Is Having Former President Donald Trump On The Witness Stand The Beginning of The End?

By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.

The political terrain has a fair share of cracks and crevices. What was once a high mountaintop is now low in the valley. The “straight and narrow” has become crooked and uneven. What is happening to the American political system?

Power in the hands of the wrong people can lead us astray. We follow them thinking they are ethical and honest. Yet we find out later they are unethical and dishonest.

There were a lot of people who followed Donald Trump as he became president of this country. What he did while he was the president led to him losing the 2020 election.

Mr. Trump is much like the household fly. You think you have sprayed it away, but it is still flying around your house in the morning.

Some thought the Trump era had come to an end. That was the wrong assumption. The former president firmly believes the last election was stolen from him, at least that what he says publicly.

Rumors swirl saying he knows that he lost. Yet the ruse about his winning continues to stay in the media. Since the last election, he has been indicted four times. That level of embarrassment and shame does not bother him it seems. He continues to lead by a big margin in the presidential polls.

Nationally, he leads the polls against President Joe Biden. It is my thinking that he has convinced most potential voters that he is the best candidate despite his legal woes and worries.

Let’s be clear and say he is in grave legal trouble. Mr. Trump testified last week in a New York courtroom about his business dealings. According to his followers and critics alike, the “Trump brand” is taking a hit.

He is accused of overestimating the value of his properties and finances. As a result, he gets more tax breaks. In this case, he is already guilty. The question is how much is he going to pay the state of New York?

His temper has gotten the best of him in court according to news sources. Usually appearing in court before a judge means being on your best behavior. Not Mr. Trump as he marches to the beat of a different drummer. Mr. Trump has been disrespectful to the judge in the case, Arthur Engoroni. Is this surprising? No. His disrespect has also been shown towards New York Attorney General, Letitia James.

As this trial proceeds, we know there will be other trials to follow, all alleging his wrongdoing and his blatant disregard for rules and regulations. At some point during the upcoming months, Mr. Trump will hear the words, you are guilty. That is my opinion.

However, Democrats should not become too complacent. Pocketbook issues, the overall economy, and the wars in Ukraine and Israel should be concerning.

Arguably, some voters would rather put up with Trump’s misgivings. In the Republican debate recently, Nikki Haley continued to improve her ranking in the polls. Will this surge continue and be enough to unseat Trump?

I believe it will depend upon his legal battles. If the storm clouds become a political hurricane for him then Nikki Haley has a good chance of getting the Republican nomination.

The timing of these trials will certainly be challenging for the former president. Running a campaign and being in court almost at the same time will indeed be challenging. That is a reality that he and his team may well face.

In the meantime, we will stay tuned to this trial to see what the outcome will be. It is safe to say that he is on shaky ground. Donald Trump was once a tower of power and now he is slowly looking more like a castle made of sand.