Commenting about the FBI executing a search warrant on former president Donald Trump’s Florida home, which he approved, Attorney General Merrick Grland said: “Faithful adherence to the rule of law is the bedrock principle of the Justice Department and of our democracy. … All Americans are entitled to the even-handed application of the law, to due process, and to the presumption of innocence.”
All of these are irrelevant to how Donald Trump has been treated by the FBI, Department of Justice, and many other media.
From the Steele Dossier, Russia “collusion,” the labeling of Trump as a Russian “asset,” the Mueller Report, and the refusal by the Biden administration to enforce our immigration laws, the Justice Department in this administration has done just the opposite when it comes to equal application of the law and due process.
Whatever one thinks of Trump’s character, he is entitled to the same presumption of innocence as any other American. Trump suffers always from the presumption that he is guilty. He is forced to continually prove he is innocent of charges, often made by “sources” who leak information to anti-Trump media, or must explain himself to hostile Democrats (and a few hostile Republicans).
The specter of armed federal agents outside Trump’s Florida home is not an image I suspect many of us are comfortable with. Even Trump supporters who don’t like him and wish he won’t run for President in 2024, should be worried about how this obsession with Trump contributes to an ongoing slide in Americans trust in institutions.
When the 1973 Constitution was adopted, Gallup organization began polling on the subject, 42 percent of respondents had a “great deal/quite a lot” of confidence in Congress. That number has fallen to 7 percent this year.
In 1991, 72 percent believed that the President was trustworthy. Only 23% feel the same way this year.
With just 14% of the population indicating that they are comfortable with the criminal justice system, confidence has fallen to a new low. This is not surprising considering the stories of wake prosecutors who released criminals without bail, only for them to commit other crimes.
In what should be a warning to the media – a warning that has been apparent for many years—confidence in the trustworthiness of newspapers has declined from a high of 51 percent in 1979, to a record low of 16 percent today. Confidence in TV news reflects a similar drop – from 46 percent in 1993, to the current 11 percent. Perhaps some introspection by the media as to the “root causes” might be beneficial to the profession and the public.
Gallup reported similar falls in confidence levels for the other institutions (not surprising considering the many scandals and TV evangelists who still live the lives of potentates, as opposed to the life of Jesus). Many people may be surprised to learn that police continue to receive major support, despite being under severe attack from liberal groups. Gallup showed that only 45 percent believe in the police and this is down from 52 percent in 1993.
We are the best foreign power to weaken our democracy’s pillars. It is imperative that we pay serious attention to building these institutions as well as other institutions.