The editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch proclaimed in a recently published op-ed that former President Donald Trump’s attempts to undercut the legitimate outcome of last year’s presidential election have helped “[doom] him to the trash bin of history.” Trump’s efforts along those lines were outlined in part by an interim report that was recently released in connection to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ongoing investigation of attempts to use the powers of the Justice Department in service of Trump’s goal of staying in power. For a time, Trump even considered replacing the acting U.S. Attorney General with someone who’d be more inclined to do his bidding regarding the election.
The Post-Dispatch noted that it’s not just Trump’s reputation hanging in the balance — historical perspectives on Republican leaders are also at stake. In the time since the riot at the Capitol in January, prominent Republicans have sought to push aside the basic reality of what took place. Even then-Vice President Mike Pence, who was one of the targets of the mob at the Capitol that day over his perceived disloyalty to Trump, has downplayed what happened. During a recent appearance on Fox, Pence claimed that journalists have been reporting on January 6 as part of an intentional effort to divert attention from “the Biden administration’s failed agenda by focusing on one day in January.”
As the Post-Dispatch’s editorial board pointedly put it, discussing reporting on Trump’s attempts to use the Justice Department for his efforts to stay in power:
‘As more and more of these details emerge, Republicans who continue to support Trump’s false and toxic claims of electoral victory should think hard about how history will view him — and them.’
Among other newly revealed details, the Senate Judiciary Committee outlined in their report how on Trump’s part there were “at least nine calls and meetings with [then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey] Rosen and/or [then-acting deputy Attorney General Richard] Donoghue starting the day former Attorney General Bill Barr announced his resignation and continuing almost until the January 6 insurrection—including near-daily outreach once Barr left DOJ on December 23.” The Post-Dispatch added as follows:
‘Congressional Republicans, fearful of Trump’s wrath and covetous of his base, are still trying to obfuscate his outrageous attempt to overthrow the election. But history has a way of clarifying these things. The Watergate scandal of half a century ago added to our political lexicon the phrase “Saturday Night Massacre,” referring to two top Justice Department officials who resigned rather than carry out President Richard Nixon’s corrupt order to fire the special investigator who was closing in on him. No rational American today would defend Nixon’s actions — and he was merely trying to get away with covering up an illegal wiretap, an objectively less damnable offense than trying to overturn a valid national election. With every new revelation, Trump’s attempted coup against democracy further dooms him to the trash bin of history. Those who still don’t understand that might well find themselves joining him there.’
Read more at this link.
