Niles North opinions on Trump indictment
On April 4, former President Donald Trump became the first former US president in history to be indicted for criminal charges after allegedly falsifying business records and orchestrating payments to two women before the 2016 presidential election to suppress publication of their sexual encounters with him. During the historic trial, Trump pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts held against him. The indictment has since sparked polarizing responses from the American public, with some supporting the enactment of equal justice and others criticizing the move as an attempt by liberals to defame Trump’s chances of winning the 2024 presidential election. North Star News gathered thoughts from students and faculty/staff members on the development of this history-making scandal and its consequences on the future of the federal government’s reputation.
Do you think it is fair to indict a former president for crimes they committed while in office?
“The U.S. Constitution established the laws of our Democratic Republic. No one is above the law, including former presidents and high-ranking government officials. The legal process must apply to every citizen equally as determined by our judicial system. The right to a jury of one’s peers, under oath, to determine guilt or innocence based on the evidence presented is an essential component of that process. The presumption of innocence is afforded to every citizen and is essential to the protection of rights under the Constitution. Donald Trump should be subject, as any other citizen, to the same due process.” – Faculty/staff member Linda Elarde
“No one is above the law. It’s a part of our constitution. No matter who you are, committing crimes and breaking laws is still illegal. He knew what he was doing, he knows the laws he was president of, and he should know the consequences of the crimes he’s committed. He knew what he was doing and did it anyway thinking he was going to get away with it. But now that he is not getting away with it, he has enough money to cover things up and to pay people off. He knows he committed crimes he just can not open up to them.” – Sophomore Elyana Kachaochana
“I think that holding office doesn’t make someone a cut above everyone else, in terms of what they can get away with – our justice system was designed so that that wouldn’t be the case. I resent the thought that having a certain amount of power means that a person gets a license to do immoral or illegal things.” – Anonymous Sophomore
Do you think Trump will ultimately face imprisonment on account of his actions?
“I hope he does, but I’m not holding my breath. This will get dragged out and deals will be made for a lessened time even if he receives any. I believe the maximum sentence is 4 years. With the magnitude of all of his mistakes and terrible choices for this country, I think he deserves no less than 4 years of imprisonment. In reality, he might get 6 months if anything, which gets turned into 3 months with his supposed “good behavior”. – Faculty/staff member Alex Morrison
“Trump has committed so many obvious crimes like instigating January 6 and abusing his power. He was even impeached, and yet for so long, our corrupt government has looked the other way. Unfortunately, we live in a country where senators will vote to acquit a criminal in office for the sake of their party staying in the party. However, now that Trump’s trial is taking place in Manhattan with a jury that isn’t full of politicians that are afraid to lose their power, Trump can finally receive the fair trial he deserves. That’s not to say I hope he’s treated harsher in trial than anyone else, I just hope the court finds justice.” – Junior Flynn Sullivan
“Former President Trump is accused of misappropriating campaign funds – essentially paying a bill out of a wrong account. The fact that the public tax dollars are wasted on this trial at a time when the economy is on the brink of a collapse makes one question the motivation for the prosecution.” – Anonymous faculty/staff member
Do you find it surprising that no prior president has ever been criminally indicted despite the numerous political scandals that have defamed the federal government throughout American history? (President Nixon and the Watergate Scandal, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, etc.)
“The willingness of the public to look the other way as long as the president left the office and politics behind is astonishing. Out of sight out of mind, I guess. There is something to be said about the fact that former President Trump is planning to run for reelection and is being brought up on charges that seems like he is being treated differently presumably to eliminate him from the race.” – Anonymous faculty/staff member
“Not really surprising as I’m assuming that this is the most significant to the public out of the political scandals as it’s being seen in a broader context. It’s not simply the US thinking about what happened in the charges, but they’re also considering the 4 years of either disaster or blessing, depending on who it is you ask. There is a significant portion of the population that is enraged by their leader getting criminally convicted and pinning it as a conspiracy, and there is another significant portion of the population that is glad that Donald Trump will see some sort of charges, even if it’s not as big as it should be such as sedition charges.” – Freshman Gabriel Marin
“I feel previous presidents have never fully been held accountable by the court, even when the public itself acknowledges those mistakes. I think previous presidents have had lots of power in stopping them from being criminally convicted, and got themselves out of the situation.”– Junior Janat Rana
