Steve Benen puts the Hunter Biden story in context:
As Rachel noted in last night’s A block, in the not-too-distant past, if the United States saw an authoritarian leader try to prosecute his domestic rival ahead of an election, we’d help lead an international coalition to denounce such corruption. Now, this is happening here.
The fact that this is happening out in the open makes it all the more extraordinary. If an investigative journalist had uncovered a private White House memo in which Trump quietly urged the Justice Department to prosecute his opponent to help him win re-election, it would be on the front page of every newspaper in the country. It would likely become a presidency-defining scandal.
But in 2020, there is no private memo to uncover: Trump, indifferent and incapable of shame, took the message to a national television audience. The Republican incumbent, for the first time in American history, is openly and desperately trying to turn federal law enforcement into an appendage of his campaign.
Which moves me to wonder: will Donald J. Trump become the first American President to be marched off in disgrace, in handcuffs?
Look: If Giuliani is shown to be little more than creating false evidence, fed to him by the Russians, under orders from Trump, it’s not unreasonable to consider Trump to be a co-conspirator in leveling false accusations of a crime. And that’s a Federal crime.
Our law enforcement agencies are supposed to enforce the law against all citizens, up to and including the President, and while he may get a little leeway when it comes to parking his car illegally, serious felonies such as this one may be enough to tick off someone like FBI Director Christopher Wray.
And I can’t help but notice that Attorney General Barr remains silent. Sick? Embarrassed at discovering the walking mass of corruption to which he’s become associated?
Preparing an indictment against … Trump?
My recommendation to President Trump? Flee to Switzerland sooner rather than later.
