The country is living through history with the first-ever federal indictment of a former president. A grand jury of Miami residents charged Donald Trump with 37 federal counts, ranging from the willful retention of national defense information to obstruction of justice. Given the unprecedented situation the nation is witnessing, it only reinforces why we must cover it in the right way.
At its core, what the federal indictment shows is that a former president thought he was above the law. Recorded conversations between Trump and his lawyers reveal that he knowingly kept classified information and failed to turn it over when asked. The indictment sends a message to the country that no one — even the former president — can escape justice and accountability.
What happens next is arguably more important, though. Now that Trump has been arraigned at a federal courthouse in Miami and pleaded not guilty, the federal judge overseeing the case, Aileen Cannon, will begin the trial process in which witnesses will be brought in front of a jury of ordinary citizens. Lawyers for Trump and the special counsel’s team will present their evidence. Witnesses will be cross-examined. And jurors will ultimately determine whether Trump is guilty.
