The Trump Indictments

Joan Holtzman

— It is a small data point, but I want to report that most of my OWL friends are following the Trump indictments closely and enthusiastically.

There was some disappointment that the first indictment back in March focused on Trump’s payment of hush money, surely not the most serious of his crimes.  Interest, however, picked up in June when he was charged with removing and refusing to return classified documents. 

And now, in August, with indictments having taken place in Washington and Georgia, there is much more engagement and excitement. Texts and email messages reveal that lots of folks are very glad that Trump and his cronies are finally being charged with the most serious crimes— crimes against democracy.    

Some of my correspondents are impressed by the sheer number of felonies he has been charged with; others by how carefully they have been chosen (defrauding the public, various conspiracies to overturn the 2020 election); a legal framing that does not over reach.     

There has been much praise for Jack Smith and his decision to indict Trump alone, without his co-conspirators, a tactic designed to speed up the date for his trial. And for Fani Willis, whose extensive investigations focused on Trump as well as 18 co-conspirators and brings attention to the racial context of what happened in Georgia.

Several people have expressed surprise that despite the fact that Trump has seeded the courts and the justice department with his appointees these institutions are still functioning, at least in some places.

And yet, despite the happy chatter about the indictments no one thinks Trump and his minions will be undone by them. On the contrary, they believe he is a nefarious force, who has ignited a dangerous band that will continue to propound alternative narratives, lie when they choose to, and engage in force when they feel they need to. Most of my OWL friends believe Trump to be the most serious threat our democracy has known in their long lifetimes. 

So why, you may ask, did I want to write this little piece about my cohort and their welcoming of the recent indictments? I think it is because we all recognize and appreciate that they tell the truth, that there is such a thing as hard evidence. We are delighted that so many documents, tapes and photographs have been gathered, showing what actually happened, and that they are available for all to see. 

Some of the people I’ve talked with believe that truth will out, that Trump will be defeated in the next election and that he and his co-conspirators will, in time, be convicted, go to jail and/or have serious fines imposed on them. Others are not so sure if or when any of this will happen. They are prepared for a long engagement with a powerful enemy.

Still, they seem satisfied that the indictments have been drawn and are now on the record for posterity, entered in the annals of history. Whatever happens in the near future, they believe that eventually Truth trumps Lies and is among the most important tools and weapons democracy has. 

These are somewhat different takeaways but both are hopeful.  Voice of the OWL is happy to share them along with a few photos and a link to a useful website  – a guide to understanding and following all the indictment as they play out.

Find more articles about Trump.

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/07/politics/trump-indictments-criminal-cases/