T he charges against Donald Trump in his impeachment trial boil down to this: he tried to cheat his way to a second term, got caught, and attempted a cover-up. The difficulty is that Trump, notwithstanding heaps of damning factual evidence of deliberate wrongdoing, is 99% certain to get off. Yet the trial in the Senate cannot be dismissed simply because the result is known in advance. Its perverse outcome, if confirmed, may seriously undermine respect for American democracy and the constitutionally based rule of law. Of all the many wrong things Trump has done, his most terrible legacy may be the destruction of trust in the workings of democracy, the US constitution, and the rule of law.

Source: The Guardian January 25, 2020 19:41 UTC