Trump uses pardons to position himself

Donald Trump’s use of executive pardon is a brilliant, cynical ploy. It undermines confidence in our institutions by calling attention to travesties of justice. It undercuts the judiciary and increases the power of the executive. It normalizes this practice so that when he uses it to get his cronies, and possibly himself, out of trouble, it won’t seem so shocking. It buttresses his main argument that everyone but himself is corrupt and that only he can help us. It potentially mollifies AfricanAmericans, the segment of society that has most consistently opposed him. It distracts the population from the crimes he and his henchmen have committed and are committing.

We are in deep trouble, folks. Trump knows well the lesson of history that the most effective way for a dictator to come to power is by destroying faith in the institutions of society and positioning himself as the only hope. Perhaps he is more shortsighted than this and his only goal is to remain in power for eight years. But the damage he will have done to the rule of law, our society, and America itself, will be his enduring legacy. Herbert K. Lea