I am sorry that the FBI was compelled to raid Mar-a-Lago
The cure for so much of what ails our country is the optimism that together we can solve our problems. After years of chaos, we are now seeing evidence that great things are possible.
Despite the momentary euphoria, I am sorry that the FBI was compelled to raid Mar-a-Lago to get possession of classified documents and other possessions of the federal government. Really, all Donald Trump had to do was to give back what he took when he left the White House and there would have been no need for all this kerfuffle. But he refused, and so the Feds came knocking.
His allies in MAGA world descry the day as the darkest attack on the federal government in our history, as if January 6th were a picnic on the Capitol steps. Hyperbole aside, are they really saying Mr. Trump should have been allowed to break the law, to abscond with documents and the silverware and bygones be bygones?
That certainly was not their point of view when the subject of their wrath was Hillary Clinton. They chanted “lock her up,” and launched several fulsome investigations. Even after those investigations found no wrongdoing, after Hillary was cleared, they did not stop.
When there are actual crimes? Suddenly they Republicans are all squeamish about law enforcement. And it’s not just about Donald Trump or the criminal conspiracy to overturn the election. They hate IRS agents because they think only suckers pay taxes and they want to keep it that way. Their casual attitude towards the law, their arrogant certainty that rules are for other people, these traits have now led to the many and varied investigations into Mr. Trump and his capos.
And so, reluctantly, the repo trucks pulled up to Mar-a-Lago to recover property that belongs to the people of the United States.
I hate it.
I don’t want to be reminded about this terrible ex-president when we are enjoying a stunning run of successful governance courtesy of the Democratic majority. I don’t want to give MAGA world a chance to change the subject from the enormous Democratic legislative triumph that is the Inflation Reduction Act. I don’t want any distraction from progress that now allows the government to negotiate with drug companies to lower the price of medicines, caps annual out of pocket prescription drug costs for seniors and launches an historic effort to combat climate change.
MAGA Republicans are desperate for news that confirms their sense of victimhood. They are thrilled to use this opportunity to change the subject, to try to make Americans forget that Democrats brought Republicans to the table to pass bipartisan legislation on infrastructure and veterans’ benefits. Or that President Biden pulled Europe together to successfully counter Russian military aggression, or that he is working with partners in Asia to shore up alliances that will help deter China from seeking a military solution to the Taiwan question, or that he hunted down and killed the al Qaeda leader who planned the 9-11 attack. Changing the subject is exactly what Republicans want to do because the Democrats are on a roll.
The MAGA world now threatens the judge who signed the warrant and promises broader political violence across the land. Instead of acting responsibly and calming their base, Republican members of Congress fan the flames and promise to defund the FBI. When the truth comes out, as it always does, the defenders of Mr. Trump will once again find themselves his fools.
But the biggest reason I hate the attention to the ongoing criminal investigation of Mr. Trump has less to do with politics and everything to do with America:
The cure for so much of what ails our country is the optimism that together we can solve our problems. After years of chaos, we are now seeing evidence that great things are possible. Giving airtime to MAGA grievances threatens to distract us from our accomplishments and the promise of better days to come.
