In his Aug. 13 opinion, Alberto Gonzales, former U.S. Attorney General under President George W. Bush, did a pretty good job of encouraging readers not to be too quick to judge Donald Trump. Despite his stated intentions to be neutral, Gonzales also allowed a number of his opinions to creep into the equation, suggesting that he, and much of the public, have determined exactly where Trump stands. As an example, Gonzales admitted Trump has refused to cooperate with prosecutors to address potential wrongdoing, as Bill Clinton willingly did several years ago. He also admitted that “the problem” of his alleged crimes may rest with Trump rather than with the prosecutors. Finally, he contended that because Trump urged his followers to assault the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump should be held accountable.
Ultimately, Trump will be facing the consequences of four (so far) independent grand juries that have indicted him for a variety of crimes.
The key words here are “independent grand juries” made up of ordinary U.S. citizens like you and I.
Gonzales argued that pundits may have a duty to avoid treating Trump unfairly unless there is evidence to believe otherwise.
I’ll leave neutrality to the pundits, knowing full well that both sides will continue to share their views about Trump’s guilt or innocence. However, this ordinary citizen believes the four indictments contain enough evidence that will eventually put Trump right where he belongs — in a jail cell for an extended period.
— Mike Jens
Anchorage
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