Like Nixon, Trump Will Walk Free

Assume for a moment that “there is a there there” and a “smoking gun” is found in the Trump-Russia scandal. This seems ever more likely each day but it is by no means certain. It’s important that we moderate our expectations about the outcome. Trump can pardon himself. Trump can pardon his cronies. If he’s impeached and convicted, he’ll be removed from office but Pence, Ryan or one of Trump’s cabinet will take over (depending on how many impeachments there are) and his successor is almost certain to pardon him if he didn’t do it preemptively himself. There’s little, if anything, that can be done about this.

The good news, however, is that Trump is most definitely an unusual president. He has a large organization of private companies, many of which are implicated in various related and unrelated illegal activities. A president cannot pardon a corporation. If things are as bad as it seems from the copious noxious smoke we are witnessing, it’s very possible that his empire will eventually be dismantled piece by piece and his legacy destroyed utterly. As jail time is likely off the table, I can think of no better alternative punishment for a raging narcissist like Trump.

Update: Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. A state AG may be able to bring charges of money laundering and racketeering that could result in jail time. This is nothing compared to high treason; but, as with Capone and his tax evasion conviction, you take what you can get.

Peace.