Presidential historian Michael Beschloss is arguing that if Gerald Ford had not pardoned Richard Nixon, and if a prosecution of Nixon had been allowed to proceed unimpeded, Donald Trump would have understood that there would be consequences for inspiring an insurrection.
We cats love Michael Beschloss, but we say, nah. You can't ever convince Donald Trump that there will be consequences for anything. So although we agonized over it for a long time, we're thinking that Jimmy Carter was right when he said it was best that Ford issued the pardon to Nixon, and that we all moved on.
Still... Nixon, and now Trump, are both so awful. Don't we want consequences? Well, Nixon is long dead. And now, the January 6 Committee has established the precedent. A President cannot incite rebellion against the United States and escape accountability.
So the whole thing falls into the hands of Dark Merrick and Jack Smith. We cats can't wait for the next chapter — although, on the other hand, yes, we can wait. To prosecute properly takes time. If you're impatient about that, take comfort from the knowledge that the dragged-out nature of the proceedings probably tortures the objects of prosecution more than you: not just Trump, but Giuliani, Meadows, Eastman, et. al.
Many questions left to answer, and many stones to unturn. We cats look forward to them all, and we PURR.
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