Former President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that he would remain in the 2024 presidential race even if indicted in any of his ongoing civil and criminal investigations may seem ludicrous. Most politicians who are under investigation or facing criminal charges would think twice before running for office, not least because an electoral campaign brings with it unwanted scrutiny.
Yet strongmen like Trump are not most politicians. Think like a corrupt autocrat, and you will see the many advantages of running for office while tangling with the law. Such leaders have little interest in governing; their goal is always self-preservation. The temptation of having the power to shut down investigations, dismiss troublesome prosecutors and obtain immunity from prosecution has led former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conduct successful electoral campaigns while under investigation.
The essence of authoritarianism is getting away with crimes.
It’s unsurprising that Trump would refuse to stand down no matter what happens. Legal experts agree that he could even run for office from behind bars, if any of his multiple civil and criminal investigations proceeds to a conviction. Anything is possible in the strongman world.
The essence of authoritarianism is getting away with crimes, and sending the message from the start that you believe you are above the law is a start. That was the purpose of Trump’s infamous 2016 boast that “I could stand on Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any followers, OK?” Developing a victimhood cult is also essential, so you can dismiss any dirt unearthed by the media or prosecutors as the fruit of a “witch hunt.”
“A friend of mine once said that I was the most persecuted person in the history of our country,” Trump declared last July at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit. “Certainly, there’s been no…
Read the full article here
