Donald Trump, a longtime admirer of foreign autocrats, recently has been inveighing against the dangers of holding politicians and police officers accountable for breaking the law. If the all-but-certain Republican presidential nominee wants to convince general election voters that there is nothing to charges that he harbors dictatorial ambitions, this is probably not the best way to go about it.
To some extent, Trump's argument that "A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MUST HAVE FULL IMMUNITY," as he put it in an all-caps Truth Social post last week, mirrors the position his lawyers have taken in seeking dismissal of federal charges stemming from his attempts to remain in office after losing reelection in 2020. Although a former president can be prosecuted for "purely private conduct," they say, he can be prosecuted for "official acts" only if they resulted in impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate.
