The Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices last year famously immunized President Donald Trump against criminal prosecution for his official actions. Others counter that raising the prospect of eventual criminal liability represents the best hope of restraining the behavior of Trump officials now. The central two fronts of the accountability debateThe conversation about potential future legal liability for Trump officials has advanced the furthest on two fronts. To those who favor aggressive action, the lesson of that experience is not for a future administration to abandon accountability, but to advance it more quickly and comprehensively. By contrast, Wiebelhaus-Brahm thinks the Biden-era experience should make Democrats think twice before suggesting future criminal or other legal accountability for Trump administration actions.

Source: CNN December 21, 2025 12:32 UTC