With the infamous cry “Lock her up!” outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s supporters have long called for the prosecution of Hillary Clinton for crimes she allegedly committed as secretary of state under the Obama administration and as a presidential candidate. Last year Trump himself was impeached, and afterward he demanded to investigate the investigators. He has since ordered criminal inquiries into his campaign rival Joe Biden and Biden’s son Hunter. Now, in the wake of the election and Biden’s victory, the prospect of holding Trump and his staff accountable for their own misdeeds may seem like the next turn in a loop-the-loop of political prosecutions.
But as much as Americans may like to move on, it’s important to recognize the depth of the Trump administration’s corruption and malfeasance. Trump entered office uniquely compromised by financial conflicts of interest. He will leave office after running an intimidation campaign against state officials that aimed to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters. Worst of all, the administration has spread fatal disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, about as many Americans die each day of this disease than were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Trump’s own White House events and indoor campaign rallies have violated local public health decrees and knowingly caused the infection of numerous attendees. The administration’s distortion of health information and encouragement of vigilante action against state officials who enforced mask mandates could even amount to reckless endangerment.
