As Attorney General Merrick Garland and Judge Juan Merchan stage their final acts of legal warfare against Donald Trump, it’s clear their efforts are more about shaping political narratives than upholding justice. Garland’s release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s exhaustive 146-page report on the January 6 investigation, coupled with Judge Merchan’s pursuit of sentencing Trump in a dubious Manhattan case, illustrates this desperate bid to cement a narrative before Trump takes office.
A Redundant Report
Smith’s report on the Capitol riot investigation rehashes material already in the public domain. From live broadcasts of the events to extensive congressional hearings, two impeachments, and multiple indictments, the American public has seen this story play out repeatedly. Smith's prior filings, including a staggering 2,000-page proffer of evidence, already laid bare his case. His latest report adds nothing of substance beyond a transparent effort to tarnish Trump’s image one last time.
The claim that DOJ regulations compelled Smith to issue a final report is flimsy at best. Under Garland's watch, the Justice Department has cherry-picked which rules to follow and which to disregard. More telling is the fact that this isn't a case like the Mueller probe, where no charges were filed, and a public report could arguably clarify conclusions. Smith’s redundant publication is pure political posturing.
Judicial Overreach and Double Standards
Judge Merchan’s insistence on sentencing Trump — even without prison time, probation, or a fine — underscores a fixation on branding Trump a convicted felon before the president-elect’s immunity resumes upon taking office. The Manhattan DA’s pursuit of Trump for alleged business record falsifications, a charge stretched into 34 felony counts, reeks of a politicized vendetta. This case hinges on a dubious premise that Trump’s actions violated federal campaign laws over which the DA holds no jurisdiction.
It’s a spectacle that serves neither justice nor the American public. Manhattan's streets teem with serious crime that DA Alvin Bragg often declines to prosecute, yet the office obsessively pursued a misdemeanor inflated into a legal farce against Trump.
Political Theater, Not Justice
Garland, Smith, and Merchan may revel in calling Trump a convicted felon — just as Democrats did throughout the 2024 campaign. But their relentless crusade has only deepened divisions and cast doubt on the impartiality of the legal system. Despite the cacophony, the American people have spoken. The repeated chant of “convicted felon” has not swayed their decision. Come Monday, the country will once again call Donald Trump “Mr. President.”
Trump is not above the law, but he is not below it either. The relentless legal pursuits against him have crossed into political vendetta territory, disserving both justice and the republic. If this chapter of lawfare proves anything, it’s that public opinion can’t be bent to fit political theater — no matter how fervently Garland, Smith, and Merchan may try.
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