Democrats Optimistic Garland Will Prosecute Trump

Senate Democrats believe there's a good chance that the Justice Department will prosecute former President Donald Trump.

Senators have pinned their hopes on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland filing charges against Trump. First, for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. And second, for inciting the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Such a development could upend the 2024 presidential election.

Lawmakers hoping for an indictment say they don't have any information to share with the press. They claim that Garland is the kind of man who runs investigations by the book.

If charges come, Democrats want to make sure they stick this time.

As The Hill reports:

Given the weight of public evidence, Democratic lawmakers think Trump committed federal crimes.  

But Senate Democrats also warn that Garland needs to proceed cautiously. Any prosecution that fails to convict Trump risks becoming a disaster and could vindicate Trump, just as the inconclusive report by former special counsel Robert Mueller's team was seized upon by Trump and his allies to declare his exoneration on a separate series of allegations.

Legal experts interviewed by The Hill had different opinions about the chances of securing a conviction against Trump.

Randall Eliason, a law professor at George Washington University and a former federal prosecutor, last year said that it would be appropriate for prosecutors to investigate Trump's role in the Jan. 6 attack and his efforts to halt Biden's certification as president.

But Andrew Koppelman, a constitutional law expert at Northwestern University, told Bloomberg that Trump's right to free speech would make any case against him difficult to prosecute.

“You can't allow the government to lock up protest leaders whenever the protests produce violence,” said Koppelman at one point.

Even Democrats admit that the case against Trump must be iron-clad before moving forward. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one senator implied they'd only get one shot.

The inconclusive Mueller report originated from the false notion of an unholy alliance between Trump and Russian intelligence.

Attempts by Reps. Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler to paint Trump as a pro-Russian stooge ultimately proved little more than an irritant. Trump losing reelection had nothing to do with their efforts. Novice mistakes by his campaign manager, who was eventually fired, and Trump's inability to manage the pandemic (or at least appear more emphatic) was enough to cost him a second term.

But the Biden administration's ongoing woes may explain why Democrats have gone to the press with rumors that an indictment is coming.

While it's unclear what evidence Democrats claim to have this time, it doesn't seem like they've learned much since the Mueller debacle.

Despite a few statements to the contrary, they may not even realize how dangerous a game they're playing.

Though the mainstream media won't report it objectively, the proliferation of right-wing outlets in recent years means that Democrats will be held accountable for any hypocrisy.

Who will fair better in this “what if” scenario? The Republican Party was justifiably embarrassed by the events of Jan. 6. Despite the heinous attacks on United States Capitol Police that day, the GOP is unquestionable the closest ally of law enforcement. Ultimately, this was still a riot — not an insurrection. The one non-natural death that day was an unarmed woman shot dead by a police officer in controversial circumstances. On the other hand, there's the Democratic Party, whose rhetoric helped fuel riots that killed 25 people and injured more than 2,000 police officers.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.