NOW WHAT?
The Crime Has Already Been Punished
Like many others who watched the verdict read, I watched in stunned fascination. I expected a hung jury. But the evidence was so compelling that the jury quickly reached unanimous decisions on all 34 counts. Guilty as charged.
The judge has promised to announce the penalty on July 11. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking of what could possibly and reasonably be applied in this unique case. Jail time is simply not logistically practical for a person with full Secret Service protection. House arrest would hardly be a penalty, given the opulence of Trump’s dwellings. Fines matter nothing to him, as we saw with the extraordinarily multiple judgements in the E. Jean Carroll case. Maybe no further penalty is necessary.
The events of the past few weeks already imposed the harshest punishment that Trump could have received. First, it clearly exposed to the world that Trump, and all of the people within his orbit, are indeed truly deplorable. And even more importantly, it forced him to endure the humiliation of sitting quietly in a dingy courtroom, while witness after witness described his abhorrent behavior and his deepest character flaws. For such an extreme narcissist, that may be the ultimate punishment.
This story is far from over. Next week I will post the blog I originally wrote for today, in which I outline what those of us who care about our country need to do now.
(Photo is a screen shot from CBS News)