What if Attorney General Merrick Garland’s latest attempt to get Trump by appointing a special counsel backfires and actually helps the former president’s latest bid for office? It would be pretty darned funny, I’d say.
Garland, in an apparent bid to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest because his boss might run again in an election battle with the already-declared Trump, on Friday appointed veteran prosecutor Jack Smith to oversee the Mar-a-Lago documents and Jan. 6 investigations.
Voters, especially Trump’s base, could find renewed energy as they witness yet another overzealous prosecution of Orange Man Bad, and after watching so many failed efforts, they could (correctly) conclude that the Justice Department is simply an untrustworthy, politicized, partisan Democrat operation. In other words, Joe Biden’s enforcement arm:
“WSJ at Large” host Gerry Baker said on Fox News Friday:
How [Trump] chooses to use this for his own political opportunity will become also quite a big issue in the course of the next few weeks. The question to me politically is whether President Trump actually takes this and leverages it to his advantage. [Emphasis mine.]
Trump didn’t waste much time in blasting the counsel, telling Fox News Digital:
I have been going through this for six years — for six years I have been going through this, and I am not going to go through it anymore. And I hope the Republicans have the courage to fight this.
Get this: back in the 1970s, Smith was a federal prosecutor who helped investigate The Donald for possible fraud charges. The case closed—wait for it… without charges. So if Trump has somewhat of a case of a persecution complex, you’d certainly understand why. This guy Smith has been after him for fifty years.
Trump’s now gone through an endless array of investigations, from Robert Mueller’s seemingly-infinite fishing expedition to two impeachment trials, to probes by the FBI, the Jan. 6 Committee, the Attorney General of New York, the Manhattan DA, and on and on and on… And yet he seems to walk away scot-free each time.
I respect law professor Jonathan Turley’s take on all matters legal, and he thinks this could be The One:
…when we’re talking about obstruction, that is something that can come and has historically come with significant penalties. So I think that the scope of this investigation is going to be a serious concern.
But haven’t we been hearing that for six years now? The “walls are closing in” this time? No doubt the special counsel will be a thorn in Trump’s side, but I expect that—unless they really do get him this time—it will galvanize his support more than it hurts him. People are sick of these expensive, non-productive witch hunts that don’t improve our lives and cost millions. Jack Smith will likely fail as badly as Robert Mueller did, and don’t be surprised if Trump once again has the last laugh.