The decision by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to charge former US President Donald Trump with falsifying business records may make for good political drama, but it is hardly likely to heal the deep political divisions that are tearing the country apart.
At a time when America is still trying to come to terms with the violent attack on the Capitol Building in Washington, the heart of American democracy, following Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election, the sight of a former American president being hauled before a Manhattan judge will only serve to further exacerbate tensions.
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Trump’s appearance in a New York courthouse gives him the unwelcome distinction of becoming the first sitting or former president to face a criminal indictment on charges relating to allegations that he made hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to stop her revealing details of an alleged affair.
The charges, which relate to falsifying business records, are classed as a Class E felony in the US, carrying a potential jail term of up to four years. It is rare, however, for a first-time offender to receive a jail sentence if found guilty, with Trump more likely to receive a fine if convicted.
Politically motivated?
Yet, despite the charges relating solely to Trump’s business activities, the former president insists the charges made against him are politically motivated and are designed to torpedo his chances of being re-elected president in next year’s presidential election contest.
Just as he did prior to the Capitol riots in January 2021, Trump has already called on his supporters to “protest, protest, protest” at the charges being levelled against him.
And while there is unlikely to be a repeat of the dreadful scenes at the Capitol Building that tarnished America’s reputation for being a beacon of democracy, the decision to prosecute the former president will undoubtedly lead to further polarisation in American politics.
Despite the ignominy of facing a criminal prosecution, Trump does not appear to have been in any way cowed by the experience.
On the contrary, he has succeeded in turning a process most other mortals would find intensely embarrassing into the equivalent of a campaign rally, with television crews from all the major American news networks following his every move as he flew from Florida to New York to defend himself against the charges.
