And now a word or two in praise of Donald Trump.
Perhaps no other person in our nation’s history—not Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. or anyone else you might think of—has been as instrumental in providing a national civics lesson, time and time again.
Think about it. For this exercise, remove from your mind any consideration of guilt or innocence. Just concentrate on what lessons Trump has provided through his involvement over the last eight years in the following areas instrumental to the proper and legal workings of our government:
The impeachment process
Insurrection charge
Sedition charge
Voter suppression
The peaceful and orderly transition of power
Free speech
Trial by one’s peers
Grand jury proceedings
Election integrity
The Emolument Clause of the Constitution
The Rule of Law
Conspiracy charge
Obstruction charge
Border security
Asylum seeker
The role of state secretaries of state
Presidential pardon power
The role of a special counsel
The role of an independent counsel
The role of deputy attorney general
The role of a special prosecutor
The role of a real-life fixer
Top secret document classifications
The role of the National Archives
The Presidential Records Act
The electoral certification process
Slates of Electoral College electors
The merging of church and state
Primary and presidential debate decorum
International alliances
White supremacists, Oath Keepers, Proud Boys
We owe a debt of gratitude to Donald Trump for beaming a spotlight on these 31 issues. No doubt there are more that we could be thankful for.
