The level of sincerity in their reactions can be compared to the grief at a Mafia funeral. Who would actually believe that Governor Ron DeSantis, who is significantly behind Former President Donald Trump in the polls, is genuinely upset about his rival’s federal indictment? Similarly, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who privately expresses his disgust towards Trump, cannot help but rejoice as Trump faces justice.
For months, Fox News has been attempting to shift the spotlight from Trump to promote DeSantis. Now, they have a turn of events that serves both their corporate political agenda and generates controversy and higher ratings. They must be overjoyed at the network’s headquarters in New York.
Many in the Republican and conservative world wish for Trump to step away from the stage. However, only a few have the integrity and courage to publicly state their wishes.
Special Counsel Jack Smith offers a unique opportunity for these political actors, if they can overcome the challenge of collective action that has previously seemed insurmountable.
If you are DeSantis, here’s what you want to see happen:
- Trump is indicted, prosecuted, convicted, and permanently removed from public life.
- You consistently and vehemently support Trump throughout the entire process.
- Your unwavering support for Trump fails to shield him from the consequences of the law, causing disappointment.
- With Trump out of the picture, you inherit all of his supporters and clear the path to securing power.
Kevin McCarthy and the Fox News commentators have similar interests and objectives.
However, there is a challenging collective-action problem: these plans rely on the non-Trump political actors performing convincingly enough to deceive their audience, but not so convincingly that their audience becomes mobilized to take inconvenient action, such as mass protests or even violence. Alternatively, conservative voters may lose faith in the system and abstain from political participation altogether.
During the Trump era, the conservative world has entangled itself in a web of lies: falsehoods about Trump’s victimization, popularity, election outcomes, mental sharpness, and physical strength. The architects of this web believed they could easily find an escape route if needed, but instead, they find themselves just as lost and trapped as the deceived individuals they lured in.
As a consequence, they squandered multiple opportunities to break free, including the first impeachment, the November 2020 defeat, the January 6 crimes, the second impeachment, the end of the administration, the 2022 election setbacks for candidates denying the election results, the first indictment, and now this second indictment.
Through their actions, these architects have taught millions of Republican voters and conservative believers to consider the web of lies as their political home. The irony is that now the deceived followers are obstructing the exit for the deceitful leaders.
Trump may delude himself into believing that his deceived supporters are numerous and militant enough to topple the American constitutional system to protect him. However, the marginal support Trump received on January 6, 2021, proved otherwise. It also demonstrated the resilience of the American legal system when allowed to function properly. With Trump no longer in power, he no longer has the ability to sabotage it.
Nevertheless, what he can do, and what his adversaries are inadvertently helping him do, is alienate his supporters from society. The consequences of this alienation are uncertain. It is possible that over time, the grip of their obsession weakens, and some individuals regain faith in democracy and the rule of law. However, it is also possible that a significant number become demoralized and disengage from politics altogether.
Alternatively, American society may have to contend with a significant minority that passively opposes the governing authorities, just like the white South in the decades following the Civil War. The rebellion may have been subdued, but it took decades for the rebels to accept the defeat of their cause.
A crucial step towards rectifying this situation is for leading Republicans and conservatives to cease pursuing immediate selfish advantages and to stop disparaging the legal process. Thanks to the appointment of numerous conservative judges during the Trump presidency, the federal judicial system now leans towards conservatism. Consequently, Trump often finds himself playing in front of referees he handpicked and yet he continues to lose. He fails because he is in the wrong.
DeSantis, McCarthy, and their peers are well aware that Trump is in the wrong. They do not argue for his innocence but claim it is improper to hold him accountable. They argue that the law is being used as a weapon to target their party leader.
These Republican leaders hope to gain short-term advantages from their double game. While that may be a plausible calculation, it is likely to ultimately harm themselves.
The crucial choice for conservatives after Trump is whether to rejoin the mainstream of American life or continue to distance themselves, ultimately rejecting law and democracy. Breaking away from Trump voluntarily is one way to make this choice, but few conservatives have dared to do so, and even fewer have done so consistently.
Federal prosecutors have now provided an easier path. Republican leaders do not need to explicitly sever ties. They only need to repeat the standard response regarding any ongoing criminal investigation: “I have no comment at this time. Every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The law will take its course.” This simple response would resolve the problem.
It is the right and prudent course of action. Any other approach points to severe dangers ahead, wherein the conservative-minded individuals who should serve as the strongest defenders of law and constitutional order become a discontent faction willing to subvert that order.
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