout history — the people in one nation after another handing power to the most ruthless person in the room in spite of the fact, or even because of the fact, that that person had had run-ins with the law or served prison time.
One of the most notorious examples is Adolf Hitler. It’s ironic that Democrats love to compare Trump to Hitler, but are conveniently forgetting that Hitler’s rise to power came after he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison (though he only served nine months) for the infamous Beer Hall Putsch.
Getting thrown in prison was just as disastrous among polite society then as it is now. Many people counted Hitler out of the political game after that. But when the Weimar Republic fell into disarray and the Great Depression decimated the lives of millions of Germans, the German people became willing to overlook something like a prison sentence and put their faith in a man whose radical ideas and extreme solutions wouldn’t have taken hold in normal times.
Then there’s Nelson Mandela, who was also in prison before becoming president of South Africa. Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin were all imprisoned or exiled at some point in their careers before they came to power in communist Russia.
Now, this is not to compare Trump’s actions, ideology, or politics to any of the aforementioned figures. But it illustrates the fact that throughout history, especially during extreme times, having a politically motivated criminal record is no deterrent to soaring to the highest levels of government.
Of course, it’s all up to Trump, in the end. How will he react to the indictment? To a possible arrest? Will he let it defeat him? Will he let it cloud his judgment and throw him off course? Or will he keep his composure and press forward? Will he use it to gain momentum?
In another historical parallel, Trump is now like Julius Caesar on the verge of crossing the Rubicon.
Caesar had a clear order from the Senate not to march into Rome with his legion. Doing so put him at risk of imprisonment and death. But he famously said “the die is cast” and took his luck, crossing the Rubicon and igniting a civil war.
Trump is not in the position of starting a civil war, and no one is asking him to do that. But in the political sense, he is at war with the Deep State. If he lets them checkmate him with this indictment and simply gives in — perhaps by dropping out of the race or letting the controversy distract him from running an effective campaign — then he will spend the rest of his days either in prison or mired in court proceedings. He will lose all his financial fortune and peace of mind in the process.
At this point, Trump’s only hope is to go forward. If he does so with his head held high, conservatives throughout the country will rally behind him. A number of recent polls all tell the same story — the indictment only makes him more popular with Republican voters.
The Left knows this. They may not show it, but they know Trump could very well still pull out a win. And the thought terrifies them.
