Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson issued a statement today on former president Donald Trump’s recent indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and block the peaceful transfer of power. Trump was arraigned this afternoon in a District of Columbia court. He pleaded not guilty on all four felony charges in the indictment: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
The indictment of former President Trump on charges that he sought to overturn the results of a presidential election is a huge thing, and we should treat it as such. But we should view this first and foremost as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans. The charges against the former President are very serious, and we should not allow our personal view of him to lessen our dedication to the rule of law or to the pursuit of justice. The former President should be shown no preferential treatment, and at the same time he should have the rights of any defendant in a criminal case. A core principle of American justice is that all are innocent until proven guilty.
I am old enough to remember Watergate, and I can honestly say that it didn’t seem to be a partisan issue at the time. Both Republican and Democratic Senators were involved in the search for truth, seemingly equally so. And the country was much stronger because of it. What matters most here is not anyone’s opinion of the former President, but rather the integrity of our elections and the strength of our legal system.
Being indicted on felony charges is no small thing, and – as much as I seriously disagree with Donald Trump, and wish to see him held accountable for any wrongdoing he did while in office or afterwards – on a human level I feel compassion for what he and his family must be going through. In order to navigate the times in which we live, we must reach into our heart for answers – not the answer to this question or that, but rather the ultimate answer: a wiser, deeper, more loving and mature view of all things including politics and society.
Starting now let each of us drop any personal animus toward either Trump or toward the team that has brought charges against him. This is too serious an issue to either celebrate his misfortune, or to simplistically assume his indictment is politically motivated. As Americans, a responsibility of citizenship is to bring the best of who we are to who we are as citizens.
My hope is that this case proceeds correctly on every count, and above all that justice be done. This is America – and that’s the way it should be.
– Marianne Williamson
August 3, 2023
August 3, 2023
– August 15, 2023
Related Off-site Links:
What Happened in the Courtroom During Trump’s Third Arraignment This Year – Geoff Bennett, Matt Loffman, and Ian Couzens (PBS NewsHour, August 3, 2023).
Trump Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Charges That He Tried to Overturn the 2020 Election – Jessica Corbett (Common Dreams, August 1, 2023).
Finally, the Trump Case We’ve Been Waiting For – Susan B. Glasser (The New Yorker, July 20, 2023).
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Jessica Roth: Quote of the Day – August 1, 2023
• Why Trump’s Classified Documents Case Is Unique
• Rahna Epting: Quote of the Day – June 9, 2023
• Jeff Sharlet on the Fascist Ideology of Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene
• Historian Nancy MacLean: The Threat to American Democracy Is at “Red-Alert”
• William D. Lindsey: Quote of the Day – August 12, 2022
• “How Can One Overreact to a Mortal Threat to American Democracy?”
• A Deeper Perspective on What’s Really Attacking Democracy
• “The Coup Attempt on Jan. 6th Was a Warning for What’s to Come If We Don’t Act”
• “My Biggest Worry Is for My Country”
• David Remnick: Quote of the Day – February 13, 2021
• Dan Rather on America’s “Moment of Reckoning”
• Michael Harriot: Quote of the Day – January 6, 2021
• Insurrection at the United States Capitol
• Fascism Is Upon Us
• Saying “No” to Donald Trump and His Fascist Agenda
• Trump’s Playbook
Image 1: Bill Hennessy (for PBS NewsHour).
Image 2: Molly Matalon (for The New York Times).
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