Jonathan Chait: The reason Donald Trump is the first former president to be treated like a criminal

[tblue37]

is that he is the first former president who is a criminal.

Link to tweet

Text

New York Magazine
@NYMag

The reason Donald Trump is the first former president to be treated like a criminal is that he is the first former president who is a criminal. @jonathanchait writes

[PJMcK]

1. K&R

X 1,000

[spanone]

2. Pellucidly...!

Kudos to malaise

[malaise]

8. Bwaaaaah!

It’s that simple😝

[spanone]

10. Damn straight it tis!

[MerryHolidays]

3. Well....the second....after Nixon

[Wounded Bear]

4. Technically, he was pardoned, so not...

[Ohio Joe]

11. I guess Nixon was the smarter criminal

[Rebl2]

12. Yep

made a deal with Ford or the feds to agree to leave the presidency as long as he was pardoned. In other words he said I am guilty.

[twodogsbarking]

24. He went through Criminal Change Therapy.

[soldierant]

23. Trust me - there were more than two.

but none to the extent of Trump** until Trump himself.

Also, none that I know of whose crimes threatened to compromise national security and destroy democracy. And I think you can take that to the bank.

[MyOwnPeace]

5. And, of course, the follow-up response is.....

Yes, no President has ever been 'raided' by the FBI because NO PRESIDENT had ever shown cause to make that necessary!!!!

(Gawd, they're SO f-ing dumb.... )

[LakeArenal]

6. It's the vapors. They all have the vapors.

Lindsey Graham faux outrage.

[ornotna]

18. I've seen this act before

[pecosbob]

7. Last Republican President that was not a criminal (as far as I know) was Gerald Ford

[Rebl2]

14. He did

pardon a president that was a criminal. I know that doesn’t make him a criminal, but I wish he hadn’t pardoned Nixon.

[peppertree]

20. A president of gravitas and integrity, all in all - although...

A late friend of mine from California - who got to know many interesting people over the years - assured me that Ford had been cheating on Betty with a mother-daughter team of escorts.

Was it true? We'll only know when we cross over (supposedly) - but can you imagine if that had come out ?

[bucolic_frolic]

9. Not an entirely unique perspective

Link to tweet

[Beetwasher.]

15. Honey Pot

Top to bottom and he walked right into it. He couldn’t help himself.

[gratuitous]

25. More of a personal compulsion, I think

Everything belongs to Donald in his world. He clearly thought the trappings and privileges of office were for his personal use. The Department of Justice was his personal law firm, and there was never a bill! Talk about being in heaven for the former guy. He could order staffers around, like he always has, but he could also order around military officers, right up to and including generals. And none of them would say "boo."

So why wouldn't he think that all this classified and top secret stuff that crossed his desk wasn't his, too? A lot of people would pay a lot of money to know what's in this report or that white paper. Money that should be paid to Donald because it's his administration that produced it. At long last it looks like he'll be held to account about it.

[Beetwasher.]

13. There is no Other choice if We are to be a Nation of Laws

There is no choice and there is no turning back. Bring it on.

[BOSSHOG]

16. President Precedent

But when conservatives lose the next civil war it won’t be a precedent.

It’s fun to type precedent fast with one finger. Thank you President Precedent.

[niyad]

17. Exactly what I said yesterday.

[Cha]

19. Yes, magats Chose to Yoke themselves

to a Flagrant Crook".. and now they're mad said Traitor Crook is Busted!

[barbtries]

21. not entirely true.

but he is the most prolific of them.

[IronLionZion]

22. Nixon claimed he was not a crook

Warren Harding claimed his friends were the crooks. but yes, Trump is the worst in recent times

[RANDYWILDMAN]

26. How is "I am not a crook !" not a criminal ?

asking for a friend

[dalton99a]

27. A lifelong career criminal.

[Brainfodder]

28. He told Harding, Jackson, and Nixon to hold his DIET COKES?