Alvin Bragg, district attorney for New York County (Manhattan), has indicted former president Donald J. Trump, apparently accusing him of a crime in connection with allegations of hush money payments, or the manner of accounting for such alleged payments, to one Stephanie Clifford, 44, better known by her performing name, Stormy Daniels.
Given the political standing of Manhattan voters, approaching 90% Biden voters in the November 2020 presidential election, Bragg likely could get an indictment of Mr. Trump for eating a ham sandwich in the middle of Fifth Avenue on a Saturday (Shabbos) morning. The district attorney might well have been told by leftist zealots not to worry; Republicans will let us twist Trump in the wind. But the initial reaction from the GOP camp indicates that the leftists might have underestimated the present state of Republican solidarity in the face of the left's assault on Trump — now and, no doubt, on the GOP generally thereafter.
House speaker Kevin McCarthy's immediate reaction to news of the indictment was to accuse the Manhattan district attorney of having "irreparably damaged" the country, and vowing that Congress will take action in response. Mr. McCarthy's comments offer this writer yet another occasion to urge the House to pass a resolution sending that Jan. 6 House Select Committee and all its actions, including subpoenas, to the ash-heap of history — for the unconstitutional fraud that they were.
Machiavelli, in The Prince, chapter six, offers district attorney Bragg reason to believe that Republicans would take no effective action against his decision to charge the former president with a felony. Machiavelli pointed out, centuries ago, that a political "innovator" would have difficulty rallying the support of logical allies. Machiavelli wrote:
And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them. Thus it happens that whenever those who are hostile have the opportunity to attack they do it like partisans, whilst the others defend lukewarmly, in such wise that the prince is endangered along with them.
Up to now, Donald J. Trump, the MAGA innovator, has had difficulty dealing with enemies, given the "lukewarm" support of Republicans who should have been his most enthusiastic defenders. Bear in mind that when he was president, although the House of Representatives was in GOP hands, with Paul Ryan as speaker, the Deep State had no problem establishing Robert Mueller as special counsel for the purpose of ousting the president/innovator.
Let's take another look at the closing line from that Machiavelli passage: " Thus it happens that whenever those who are hostile have the opportunity to attack they do it like partisans, whilst the others defend lukewarmly, in such wise that the prince is endangered along with them."
Bragg, more likely than not, has been encouraged to attack the former president, now, as a partisan prosecutor who expects that Trump will be "defend[ed] lukewarmly," leading to his inevitable political downfall.
At this point, Mr. Trump can be expected to argue vigorously in his defense, but his future will depend on the strength of his support by the GOP in general (that includes you, Ronna McDaniel) and, in particular, by the House GOP majority. Is the House GOP leadership capable of standing firm against Deep State sharks sensing Trump's blood in the political waters?
Briefly, do Republicans realize that they are up against a political enemy intent on making mincemeat out of the Constitution — and do they have the will to confront and defeat the anti-democratic forces arrayed against them?
If the Republicans remain merely "lukewarm defenders" of the former president, America will indeed be irreparably damaged, and our two-party system is lost — and with it, our democracy.