Has the U.S.A. Become A Banana Republic?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is equal justice under the law. The basic principle is that all individuals should be treated in exactly the same manner by the law. At the same time, all individuals should be subject to the same laws. All people are equal before the law, and all people are entitled to equal protection of the law without any discrimination.

Equal justice before the law is a bedrock principle of the United States and has been in force since the founding days of our nation. However, a two-tier justice system has come into being with Donald Trump and his supporters being treated differently than Democrats and their supports. Some obvious examples are: (1) Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home was raided to obtain classified materials, while Joe Biden was allowed to have his attorneys search for classified materials. Black Lives Matter rioters were bailed out of jail with funds raised by then-Senator Kamala Harris, while January 6 protesters were arrested and kept in prison with no bail available. Congress has bank statements showing that Biden’s family received money from China – and Trump faces indictment for a six-year old misdemeanor.

Trump shared a leaked message that he was due to be arrested on Tuesday. Mary Margaret Olohan wrote the following in her article published by The Daily Signal. 

The post refers to charges from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office reportedly related to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who has claimed that she had an affair with Trump in 2016 and that she received $130,000 in hush money payments form the former president.

Trump has denied that he had an affair with Daniels, who was formerly represented by disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti. The former president sued Daniels for defamation and a judge ultimately ordered that she pay him almost $300,000.

Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations regarding a $130,000 payment to Daniels, which Trump reimbursed, toward the end of the 2016 campaign. Attorney Craig Engle wrote for The Daily Signal that Cohen actually did not violate campaign finance laws.

I am not defending or justifying Trump in any of his behavior. I am simply pointing out that there is a two-tier justice system in the United States, one system applies to Trump and his supporters and the other applies to other people. This fact can no longer be denied. The fact that we have two tiers in our justice system means that we have fallen to the level of banana republics.