The question of whether Donald Trump would try to prosecute his perceived political enemies in a second term has already been answered. As we’ve discussed, the former president has not only publicly acknowledged his intentions in multiple interviews, he’s also trailed by a record of already having made such attempts.
What this realization leads to is related questions about which foes he’ll target, and how he intends to go after them. It’s against this backdrop that The New York Times reported:
Of particular interest was a message that the former president amplified, which asserted that former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney is “guilty of treason.” The message — which someone else created, but which Trump promoted — encouraged other users of Trump’s social media platform to help get the word out “if you want televised military tribunals.”
As the Times’ report added, military tribunals are a type of military court “reserved for enemy combatants and war criminals.”
Donald Trump reposted an image calling Liz Cheney “guilty of treason” and for her to be prosecuted in “televised military tribunals.” pic.twitter.com/WJBqM5W4Fv
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) June 30, 2024
The presumptive GOP nominee’s political operation had an opportunity to clarify matters, and perhaps even walk the messages back. Instead, a Trump campaign spokesperson told the Times, “Liz Cheney and the sham January 6th committee banned key witnesses, shielded important evidence, and destroyed documents.”
Or put another way, asked why the former president amplified a message that accused the former House GOP Conference chair of “treason,” Team Trump doubled down on its condemnation of the former congresswoman.
There’s no shortage of problems here.
First, in reality, the bipartisan Jan. 6 committee wasn’t a “sham”; it didn’t ban witnesses; it didn’t block evidence; and it didn’t destroy evidence.
Second, the idea that Trump might prefer “military tribunals” for his political critics is every bit as unsettling as it seems.
And third, it’s never been altogether clear whether Trump knows what “treason” means, though there’s little doubt that he loves to casually throw the word around — far more than he should.
The former president has accused Barack Obama of treason. And Nancy Pelosi. And James Comey. He’s also eyed treason investigations into Adam Schiff, The New York Times, Google, and federal law enforcement officials. At one point, after one of his State of the Union addresses, Trump even suggested that congressional Democrats might have committed “treason” because they failed to applaud to his satisfaction.
As the Republican eyes a second term, his “treason” list continues to grow.
This can, and likely will, get ugly in a hurry. Axios reported overnight that Trump, if rewarded with a second term, “plans to immediately test the boundaries of presidential and governing power.” The article went on to note that the Republican “promises an unabashedly imperial presidency — one that would turn the Justice Department against critics.”
To not be concerned is to close one’s eyes.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
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