Be it Resolved, Trump’s prosecution is bad for American democracy

The indictment of Donald Trump is an historic event. The 45th president of the United States now holds the unique distinction of being the first president to face criminal prosecution in the country’s history. Some legal experts believe that prosecuting Trump sets a dangerous precedent that will open an era of politically motivated prosecutions undermining democracy and the rule of law. Future presidents will be more likely to stay in office – through undemocratic means – in order to avoid trial. Furthermore, bringing this particular case against Trump, one which has nothing to do with his time in office, will undermine and delegitimize more important prosecutions that he could face in the future. And doing so will almost certainly galvanize his supporters and all but secure his nomination as the GOP presidential candidate in the 2024 election. Other experts argue that the opposite is true. Not holding Trump accountable to the rule of law would undermine democracy and send a message to the public that elected officials are not subject to the same justice system as ordinary citizens. Prosecuting Trump shows a commitment to basic legal principles and strengthens American democracy. Arguing for the motion is Sarah Isgur, attorney, political commentator, and former spokesperson in the United States Department of Justice Arguing against the motion is Norman Eisen who served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee for the Trump impeachment, and was the White House's chief ethics lawyer in the Obama administration   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/   Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch