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Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower in Manhattan on May 18, 2021. (Photo: James Devaney/GC Images)
What's the use of the hearings by the House committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection--hearings that began last night and will run for the next several weeks--unless they lead to criminal prosecution of Donald Trump for his patently criminal actions?
I don't know whether Trump will be prosecuted. He deserves to be. He has violated his oath to the Constitution; he has violated America. But even if he is not prosecuted, the hearings will provide a full, detailed account of what Trump did in the weeks and months after the 2020 election--and therefore of what he did to our nation.
In other words, even if he avoids prosecution, even if he is never formally deemed a criminal under the law, Trump will be accountable to history. That is not as satisfying a form of accountability as a criminal judgment, to be sure. But it is a form of accountability that is inescapable. If the committee does its work properly--and I have every confidence it will--it will create a clear record. Which means that for our children and our children's children--for as far as future generations will know of our recorded history--Donald Trump will live in infamy.
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
What's the use of the hearings by the House committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection--hearings that began last night and will run for the next several weeks--unless they lead to criminal prosecution of Donald Trump for his patently criminal actions?
I don't know whether Trump will be prosecuted. He deserves to be. He has violated his oath to the Constitution; he has violated America. But even if he is not prosecuted, the hearings will provide a full, detailed account of what Trump did in the weeks and months after the 2020 election--and therefore of what he did to our nation.
In other words, even if he avoids prosecution, even if he is never formally deemed a criminal under the law, Trump will be accountable to history. That is not as satisfying a form of accountability as a criminal judgment, to be sure. But it is a form of accountability that is inescapable. If the committee does its work properly--and I have every confidence it will--it will create a clear record. Which means that for our children and our children's children--for as far as future generations will know of our recorded history--Donald Trump will live in infamy.
What's the use of the hearings by the House committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection--hearings that began last night and will run for the next several weeks--unless they lead to criminal prosecution of Donald Trump for his patently criminal actions?
I don't know whether Trump will be prosecuted. He deserves to be. He has violated his oath to the Constitution; he has violated America. But even if he is not prosecuted, the hearings will provide a full, detailed account of what Trump did in the weeks and months after the 2020 election--and therefore of what he did to our nation.
In other words, even if he avoids prosecution, even if he is never formally deemed a criminal under the law, Trump will be accountable to history. That is not as satisfying a form of accountability as a criminal judgment, to be sure. But it is a form of accountability that is inescapable. If the committee does its work properly--and I have every confidence it will--it will create a clear record. Which means that for our children and our children's children--for as far as future generations will know of our recorded history--Donald Trump will live in infamy.