Trump’s Revenge
Dr Abdel Azim Hassan – Lawyer
In a previous article, “Peace Through Justice,” I discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court ruling granting President Donald Trump criminal immunity for some of his actions. I warned that expanding immunity at the expense of accountability could open the door to abuse of power and overstepping constitutional boundaries.
Today, after Trump’s policies failed and his party suffered a humiliating defeat for backing him, the danger is no longer simply a political dispute between a president and his opponents. Rather, it lies in the transformation of state power and institutions into instruments of revenge, used to punish even the very people who brought about his downfall.
The willingness of Republican Party leaders and some world leaders to indulge Trump’s arrogance, while placing their own calculations of self-interest above the requirements of justice, may well have contributed to this outcome. In criminology, fear of a crime being exposed and its perpetrator brought to justice can drive individuals to commit even more serious offences in an attempt to cover their tracks and destroy evidence. Similarly, the absence of political and legal accountability does not restrain abuses; rather, it encourages their escalation and allows revenge to become a means of evading justice.
While the US Constitution grants the President the power of veto and the authority to issue executive orders, Republican lawmakers, even more than their Democratic counterparts, have a responsibility to rectify their mistake by taking the necessary measures to overturn presidential decisions that facilitate Trump’s acts of retaliation, limit the damage they cause and address whatever can still be remedied.
Nevertheless, the political defeat suffered by the Republican Party should not pass without accountability for those who went along with Trump’s policies and enabled his abuses of power. More importantly, the serious misconduct committed by Trump and members of his administration should provide grounds for substantive legal proceedings aimed at securing compensation for the damage caused, holding his Cabinet members accountable and depriving them of their wealth through judicial rulings.
The world, however, should not assume American institutions alone can contain the repercussions of this period. Rather, it must prepare for difficult times that may extend beyond the remainder of Trump’s term in office, even if matters ultimately culminate in his removal.
Impeachment, if it takes place, does not necessarily erase the consequences of the policies and decisions he has made, nor does it guarantee that their domestic and international repercussions will end.
The United States does not belong to its President, just as its institutions do not belong to his party. The interests of its people and those of the wider world must not become hostages to his personal calculations.
If justice is the foundation of peace, the rule of law remains the essential safeguard against revenge becoming state policy, or power being transformed from an instrument for protecting interests into a source of threats to global stability.
Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=19821