“I’m the guy who would take a bullet for the president,” President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen said in a 2017 Fox News interview. Despite this statement, Cohen shoved Trump under the bus on Aug. 21 by confessing to eight criminal charges, including tax evasion, bank fraud and collusion under the “direction of a candidate for federal office.”
While Cohen will be sentenced on Dec. 12, Trump remains unindicted and in the White House despite being incriminated for violating campaign finance laws by coordinating payments to cover up multiple affairs. It is deplorable that the president seems to be above the law; high-ranking political officials should not be able to commit federal crimes and remain unconvicted, free from repercussions.
Cohen admitted in court that Trump directed him to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000, which surpasses the $2,700 limit for a personal contribution to a campaign. Additionally, he devised a payment of $150,000 from the National Enquirer to silence former Playboy model Karen McDougal, which violates a law that forbids corporate contributions to campaigns.
Initially, Trump said that he was informed of these payments only “later on”; however, a recording of a conversation between Trump and McDougal brought forward by Cohen proves otherwise.
And, of course, it’s hardly surprising Trump was caught in a lie. The Washington Post claims that in just 558 days in office, he made 4,229 untrue or deceptive statements. While Trump’s presidency and campaign have been plagued by lies, he remains shielded by wealth and power.
At this point, Trump seems immune to legal consequences and is able to get away with illegal and fraudulent behavior. While his advisors face legal action when accused of crimes, Trump remains in his office, seemingly unaffected. He continues to conduct meetings, manage national and global affairs and (of course) post on Twitter.
This reality creates an unfavorable image for the U.S. in global and national affairs. It makes people wary of the government and less inclined to trust those in power.
Mistrust of the government tends to lead to rebellion among the public and corruption among businesses, as people are more likely to seek investments that benefit specific groups rather than the nation as a whole. These decisions harm the economy, leading to a decrease in growth and power on a global scale.
According to World Values Survey, countries in which citizens have lower trust in the government tend to have more business regulations, lower entrepreneurship and greater social tensions.
Furthermore, Trump’s actions contradict America’s core values of freedom of speech and democracy. If leaders are not transparent, then people are unable to make educated decisions when voting for representatives of their beliefs.
The press should continue to uncover dubious behavior by government officials and increase transparency by encouraging witnesses to speak up. This plethora of criminal acts cannot be ignored, and news outlets have the ability to push investigations forward.
For instance, former president Richard Nixon resigned following the Watergate scandal that occurred between 1972 and 1976. Reporters like Washington Post’s Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein pursued the story and uncovered evidence revealing Nixon’s attempts to cover up Watergate and other offenses. Facing certain impeachment, Nixon became the first president to resign.
Like Trump, Nixon initially denied any involvement in criminal activity. In Nixon’s case, the truth of the coverup surfaced, thanks largely to a secret taping system in the Oval Office. In Trump’s case, evidence seems to grow every day that he obstructed justice in the 2016 presidential election and throughout his presidency, and Cohen’s confession confirms his criminal activity.
The president is not a king and should not be treated like someone with a “divine right to rule.”
The president has immunity from some criminal action while in office, and can only be tried in court once impeached and removed. Due to support from the Republican majority in Congress, it it unlikely that Trump will be impeached in 2018, but if the Democrats win back the House and the Senate, that could change in 2019.
Like any other American citizen, presidents should face legal consequences for their actions. Being president should not be a blank check to engage in criminal activity.