For those who celebrate ... Happy Arraignment Day!
I do wish there was a Hallmark card for this unprecedented occasion. It is literally historic for a former U.S. president to be arraigned in court on a slew of criminal charges. All alleged and not proven, of course.
I know it's not polite to wish ill on another person, but in this particular case, I’m giving myself a pass.
Today’s the day when Donald J. Trump has to do the walk of shame into a New York courthouse, face a judge and be arraigned. He has to appear. He can’t send an attorney in his place.
He has often been referred to as "Teflon Don," but will this be the time something actually sticks?
The basic charge is that he paid hush money — or rather, directed it be paid — to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels from revealing their fling in 2006.
It wasn’t allegedly paying for silence that was criminal; it was the fact his then-lawyer Michael Cohen represented it in business records as legal fees. He says it was all at the direction of Trump, but it was Cohen who went to jail.
It seems poetic justice to me that Trump may be brought down by a woman he seemed to have so little regard for. Karma?
Reports suggest this is just one of the two dozen charges to be filed today. If any are felonies, jail time is a possibility if convicted.
Try as I might, I cannot find one redeeming quality of this guy. Usually even if you find someone distasteful, you can point to something they do well or some quality that makes them somewhat likeable. Trump? Can’t name one.
Is he a good family man? Not likely, if you believe the numerous reports of affairs over the years.
Successful businessman? Not really, if you consider multiple bankruptcies.
Animal lover? Not that I’ve seen. He had no pets while in office — which is just one more thing wrong with him.
Is he entertaining or amusing? Not in a good way, unless you enjoy his orange complexion, weird comb-over and overly long ties.
I have yet to see kindness, generosity or any actual spirituality. Remember him holding the Bible upside down?
Obviously, being Canadian, I am neither Republican nor Democrat, so my dislike of Trump is more about his character than his politics.
I don’t like liars or bullies.
It angers me that his influence on society has made me feel differently about the United States. It has even been hard to maintain friendships with some of our neighbours to the south who not only support but approve of his antics. In this case, it goes deeper than a political party.
Can you maintain relationships with people who have a different moral compass? You can certainly avoid discussing your differences, but is that a real friendship? I’m still struggling with that one.
I haven’t been stateside in years and it used to be a fairly regular occurrence. Yes, part of that was due to COVID, but it was also because of the Trump presidency. I didn’t like the changes I saw in their country.
So will today truly change anything? No doubt he will turn it all into a political spectacle. He will call himself a victim. He will blame everyone else. Expect a rally to raise money for his campaign. Trump has no shame, and that's another character flaw.
There will be no "perp walk," but there will be fingerprinting and a mugshot taken. No matter his spin, he will be a twice-impeached president and the first to ever face criminal charges, even as he runs again for the top job.
No matter what, brace yourself for an interesting and monumental day.
